Job Re-creation for the Restroom Sector
21 June 2006
Joint Media Release
“Japanese Technology and Knowledge for Restroom Cleaning in Singapore”
1 Dirty restrooms in Singapore may soon be a thing of the past. The World Toilet College, Restroom Association (Singapore) (RAS), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) have jointly embarked on a job re-creation initiative for the restroom sector to enhance the restroom cleaners’ job with a vision to bring about cleaner restrooms here.
Current Restroom Sector Situation
2 Currently, the restroom sector suffers from a poor image, limited job scope and low pay, while many restroom cleaners have limited skill-sets and suffer from low productivity. To a great extent, these have resulted in some restrooms here being poorly cleaned or maintained, raising Singaporeans’ concerns over hygiene and general health.
Job Re-creation Programme for Restroom Sector
3 Thus, it is hoped that efforts under the Job Re-creation Programme (JRP) for the restroom sector will help to bring about a quantum change in the state of the restrooms here. The organisers aim to professionalise and raise the productivity of the restroom cleaning job so that restrooms can be cleaned and maintained more effectively and efficiently. Plans have been put in place to re-design the work to increase the job worth; upgrade the skills of restrooms cleaners so that they can acquire skills and capabilities to take on the redesigned jobs and handle more tasks; and to enhance the image of the restroom cleaning profession.
4 Preliminary discussions with service buyers and cleaning contractors showed that the industry is interested and excited with the JRP efforts in the restroom sector. This is because they see the potential of better cleaning services, higher cost savings and more opportunities to offer greater value in future cleaning contracts involving trained Restroom Specialists.
5 The JRP efforts in the restroom sector will kick off with intensive and innovative training under NTUC’s Skills Redevelopment Programme (SRP) for the Restroom Specialists, a career that the organisers hope to professionalise. With funding support from the JRP, three Japanese trainers have been engaged to conduct a three-day pilot course on Restroom Cleaning and Maintenance for 50 Restroom Specialists from 20 to 22 June 2006. Please see ANNEX A for more details on the course. This pioneer group of Restroom Specialists will be equipped with specialist skills in restroom cleaning, including high intensity periodic cleansing and maintenance of restrooms.
6 The SRP training will teach the Restroom Specialists to use new equipment, more effective means of cleansing, and special techniques in cleaning accumulated silt and stubborn stains, cleaning tasks that were previously carried out by technical cleaning teams. The Restroom Specialists will also learn more about facility maintenance and repair, quality and customer service, and higher standards in cleaning. With the specialist skills, Restroom Specialists can look forward to enhanced productivity and potentially, higher pay.
Japanese Trainers for Singaporean Restroom Specialists
7 The three Japanese trainers engaged for this restroom sector JRP effort are Ms Saiko Sakamoto, Mr Atsuhiro Katsumata and Mr Nobuyuki Hoshino. Ms Sakamoto is the Principal of Saiko Sakamoto Comfort Styling Institute, Director of Japan Toilet Association, Chairperson for Maintenance Institute of Japan Toilet Association as well as Director for Fund Corporation ‘Nature Park Fund’.
8 Ms Sakamoto has conducted more than 1,300 research projects and studies both at home and abroad on toilets and other facilities in public spaces. She has also made proposals for new toilet systems to various enterprises and public organisations. Both Ms Sakamoto and Mr Katsumata have been directly involved in developing materials to train Restrooms Specialists in Japan and Taiwan, and in forming the Japan Toilet Association Maintenance Institute. Please see ANNEX B for more information on the three Japanese trainers.
Technology and Knowledge Transfer
9 The WTC will run the SRP course in collaboration with the Singapore Polytechnic, which will lend greater professionalism to the course. The technology and knowledge transfer of the Japanese philosophy of restroom cleaning to the local restroom sector will help boost the professionalism of our Restroom Specialists and help bring an end to dirty restrooms here.
Future for Restroom Sector
10 From 2007 onwards, the WTC will market the SRP course to other contractors, conduct training for subsequent intakes under SRP and re-create hundreds of jobs in the restroom sector. A Buyers Seminar incorporating best sourcing practices targeted mainly at the Government sector, as they are the largest buyer and can influence the wide adoption of the JRP efforts, has been planned. An industry taskforce will also be formed to raise restroom cleanliness and maintenance standards and develop a career path for Restroom Specialists.
Jointly issued by:
Zee Yoong Kang
Director
Job Re-creation Department
National Trades Union Congress Jack Sim
Founder
Restroom Association (Singapore)
World Toilet College
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For media enquiries, please contact:
Jack Sim
Founder
Restroom Association (Singapore)
DID 8111 5050
Email jack@worldtoilet.org
Goy Kae Lip
Consultant
Corporate Communications Department
National Trades Union Congress
DID 6213 8184
HP 9792 0650
Email goykl@ntuc.org.sg
Annex A
Restroom Cleaning and Maintenance Specialist Training Course
1 The pilot SRP course on Restroom Cleaning and Maintenance will be conducted in two phases.
2 In the first phase, 50 trainees will undergo a three-day Restroom Specialist Training Course in June 2006. This course has received industry acceptance, with trainees coming from the government sector, including the National Environment Agency, National Parks Board; contractors like Horsburg Cleaning, Campaign Cleaning, and Serco Guthrie; and property developers including Jurong Town Corporation and CBM.
3 The second phase commences right after, with a monitoring period of three months. During this period the trainees from the pilot course will be monitored closely and their performance reviewed from July – September 2006 based on the integration of the training into their respective work site.
