WHEN it comes to creating jobs, one man stands out.

He is Mr Philip Yeo, who headed the Economic Development Board (EDB) and other government agencies that nurtured the industries which provide work to hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans today.

For his contributions, the labour movement gave the 61-year-old its highest honour for a non-unionist: the Distinguished Service (Star) award.

Mr Yeo was one of two who were given top honours in this year's May Day awards, handed out last night in a ceremony in the Suntec Convention Hall. The other is the late Mr Nithiah Nandan, who was given the highest award for a unionist: the Distinguished Service (Labour) award.

In praising Mr Yeo's contributions, the NTUC called him 'a true friend of the labour movement'.

'We have benefited greatly from his contributions to the transformation of Singapore and direct efforts of job creation,' it said in a citation.

In an e-mail interview with The Straits Times, Mr Yeo credited Dr Goh Keng Swee, the then-defence minister, for giving him the role in 1970.

He was 24 and had newly graduated in engineering studies from Canada. But he was tasked to find jobs for the long line of Singaporeans laid off by the British forces' withdrawal.

He continues to perform the task.'For the last 38 years, my top priority has been the creation of jobs for Singaporeans,' he said.

He was chief of such agencies as the EDB amd the National Computer Board, and now heads Spring Singapore. Mr Yeo is also the special adviser for economic development in the Prime Minister's Office.

The late Mr Nandan, a unionist for 30 years who died last year at age 57, won affection and fame with his fight for the rights of daily-rated workers.

His wife, Madam Vimalla Mariappan, 48, who received the award on his behalf, told The Straits Times: 'It's an honour that, even when he's gone, people remember him for what he had done, all the simple things he did that touched people's hearts.'

Next in line for high honours were four other men.

Public Utilities Board chief executive and former PSA Corp group president Khoo Teng Chye, 55, received the Meritorious Service award.

The late Mr Swithun Lowe, a unionist for 34 years with the Singapore Teachers' Union, was given the Comrade of Labour (Star). Mr Lowe died last year, aged 61.

Two others who received the same award were: Singapore Airport Terminal Services Workers' Union general secretary Victor Pang, 62, and Singapore Shell Employees' Union general secretary Thomas Thomas, 55.

They were among 78 individuals and companies who received the annual awards.

One company duly recognised was Singapore Food Industries, for its policy of hiring older workers. Close to half of its rank and file are older than 50 andabout 85 per cent of those who reach retirement age are re-employed.

Its chief executive officer, Mr Roger Yeo, said: 'We started recruiting older workers 10 years ago, before it became a public issue.

'We consider this class of people our gems because of their emotional stability and competency in the business.'

More employers are seeing the gains of retaining and tapping the experience of older workers, Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) president Stephen Lee told 1,800 guests at the ceremony.

He said over 220 companies had agreed to disclose their workers' age profile to show their commitment to employment policies that are not biased against older folk.

Their profiles will soon be on the SNEF website.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on April 30, 2008