Manpower minister urges S'pore to welcome foreign talent

Manpower minister urges S'pore to welcome foreign talent - August 2006 To help retain its competitive edge, Singapore should welcome and accept more foreign talents, said Manpower Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen. Citing the aircraft maintenance industry as an example of an industry that needed foreigners to help it take off, Dr Ng said, "We didn't have the technicians that we required. And we had to bring in a lot of foreign workers to anchor the industry. At the same time that we started it, we began to ramp up our polytechnic courses. In order for you train an aircraft technician, you have to spend three years in polytechnic and even after that, another two to three years to get experience. You can't ask the commercial airline, 'Can you wait another six years before you come?' Others would have stolen the march on you."He further added that the industry which was now established had created jobs for the new polytechnics graduates. "I think Singaporeans understand it in that context, that foreigners who come into Singapore are growing the Singapore pie," he was quoted as saying.