Event
From Exceptionalism to Resilience, Innovation, and Cohesion
From Exceptionalism to Resilience, Innovation, and Cohesion
Description
When Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered 2025’s National Day Rally speech, he confronted the anxieties of a nation navigating both geopolitical uncertainty and technological upheaval. Global trade is fragmenting, U.S.–China tensions are hardening, and artificial intelligence (AI) is redrawing the nature of work. Against this backdrop, PM Wong outlined Singapore’s need for a “new economic blueprint” to stay competitive and ensure good jobs for Singaporeans.
For the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL), these are not abstract challenges. They go to the heart of its mission: to enable Singapore’s workforce to thrive in change. The issues of jobs, skills and learning, central to this year’s rally speech, speak directly to the work of building a resilient, adaptive, and forward-looking labour force.
Navigating a world of fractured globalisation
The Prime Minister was blunt in describing how globalisation has entered a more fractured phase. Tariffs, export controls, and new trade barriers are now permanent features of the landscape. Small, open economies like Singapore will inevitably feel the squeeze.
Associate Professor (Practice) Terence Ho, Deputy Executive Director of IAL, argues that this moment requires Singapore to rethink its traditional model of survival-driven “exceptionalism.” For decades, Singapore had to be the best in everything, from its port and airline to schools and innovation hubs, simply to survive. “But in today’s context,” he notes, “exceptionalism must also encompass resilience, innovation and cohesion. The old formula of topping global rankings is no longer sufficient.”
Resilience in this sense goes beyond financial reserves or infrastructure. It extends to workforce capabilities: the ability of workers to adapt to sudden shocks, whether trade realignments or technological disruption. For IAL, this means emphasising career resilience, learning agility, and the fortitude to bounce back from setbacks.
The AI revolution: fear and possibility
A key focus of the Prime Minister’s speech centred on AI, described as “a defining technology of our time.” His message was two-sided: AI promises productivity gains and new industries, but it also threatens existing jobs and livelihoods.
The challenge is one of human-centric technology adoption, which has been advocated by labour economists including Daron Acemoglu and David Autor. “The key,” Associate Professor Ho says, “is whether we design jobs that enable human workers to complement technology, rather than compete against it.” Singapore’s tripartite model, where government, employers, and unions co-create workforce solutions, gives the country an advantage.
IAL sees an urgent need for AI to inform both education and workplace learning. This means training Singaporeans to use AI tools and interpret AI output, as well as to develop skills AI cannot easily replicate: collaboration, judgment, persuasion, empathy. Such “uniquely human” capabilities will define employability in an AI era.
Lifelong learning as national resilience
PM Wong reaffirmed the government’s commitment to SkillsFuture. Importantly, he announced enhancements that will allow continuing education to be more flexible and for more quality courses to be made available for working adults.
IAL welcomes these moves but stresses that classroom training alone is not enough. “Skills must be built in context, not in isolation,” Associate Professor Ho emphasised. “Workers learn most effectively when training is embedded in real tasks, supported by managers and peers.”
This is why IAL has long championed work-based learning models, whether through structured mentorship, peer learning circles, or project-based assignments. For workers already employed, these approaches make reskilling less daunting and more relevant. For jobseekers, traineeships and attachments provide the bridge between study and employment.
Broadening the social compact around work
PM Wong acknowledged that technological disruption could eliminate some jobs outright. To reassure Singaporeans, he pledged that the government would “equip and empower every worker,” redesigning jobs and strengthening job-matching services. New Community Development Council (CDC) initiatives will match local jobseekers with vacancies closer to home, leveraging community networks.
IAL believes this focus on meaningful, secure work is critical to sustaining Singapore’s social compact. “Our social compact has always been built on work,” Associate Professor Ho observed. “If the AI disruption proves sharper than expected, we may need stronger safety nets. But the priority must remain sustaining full employment and ensuring jobs that are not just plentiful but rewarding.”
This also aligns with shifting aspirations. Today’s youths, as PM Wong highlighted, are less motivated by survival than by purpose. They want balance, meaning, and diversity in career pathways. Some will work in start-ups or social enterprises, others in the arts, sports or digital content creation. This is not a weakness but an opportunity.
“Young Singaporeans can leverage greater financial security and resources to pursue passion-driven paths. With the right support, their creativity and confidence can take Singapore to greater heights,” Associate Professor Ho said.
