Mr Gan Kim Yong, Acting Minister for Manpower, Images of Singapore, Sentosa
Mr Mike Barclay, CEO, Sentosa Leisure Group
Mr H P Loi, CEO, Tourism Management Institute of Singapore
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good Morning.
1. I am pleased to join you today for the launch of the Professional Conversion Programme for Tourism.
PMETs Affected By This Recession
2. Singapore's economy has contracted for three successive quarters. Last week, the Ministry of Trade and Industry revised the projected GDP growth for 2009 downwards to between -2% and 1%. We are likely to see more retrenchments and higher unemployment this year. For the tourism sector in particular, many companies are also feeling the impact of the economic slowdown as visitor arrivals declined for the past 6 months, amidst dampening travel sentiments worldwide.
3. In this recession, we expect more Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians, or PMETs for short, to be adversely affected than in the previous recessions. This is partly due to the increasing number of PMETs in our labour force.
4. Compared to less-educated and lower-income workers, PMETs generally have more resources, and are more able to cope with the challenges. There are, however, some who may still require assistance in job search and training. The Government will lend these PMETs a helping hand.
WDA-CDC Career Centres
5. The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) works with the Community Development Councils (CDC) to operate five career centres in Singapore. These career centres provide a range of services including career-personality profiling, job referrals, advice on training and enhancement of job search related skills.
6. The career centres will beef up their resources to assist more Singaporeans. Starting this month, they will also ramp up the frequency of workshops where PMETs can pick up useful tips, knowledge and skills in job search and career transition, as well as rebuild their confidence and overcome mindsets that may hinder their efforts to seek re-employment.
Job Opportunities
7. Even as the economy slows down, there are still job opportunities in some industries over the next 1 to 2 years, including jobs at the PMET level. For example, the education and healthcare sectors will continue to hire workers. The Ministry of Education recently announced that it will be hiring more than 7,000 teachers and support staff this year. In addition, within the manufacturing sector, industries such as aerospace and chemicals are also expected to continue hiring workers in jobs such as aerospace technicians, licensed aircraft engineers as well facilities and maintenance managers for new plants and projects already in the pipeline.
8. There will also be job opportunities in the Tourism and Retail sectors, with many job vacancies expected over the next 1 to 2 years. The two Integrated Resorts which will open in 2009 and 2010 will need some 10,000 workers each, including PMET positions. In fact, the Integrated Resorts have already commenced their hiring and we can expect this to be stepped up in the course of this year. There will also be new hotels, food & beverage outlets and retail complexes such as ION Orchard and Orchard Central.
Professional Conversion Programmes
9. To help and enable more PMETs to seize these opportunities and switch careers, WDA will work with economic agencies and tripartite partners to introduce more professional conversion programmes (PCPs) for the growth sectors. Over the last month, four programmes in pre-school education, pharmaceutical manufacturing, healthcare and workplace safety and health have been developed. And over the next three months, WDA will be working with its partners to roll out similar programmes for digital animation artists and stage managers and technicians. These are part of the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience, or SPUR, announced recently.
PCP for Tourism
10. Today, we are launching the PCP for Tourism. Over the next year, we expect 100 Singaporean PMET workers to benefit from the PCP for Tourism. They will pursue a Workforce Skills Qualifications Diploma in Tourism at TMIS, while at the same time, gain practical work experience through apprenticeships in tourism establishments in Sentosa in areas such as Food & Beverage, Events, Retail and Attractions. In addition, unemployed Singaporeans who are participating in the programme will receive a training stipend.
11. I am confident that trainees who successfully complete the programme would find good opportunities in occupations such as attraction host supervisor, admission host supervisor, visitor services supervisor. I understand that several employers have already expressed interest in hiring the trainees.
Conclusion
12. Companies have and will always compete for talent. They should take the opportunity during this downturn to hire PMETs, including those from other sectors, and build up their talent base which will be an asset when the economy recovers. The PCP presents an effective channel for companies to identify and train PMETs with the right skills and aptitude for their business. For PMETs, the PCP offers them an accessible and open pathway to switch careers and find new jobs.
13. I would therefore like to encourage more employers and employer groups to come forward to work with WDA on similar programmes. I would also encourage our PMETs to keep an open mind on training and on switching sectors and occupations where necessary. If we can do so, we will all emerge stronger after the recession.
14. Thank you.