Singapore will need at least 15,000 workers for engineering, operations and maintenance in the rail industry to keep up with the expansion of Singapore’s rail network to 360km by 2030, said Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan.
He revealed this at the official opening of the Singapore Rail Academy (SGRA) on 23 February 2016 at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).
Currently, there are about 9,300 rail engineers working for Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Singapore’s two rail operators, SBS Transit (SBST) and SMRT.
Addressing 300 attendees from government agencies, the Labour Movement, public transport operators and professional bodies, Minister Khaw said: “We are now at the second phase of our rail journey. Our rail network will double by 360km long by 2030, which will bring us to a rail density similar to London and New York today.
“However, London and New York built their current rail networks over 100 years. We are building ours in less than half the time. At the same time, we are working hard to improve the reliability of our rail system, to be among the best in the world.”
He added that this makes the rail industry one that is growing, and employment prospects are almost guaranteed in the next 10 years.
Minister Khaw also said that the next decade will see the job of a rail engineer evolve even further and that SGRA will develop and train a new generation of engineers.
A set-up under LTA, the academy seeks to skill, upskill and reskill the current and potential railway workforce.
LTA said that the academy will collaborate with tripartite partners and institutions to build rail research capabilities, certify the proficiencies of railway professionals and promote careers in the industry.
Commitment to Work Together
Affirming its commitment to work with partners, LTA signed two memoranda of understanding (MOUs) to facilitate SGRA’s work.
The first, with NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), aims to attract, retain and develop the local rail industry workforce. While the second agreement with SIT and the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) will develop skilled manpower in systems engineering to support local public transport manpower requirements.
New CORE Programme
Prior to the MOU, e2i had collaborated with SGRA to develop a bridging training programme called the Career On-boarding for Railway Engineering (CORE), which aims to up-skill engineers and technicians as they begin their rail sector careers. The programme also seeks to support the transition of mid-career entrants into the industry.
e2i also provides training grants to eligible programme participants. The programme’s inaugural three-day foundation module in January this year saw about 30 rail engineer-participants from SBST, SMRT and LTA.
“During the programme, the rail engineers not only learnt about the design, the implementation and regulatory aspect of our public transport system but were also given the opportunity to visit operations command centres and MRT construction sites. We have received positive feedback from trainees and are planning more runs to benefit more new entrants into the industry,” said Professor Cham Tao Soon, board chairman of SGRA.
e2i CEO Gilbert Tan said that SGRA is an important milestone for the institute, LTA and public transport operators.
“Through bridging programmes such as CORE to equip local engineers and technicians with knowledge and expertise, we endeavour to deepen rail engineering capabilities. We are committed to support public transport operators to build a pool of qualified and competent workers and help Singaporeans join and progress in the sector,” he said.