The role of enterprises: from adoption to innovation
For the economy to benefit from AI, adoption must extend beyond large corporations to SMEs, where most Singaporeans are employed. The government has earmarked $150 million to help local enterprises access AI tools, cloud computing and consultancy support.
However, technology adoption alone is insufficient. IAL advocates for enterprises to build “learning organisations” where innovation is not confined to R&D labs but embedded in everyday work. This means encouraging employees at every level to problem-solve, suggest improvements, and take ownership of productivity.
“We often think of innovation as breakthrough patents or billion-dollar start-ups,” Associate Professor Ho said. “But the real foundation of a world-class workforce is daily innovation—people taking pride in their craft and adding unique value in small but meaningful ways.”
Cohesion as a competitive advantage
In a world of polarisation and division, Singapore’s ability to maintain social cohesion remains its “secret sauce.”
Cohesion matters not only for social harmony, but also for economic competitiveness. A workforce that trusts its institutions is more willing to embrace change, take risks, and reskill. A society with strong middle ground is more resilient to disinformation and external shocks.
IAL’s role here is subtle but significant: by equipping adult educators, HR professionals, and enterprises with skills to manage workplace learning inclusively, it strengthens bonds of trust between employer and employee. Cohesion in the workplace feeds cohesion in society.
Charting the road ahead
This year’s National Day Rally struck a balance between acknowledging global headwinds and affirming Singaporeans’ ability to adapt. The world may be entering a more fractured and uncertain phase, but Singapore’s fundamentals, its commitment to openness, its tripartite system, and its culture of continuous learning, remain strong.
To sustain this advantage, three imperatives stand out: building workforce resilience by embedding lifelong learning and work-based reskilling; adopting and humanising AI so that it augments rather than replaces human work; and strengthening cohesion to ensure that the benefits of change are broadly shared.
As Associate Professor Ho put it, “The real test is not just sustaining GDP growth or keeping unemployment low. It is whether a broad cross-section of Singaporeans can continue to find work that is secure, meaningful and rewarding in the years ahead.”
Singapore has faced existential challenges before and emerged stronger. With a refreshed form of exceptionalism, rooted in resilience, innovation, and cohesion, the nation can once again chart a path through turbulence.
And with institutions like IAL dedicated to supporting workers and enterprises in the lifelong journey of learning, Singaporeans can look to the future with both realism and hope.
For the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL), these are not abstract challenges. They go to the heart of its mission: to enable Singapore’s workforce to thrive in change. The issues of jobs, skills and learning, central to this year’s rally speech, speak directly to the work of building a resilient, adaptive, and forward-looking labour force.
Navigating a world of fractured globalisation
The Prime Minister was blunt in describing how globalisation has entered a more fractured phase. Tariffs, export controls, and new trade barriers are now permanent features of the landscape. Small, open economies like Singapore will inevitably feel the squeeze.
Associate Professor (Practice) Terence Ho, Deputy Executive Director of IAL, argues that this moment requires Singapore to rethink its traditional model of survival-driven “exceptionalism.” For decades, Singapore had to be the best in everything, from its port and airline to schools and innovation hubs, simply to survive. “But in today’s context,” he notes, “exceptionalism must also encompass resilience, innovation and cohesion. The old formula of topping global rankings is no longer sufficient.”
Resilience in this sense goes beyond financial reserves or infrastructure. It extends to workforce capabilities: the ability of workers to adapt to sudden shocks, whether trade realignments or technological disruption. For IAL, this means emphasising career resilience, learning agility, and the fortitude to bounce back from setbacks.
The AI revolution: fear and possibility
A key focus of the Prime Minister’s speech centred on AI, described as “a defining technology of our time.” His message was two-sided: AI promises productivity gains and new industries, but it also threatens existing jobs and livelihoods.
The challenge is one of human-centric technology adoption, which has been advocated by labour economists including Daron Acemoglu and David Autor. “The key,” Associate Professor Ho says, “is whether we design jobs that enable human workers to complement technology, rather than compete against it.” Singapore’s tripartite model, where government, employers, and unions co-create workforce solutions, gives the country an advantage.
