Why do Our NTU/NUS graduates end up driving Uber/Grab?
By Mervyn Tan
The government likes to proudly show off the rankings of our schools, in particular that of NUS and NTU. Of course, it serves to demonstrate everyone should aspire to secure degrees from these schools so as to ensure they get good jobs et cetera.
Recently, I attended a Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence (PDVL) training; here's a shocking fact I discovered when my curious self went around surveying for a bit - many of the folks attending the classes were ex-PMETs from polytechnics, NTU and NUS! A lot of them previously were in computer science, electrical and civil engineering jobs before being replaced. I counted a handful of them in their 30s and while most were in their 40s. There were also some fresh graduates who could not land jobs yet and so resorted to driving to earn a living. Dear lord! You mean to say our graduates from these top schools in Asia couldn't find proper employment?! One of the common reasons supplied was that too many foreigners were plying the same trade as them and at considerably lower salaries. In other words, a huge quantity of electrical engineering jobs going instead to Indians FTs and civil engineering jobs snagged by Filipinos.
The clowns at the top echelons of our G are always boasting about the country attaining GDP growth, oh come on even the dumb would know GDP growth can be achieved by importing vast quantities of foreign labour. Ooooh yes that means millions of foreigners, and here's a fun fact: our population is supposed to only hit 7 million by 2030 yet we are already nearing the 6 million mark, mind you this is only 2018. The doors are thrown wide open to the rest of the world, in the process causing so many locals to become underemployed or unemployed. While the government constantly publishes reports about how awesome the Singapore education system is, they prefer to go around hiring cheap labour with dubious academic credentials from third world countries.
Many of our locals live in HDB dwellings and are thus saddled with enormous housing loans; without jobs to fund their debts and living expenses , they are left with little choice but to force themselves to become private hire car drivers. When autonomous vehicles finally arrive at the scene in a big way, what then next? Take an elevator to the tallest floor of Marina Bay Sands Hotel tower and contemplate "migrating" to the netherworld?
Nearing the end of conversation, I posed the infamously snide question, “Who did you voted for?”. As predicted, you can see plenty of stunned, silent faces. So you fellas go complaining everywhere about being given a raw deal in life, but weren’t you the ones who chose the men in white to rule over your sorry timid asses?
And to those who are still fortunate enough to hold down jobs at the present moment, bear in mind the jobless were in your shoes not so long ago. As everyone gets replaced slowly but surely, do not think for a moment think you are safe just because you are an alumni of NTU or NUS.
Foreign "talents" are largely preferred in this country because you so damn well made your choice at the polls. So continue voting the way you did to speed up your inevitable replacement in the job market! May the force be with you and don’t cry for me Argentina when the time arrives!
By Mervyn Tan
The government likes to proudly show off the rankings of our schools, in particular that of NUS and NTU. Of course, it serves to demonstrate everyone should aspire to secure degrees from these schools so as to ensure they get good jobs et cetera.
Recently, I attended a Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence (PDVL) training; here's a shocking fact I discovered when my curious self went around surveying for a bit - many of the folks attending the classes were ex-PMETs from polytechnics, NTU and NUS! A lot of them previously were in computer science, electrical and civil engineering jobs before being replaced. I counted a handful of them in their 30s and while most were in their 40s. There were also some fresh graduates who could not land jobs yet and so resorted to driving to earn a living. Dear lord! You mean to say our graduates from these top schools in Asia couldn't find proper employment?! One of the common reasons supplied was that too many foreigners were plying the same trade as them and at considerably lower salaries. In other words, a huge quantity of electrical engineering jobs going instead to Indians FTs and civil engineering jobs snagged by Filipinos.
The clowns at the top echelons of our G are always boasting about the country attaining GDP growth, oh come on even the dumb would know GDP growth can be achieved by importing vast quantities of foreign labour. Ooooh yes that means millions of foreigners, and here's a fun fact: our population is supposed to only hit 7 million by 2030 yet we are already nearing the 6 million mark, mind you this is only 2018. The doors are thrown wide open to the rest of the world, in the process causing so many locals to become underemployed or unemployed. While the government constantly publishes reports about how awesome the Singapore education system is, they prefer to go around hiring cheap labour with dubious academic credentials from third world countries.
Many of our locals live in HDB dwellings and are thus saddled with enormous housing loans; without jobs to fund their debts and living expenses , they are left with little choice but to force themselves to become private hire car drivers. When autonomous vehicles finally arrive at the scene in a big way, what then next? Take an elevator to the tallest floor of Marina Bay Sands Hotel tower and contemplate "migrating" to the netherworld?
Nearing the end of conversation, I posed the infamously snide question, “Who did you voted for?”. As predicted, you can see plenty of stunned, silent faces. So you fellas go complaining everywhere about being given a raw deal in life, but weren’t you the ones who chose the men in white to rule over your sorry timid asses?
And to those who are still fortunate enough to hold down jobs at the present moment, bear in mind the jobless were in your shoes not so long ago. As everyone gets replaced slowly but surely, do not think for a moment think you are safe just because you are an alumni of NTU or NUS.
Foreign "talents" are largely preferred in this country because you so damn well made your choice at the polls. So continue voting the way you did to speed up your inevitable replacement in the job market! May the force be with you and don’t cry for me Argentina when the time arrives!
