SINGAPORE: From “career bridges” to raising the quality and wages of jobs that are resilient to artificial intelligence disruption, the Economic Strategy Review (ESR) proposed various ways to support workers through career transitions and to create good jobs amid a changed world.Also among the ideas is a call for retrenchment support to be provided at an earlier stage to improve the chances of redeploying affected workers. These were part of the 32 final recommendations made by the review's committees, released on Wednesday (May 13) at the Singapore Business Federation’s (SBF) Future Economy Conference.The recommendations were categorised into eight thrusts: four are about securing economic growth for Singapore, and another four are about creating good jobs and opportunities.AI and automation mean that work can be done with fewer humans, and jobs that once offered stability are now exposed to disruption, the executive summary of the review said.Singapore cannot hold back on technology, but should be deliberate about ensuring that technology uplifts workers, while widening the range of roles that offer meaningful and sustainable careers.The review committees added that career transitions are becoming more significant and frequent, so support structures need to be redesigned to take an “anticipatory and integrated approach”.Learning and workforce development systems must also be adjusted so that workers can acquire skills as needed. For example, modular and stackable pathways can be scaled up so that workers can build skills progressively while remaining employed.MAKING RESILIENT SECTORS ATTRACTIVE, BUILDING CAREER BRIDGESOne of the recommendations was to raise the quality and attractiveness of jobs that are less likely to be affected by AI disruption, such as roles in early childhood education, allied health and social services.The review committees recommended raising the quality, productivity and wages of these jobs so that they become more attractive.Structured apprenticeship models that integrate training, accreditation and progression could be developed, together with a gradual shift away from reliance on low-cost, low-skilled labour."This way, we make sure that as our economy grows, our workers' prospects improve with it," said Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow, who chaired the ESR committee on global competitiveness. He was speaking at the Singapore Business Federation's Future Economy Conference.