IAL sees an urgent need for AI to inform both education and workplace learning. This means training Singaporeans to use AI tools and interpret AI output, as well as to develop skills AI cannot easily replicate: collaboration, judgment, persuasion, empathy. Such “uniquely human” capabilities will define employability in an AI era.
Lifelong learning as national resilience
PM Wong reaffirmed the government’s commitment to SkillsFuture. Importantly, he announced enhancements that will allow continuing education to be more flexible and for more quality courses to be made available for working adults.
IAL welcomes these moves but stresses that classroom training alone is not enough. “Skills must be built in context, not in isolation,” Associate Professor Ho emphasised. “Workers learn most effectively when training is embedded in real tasks, supported by managers and peers.”
This is why IAL has long championed work-based learning models, whether through structured mentorship, peer learning circles, or project-based assignments. For workers already employed, these approaches make reskilling less daunting and more relevant. For jobseekers, traineeships and attachments provide the bridge between study and employment.
Broadening the social compact around work
PM Wong acknowledged that technological disruption could eliminate some jobs outright. To reassure Singaporeans, he pledged that the government would “equip and empower every worker,” redesigning jobs and strengthening job-matching services. New Community Development Council (CDC) initiatives will match local jobseekers with vacancies closer to home, leveraging community networks.
IAL believes this focus on meaningful, secure work is critical to sustaining Singapore’s social compact. “Our social compact has always been built on work,” Associate Professor Ho observed. “If the AI disruption proves sharper than expected, we may need stronger safety nets. But the priority must remain sustaining full employment and ensuring jobs that are not just plentiful but rewarding.”
This also aligns with shifting aspirations. Today’s youths, as PM Wong highlighted, are less motivated by survival than by purpose. They want balance, meaning, and diversity in career pathways. Some will work in start-ups or social enterprises, others in the arts, sports or digital content creation. This is not a weakness but an opportunity.
“Young Singaporeans can leverage greater financial security and resources to pursue passion-driven paths. With the right support, their creativity and confidence can take Singapore to greater heights,” Associate Professor Ho said.
The role of enterprises: from adoption to innovation
For the economy to benefit from AI, adoption must extend beyond large corporations to SMEs, where most Singaporeans are employed. The government has earmarked $150 million to help local enterprises access AI tools, cloud computing and consultancy support.
However, technology adoption alone is insufficient. IAL advocates for enterprises to build “learning organisations” where innovation is not confined to R&D labs but embedded in everyday work. This means encouraging employees at every level to problem-solve, suggest improvements, and take ownership of productivity.
“We often think of innovation as breakthrough patents or billion-dollar start-ups,” Associate Professor Ho said. “But the real foundation of a world-class workforce is daily innovation—people taking pride in their craft and adding unique value in small but meaningful ways.”
Cohesion as a competitive advantage
In a world of polarisation and division, Singapore’s ability to maintain social cohesion remains its “secret sauce.”
Cohesion matters not only for social harmony, but also for economic competitiveness. A workforce that trusts its institutions is more willing to embrace change, take risks, and reskill. A society with strong middle ground is more resilient to disinformation and external shocks.
IAL’s role here is subtle but significant: by equipping adult educators, HR professionals, and enterprises with skills to manage workplace learning inclusively, it strengthens bonds of trust between employer and employee. Cohesion in the workplace feeds cohesion in society.
Charting the road ahead
This year’s National Day Rally struck a balance between acknowledging global headwinds and affirming Singaporeans’ ability to adapt. The world may be entering a more fractured and uncertain phase, but Singapore’s fundamentals, its commitment to openness, its tripartite system, and its culture of continuous learning, remain strong.
To sustain this advantage, three imperatives stand out: building workforce resilience by embedding lifelong learning and work-based reskilling; adopting and humanising AI so that it augments rather than replaces human work; and strengthening cohesion to ensure that the benefits of change are broadly shared.
As Associate Professor Ho put it, “The real test is not just sustaining GDP growth or keeping unemployment low. It is whether a broad cross-section of Singaporeans can continue to find work that is secure, meaningful and rewarding in the years ahead.”
Singapore has faced existential challenges before and emerged stronger. With a refreshed form of exceptionalism, rooted in resilience, innovation, and cohesion, the nation can once again chart a path through turbulence.
And with institutions like IAL dedicated to supporting workers and enterprises in the lifelong journey of learning, Singaporeans can look to the future with both realism and hope.