Some 80,000 workers and students will be trained in new construction capabilities by 2025 as part of the Construction Industry Transformation Map (ITM).
This was announced by Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee on 24 October 2017 during the Singapore Construction Productivity Week event at Singapore Expo.
The ITM will focus on Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA), Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD) and development of green buildings.
Strengthening the Workforce
To train 80,000 new professionals by 2025, a Built Environment SkillsFuture Tripartite (BEST) Taskforce has been set up to work with institutes of higher learning (IHLs) to provide more structured internships and lead in the training of more new graduates.
Second Minister Lee said: “With the push for DfMA and IDD, construction will become more like manufacturing. This can create new niche areas and jobs for Singaporeans … These are not just for new entrants of the sector, in-service personnel can also find opportunities to upgrade themselves.”
The BEST Taskforce will also focus on continuing education and training (CET) for workers currently in the sector and mid-career professionals looking to switch into the sector. To do this, they plan to encourage firms to take a proactive role of CET through human resource initiatives.
New Construction Capabilities
DfMA involves moving various aspects of construction away from open worksites into controlled environments such as manufacturing plants.
Second Minister Lee said: “It means projects that can be completed faster, cleaner, quieter and with better quality.”
He added that the national target is to achieve a 40 per cent rate of DfMA project adoptions in Singapore by 2020. There are currently three such controlled sites or Integrated Construction and Prefabrication Hubs. Two more hubs are under construction, with plans for five more.
Digitalisation is another aspect of the ITM, and IDD will be an extension of building information modelling, a digital representation currently used in the construction industry to display the physical and functional characteristics of a facility.
IDD fully integrates the entire building lifecycle through digital information, thereby improving the accuracy of construction, resolving conflicts at the design stage and enabling better coordination of production, delivery and installation of building modules.
Union Support
Building Construction and Timber Industries Employees' Union (BATU) Executive Secretary Zainal Sapari said the union will ensure that the Construction ITM will provide good job opportunities for workers.
He stressed that the Construction ITM is necessary to transform the industry and attract more professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs).
“We know that in the future, two-thirds of Singaporean will be PMETs. If we do not transform the industry to cater to these PMETs, it will be very difficult to develop a Singaporean core. The blueprint we have in the Construction ITM will create ample job opportunities that will appeal to the millennial generation. The traditional construction sector is no longer appealing,” said Mr Zainal, who is also a member of the Built Environment Future Economy Council Sub-Committee.
He added that BATU plans to engage more workers and spread awareness of the ITM and the job opportunities available.
“The three key focus areas of the ITM [DfMA, IDD and green buildings] require new skillsets. The union will work with BCA Academy and IHLs to see how workers can plug themselves into these new growth sectors,” said Mr Zainal.
He also highlighted that BATU will work with its unionised companies to identify union members who can be mentors to individuals who are keen to learn more about the jobs in the construction industry.
The union will be partnering NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) to organise an ITM seminar in November to reach out to current workers and those who are keen to enter the construction industry.
Good To Know
The Construction ITM is the result of a collaborative effort between the industry, unions, academia and the Government. Out of the 80,000 personnel to be trained by 2025, 20,000 will be for IDD, 35,000 for DfMA and 25,000 for green buildings. For more information, click here.
