Organisations with over 200 employees must have certified HR professional from July 2028, among recommendations from manpower workgroup

The Singapore government has accepted all five recommendations from a manpower workgroup to strengthen human capital capabilities and leadership in every workplace.

Working closely on its implementation with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), and industry stakeholders, the Ministry of Manpower said in a joint press release with the organisations that this ensures Singapore's growth continues to be centred in and for its people.

The announcement was made at the launch of a report by the Tripartite Workgroup on Human Capital Capability Development (TWG-HC) on Sep. 24.

This includes a requirement that organisations with over 200 employees must have at least one HR professional certified at the IHRP Certified Professional (IHRP-CP) level or higher by Jul. 1, 2028.

Deputy Secretary (Workforce) of MOM and TWG-HC co-chair, Kenny Tan, said: "Leaders at all levels of the organisation — business leaders, human resource professionals and people managers — must drive enterprise and workforce transformation together."

"Workers must embrace new ways of doing things, new jobs and new skills."

Five recommendations

The TWG-HC was convened in February 2025 to address trends such as technology advancements and increased longevity.

The workgroup has engaged over 1,000 people from various sectors of the workforce to inform its recommendations, the media release said.

The five recommendations TWG-HC made aim to benefit more than two million workers, support at least 2,000 enterprises and build the capabilities of 20,000 HR professionals and people leaders.

The recommendations are as follows:

1. Establish the Singapore Opportunity Index (SOI) in October 2025 as a national benchmark

2. Help enterprises build workforce planning capabilities and bring strategic HR expertise within reach of more SMEs

3. Assist enterprises to use AI effectively and responsibly in HR

4. Professionalise the HR practice by establishing a baseline, including having at least one HR professional who is an IHRP-CP or higher

5. Develop people leaders for the future through leadership programmes

Singapore Opportunity Index (SOI)

According to the report, the SOI measures how career mobility is created across 1,500 organisations which employ more than 1 million residents using verified administrative data.

The data's five key dimensions are pay, progression, gender parity, retention and hiring.

The SOI makes it more visible for workers to make informed career decisions and for employers to see where they can do better.

Practical guides and pilot model

SNEF and IHRP will provide practical guides and showcases that help firms anticipate and plan workforce transformation.

IHRP and local start-up co:grow will also pilot a model to match SMEs that lack dedicated in-house HR expertise with experienced HR leaders on a part-time basis.

This gives SMEs flexible access to strategic HR advice without having to hire a full-time senior HR professional.

AI starter kits and leadership development programme

The People-centred AI Transformation for HR (PATH) initiative provides businesses and HR professionals with a pathway for AI transformation, said the report.

It includes AI starter kits that will be introduced by tripartite partners to help enterprises implement AI for high-impact HR use cases.

This is to enable HR professionals to be active partners in their organisation's AI transformation.

In the media release, TWG-HC said IHRP will work with training partners to introduce more accredited training programmes aligned to 12 new AI fluency skill badges.

NTUC will also develop a playbook to help HR professionals navigate the AI transformation journey, to be released in the first quarter of 2027.

As AI becomes more widely used in hiring and other employment decisions, tripartite partners recommend developing guidance on responsible AI use in recruitment.

This includes processes and safeguards to ensure these decisions remain fair and merit-based, said the press release.

A leadership development programme is also being designed for senior HR and people leaders to equip them with the capabilities, resources and support network to develop next-generation enterprises.

Government will provide support for certification

Around 2,000 firms currently have over 200 employees, which account for 45 per cent of Singapore's total workforce.

Over 900 of these already have at least one HR professional certified by IHRP.

To support the requirement of having at least one HR professional certified at the IHRP-CP level or higher by July 2028, the government will recognise equivalent accreditations and provide subsidies for early adoption.

The media release said firms will satisfy the requirement for certification if their HR professionals hold equivalent certifications from other international HR professional bodies that are recognised by IHRP and meet any prescribed bridging requirements.

Singapore residents are also provided significant subsidies to undertake the IHRP certification.

On top of these subsidies, an additional S$100 subsidy will be granted from Oct. 1, 2026 to Jun. 30, 2028, bringing certification fees down to S$163.50 for IHRP-CP and S$272.50 for IHRP Senior Professionals.

The certification is valid for three years.

Organisations may also use their SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit to offset remaining out-of-pocket fees for their HR professionals.

All organisations, including those with 200 or fewer employees, will be eligible.

This is also to help firms prepare for the roll-out of the Workplace Fairness Act and changes to the Employment Act.

For more information, the public can visit TWG-HC's website here.