SINGAPORE - Singapore will require organisations with more than 200 employees to have at least one qualifying certified HR professional from July 1, 2028.

About 2,000 organisations are above the threshold and together employ more than 45% of Singapore’s workforce, according to figures reported by Channel NewsAsia and attributed to the Ministry of Manpower. More than 900 already have at least one IHRP-certified HR professional.

Under MOM’s certification requirement, covered organisations must have at least one suitable HR professional certified at the Institute for Human Resource Professionals Certified Professional level, or IHRP-CP, or higher.

An equivalent or higher accreditation cross-recognised by IHRP with bridging requirements can also qualify.

The requirement is one of five recommendations across three areas made by the Tripartite Workgroup on Human Capital Capability Development, all of which the government has accepted. More than 9,000 working professionals, representing over one-fifth of Singapore’s HR workforce, are certified. Tripartite partners aim to increase that pool to about 18,000, or 40%, by 2030.

The wider package includes the People-centred AI Transformation for HR initiative, known as PATH. Businesses will be offered AI starter kits through the Workforce Development Grant (Job Redesign+), combining technology solutions with consultancy, training and funding support.

IHRP-accredited AI-fluency training will also be expanded, while an AI playbook is due in the first quarter of 2027 and a refreshed HR Jobs Transformation Map in the first half of that year.

Other recommendations include job-redesign showcases, support for linking business transformation with workforce planning, an ongoing pilot giving small and medium-sized enterprises flexible access to strategic HR expertise, and the Singapore Opportunity Index.

The measures form part of a broader push for employers to communicate openly with workers about AI, automation and changing jobs.

Singapore citizens and permanent residents will receive an additional S$100 certification subsidy from Oct. 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. That will reduce the IHRP-CP certification fee to S$163.50 and the IHRP Senior Professional fee to S$272.50.

Organisations will also be able to use SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit for eligible remaining costs. MOM says further support and implementation details will be shared in due course.

MOM has said the certification requirement will complement the rollout of the Workplace Fairness Act and changes to the Employment Act. The HR requirement starts in July 2028, while the Workplace Fairness Act is targeted to come into force at the end of 2027.

Channel NewsAsia quoted Minister of State for Manpower Foo Cexiang as saying the professional standard is intended to strengthen workers’ confidence in HR decisions as technology changes workplaces.

“As technology makes workforce decisions more complex, this foundation of trust matters much more,” he said.