Global multinational corporations (MNCs) are staying firm on their plans to expand in Singapore in spite of the economic downturn triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, and are hiring local talent to support these growth targets.
They include players in the technology sector such as semiconductor firm GlobalFoundries, life science tools manufacturer Illumina and Micron Technology, one of the world's biggest chipmakers.
Singapore's Economic Development Board managing director Chng Kai Fong said that the "existing pipeline of committed investments that are scheduled to be realised over the next three to five years remain on track".
Mr Chng said: "We do not expect Covid-19 to significantly affect these committed projects because the factors which drove the decisions continue to be valid."
The factors include Asia's growth as a market, the deep skills of the local workforce, the eco-system of suppliers here and in the region, and Singapore's connectivity and open trading posture as well as its business-friendly and rules-based environment.
"Singapore's strong fundamentals and reputation for being a trusted place to do business are more important than ever amidst the disruptions caused by Covid-19," he added.
In the first half of this year, the Republic drew about $14.3 billion in fixed-asset investments - about 95 per cent of the total investment commitments for last year.
Some MNCs interviewed by The Straits Times said that they are hiring for a range of positions, from engineers to corporate roles, to support their expansion plans.
GlobalFoundries has more than 100 positions available here, such as operators, technicians and associate engineers. It also has about 120 openings under the SGUnited Traineeship Programme.
The California-based semiconductor manufacturer said the potential hires may range from operators with N-or O-level qualifications and technicians with Nitec certification in engineering, to associate engineers with polytechnic diplomas and engineers with degrees.
Ms Janice Lee, GlobalFoundries' vice-president and human resources lead for international fab operations, said the company is looking at "continuous recruitment" as it ramps up operations to support the heightened demand for semiconductors in the healthcare, communications, infrastructure and security sectors.
Life science tools manufacturer Illumina, headquartered in California, also has several positions open in research and development, corporate functions, software or bioinformatics roles and operations.
Meanwhile, American tech giant Micron Technology has 200 full-time job openings, and another 150 traineeship roles which it aims to fill by the end of the year.
Micron's director of talent acquisition Zerlinda Tan said: "We are hiring across multiple disciplines to invest in talent for our teams and foster an environment for collaboration, creativity and innovation."
Several other global firms have also announced investments in Singapore this year, such as PayPal, Rakuten, Kajima, Johnson Controls, Twitter and Zoom.
Dr Lei Hsien-Hsien, chief executive of the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, said about 83 per cent of firms it surveyed this year were retaining the same number of workers, or even hiring more.
"With a strong talent pool qualified to carry out the work required by regional and global headquarters, Singapore's status as an international hub will grow stronger."
© 2020 Singapore Press Holdings
This article was written by Sue-Ann Tan from The Straits Times and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