4 During this period, the WTC will work on customising the SRP course for the local market. Subsequently, from October – December 2006, two to three course runs comprising 18 trainees per batch will be conducted by our local trainers after accreditation from the Singapore Polytechnic.
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Annex B
Information on Japanese Trainers
A) Ms Saiko Sakamoto (Dean)
Designation
i) Principal of Saiko Sakamoto Comfort Styling Institute
ii) Director for Japan Toilet Association
iii) Chairperson for Maintenance Institute of Japan Toilet Association
iv) Director for Fund Corporation “Nature Park Fund”
Career
Ms Sakamoto is introducing the concept of “what the new toilet to be” to business firms and public organisations. This is based on her surveys, research projects and studies on the subject matter of restrooms, found mainly in department stores, railway stations, parks and gardens, schools and hospitals, which covered more than 1,300 locations in and out of Japan.
Activities
i) Research and Study:
Submitted a “Report on survey and study about reformation of human dischargeable environment for the continual self-supporting of elderly people” to a fund corporation called the “Long Life Society Development Centre” (Japan) in 2001.
ii) Lecture address:
a) Addressed the Commissioning Meeting on the launch of the Restroom Cultural Association of Taiwan in 1999.
b) Gave lecture to the Municipal Government of Metropolitan Taipei, Taiwan in 2000.
c) Co-ordinated a forum and issued a “Build up of Environment of Water Supply and Drainage System for One Step Boost Up Method at the High leveling Healthcare Program on Healthcare Equipment/Facility for the Extension of Healthy Life Span” at the 31st Healthcare Engineering Association (Medical & Engineering Society) Japan Symposium in 2002.
d) Addressed “Next Generation’s Toilet and such Maintenance” at International Symposium of Toilet and Water Re-Circulation, 3rd World Water Forum, in Kyoto 2003.
iii) Publications
a) “Design & Maintenance of the Toilet” (Japanese/Chinese), Ohmsha
b) “Going on Happy Toilet Road in the World” (Japanese/Korean), TOTO Press
c) Collaborated with Maintenance Institute of Japan Toilet Association on “Toilet Styling”, INAX Press/Tosho Syuppansha
iv) Plan and Proposals
Planned and made decisions on work relating to toilets at the Yokohama World Soccer Stadium, 2002.
v) Plan, Design and Creation
Proposed and Concept Actualisation of “Toilet Space” at “Shuri Palace”, Naha, Okinawa, 1992.
B) Mr Atsuhiro Katsumata (Principal Lecturer)
Designation
President of All Round Inc., Japan
Career
Mr Katsumata is one of the founders of the Toilet Maintenance Business in Japan in the late 70’s. All Round Inc. is in the business of supply of environment hygienic / sanitation facilities and maintenance services in and out of Japan.
All Round Inc. also provides consultation and advisory services on productivity on user comfort and maintenance of toilets in public organisations, such as service stations of expressways under the previous Japan National Expressway Corp. (Existing East Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd. , Central Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd. and West Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd.), roadside stations, national/prefectural/town’s parks and gardens and buildings of national/central/prefectural/town government.
Mr Katsumata attended many academic/business-based symposiums as lecturer and/or as panelist in Japan and Taiwan.
Activities
1994 - Made a presentation at the Asia Toilet Symposium in Hong Kong
1995 - Issue a study report at the World Toilet Symposium in Hong Kong
- Deploy the Service Personnel and Command on Survey and Cleaning works based on volunteer services upon Hanshin Earth
- Quake disaster as a member of Japan Toilet Association
1998 - Support water supply and drainage/sewage (especially toilets) as NGO activity based in the People’s Republic Of Bangladesh
1998 - Survey and support of stricken district at the request of the Government of Republic Of China (Taiwan) during great Taiwan earthquake disaster
- Toilet support at the Kosovo War Refugees Camp
2001 to 2003
- Lecturer at Toilet Cleaning and Maintenance Training in Republic
of China (Taiwan)
- Published research work at World Toilet Summit Singapore
2004 - Lecturer of Toilet Cleaning and Maintenance Training in Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia under the auspices of the Government of Kuching City as requested by the Asian Productivity Organization
- Published research work at World Toilet Summit Korea
2005 - Published research work at World Toilet Summit Taiwan
2006 - Addressed “History of the Toilet / Toilet Support at the Disaster” at all Japan Venture Scouts Jamboree of Boy Scout Japan Assn
- Support action of Toilet/Sanitary Hygienic Management as Voluntary Services at the stricken district during Niigata earthquake disaster
C) Mr Nobuyuki Hoshino (Associate Lecturer)
Career
Born 1955 in Japan
It has been 14 years since Mr Hoshino started Toilet Cleaning Services Business and he did only Toilet Cleaning Services Work concentrative during these 14 years. Mr Hoshino respects the importance of practical work thus he carries out practical work by himself at individual service sites everyday.
Activities
2002 - Specially appointed a post of Lecturer by the Japan Toilet Association and lectured on the Toilet Cleaning and Maintenance on 500 trainees in Taiwan
2003 - Specially appointed as a Speaker by the Japan Toilet Association and addressed a report as “School Toilets now and future” at World Toilet Summit Korea
- Submitted an application for a patent on new cleaning equipment for sanitary fixtures (such as toilet bowls, urinals and/or wash basins) and advanced cleaning method on toilet sanitary fixtures, at National Patent Agency, Japan
2004 - Lectured with practical guide on the terms of Toilet Cleaning at several elementary schools, ladies’ societies and/or corporate member’s meetings of Rinri Kenkyusho (Institute of Morale and Ethics, Japan)
