GovTech retrenches 38 employees in second wave of layoffs

SINGAPORE - The Government Technology Agency of Singapore has retrenched 38 employees in its second of three rounds of layoffs to reduce reliance on vendors and allow the team to take greater ownership of its products.

In a media reply on Oct 22, GovTech said the 38 affected roles are primarily structured around traditional project delivery.

“Following the workforce review, 106 officers will remain in their current roles, while another 106 are eligible for conversion and apprenticeship pathways to transition into new roles,” said GovTech, adding that those doing apprenticeships will be supported through the transition process.

The agency said it has prioritised retaining, retraining, and redeploying its officers wherever possible.

The first round of layoffs started in July, when 93 employees of its 3,900-strong team were retrenched. It expects a total of 7 to 9 per cent of its workforce to be affected over the next two years, including the third round.

GovTech said it will continue to work with the Public Service Division, Skills and Workforce Development Agency, and Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees to provide career coaching, job matching and placement assistance.

The agency said in July that retrenched staff would receive one month’s salary for every year of service capped at 25 years; a three-month ex-gratia payment; and salary and benefits through a six-week handover and notice period.

Explaining the need for the changes in GovTech, the agency’s chairman Chng Kai Fong said then that critical systems increasingly demand in-house capabilities so the agency can respond and adjust quickly to national needs.

Modern technology development requires far more control and agility, especially as the world becomes more digital, and the need for critical government digital infrastructure has “grown tremendously”, he said.

“Left unchanged, our legacy systems become harder to secure, harder to change and more vulnerable to failure,” he added.

GovTech needs people who can define the problem, shape the architecture, make sound build-or-buy decisions, defend its systems and improve critical services every day, Chng said.

“Vendors will remain important partners, but accountability for our core systems now sits with us.”

Examples of services that illustrate this way of working are products like Singpass, Parents Gateway and CDC vouchers, he said.

“These cannot be specified once, handed to a vendor and considered done. Teams must build, operate, secure and keep improving them, with full accountability.”

The agency expects to employ more people at the end of the exercise, Chng said. “We need more software engineers, product managers, designers, data specialists and cybersecurity professionals.”

Checks by The Straits Times on Oct 22 found around 270 open positions listed by GovTech on Careers@Gov, the jobs portal for those looking to join the civil service.

Jobs listed by the agency include software engineers, product managers, product operations specialists, data scientists and engineers, and designers.

Sarah Koh is a journalist on the technology beat at The Straits Times. She takes an interest in the development of consumer tech and the impact of AI on society.