The Security ITM was launched in February 2018 and will impact about 47,000 security officers and 240 security agencies currently in the industry.
As a key stakeholder in making the Security ITM work on the ground, the Union of Security Employees (USE) is doing its part by focusing on four key areas.
1. Service Buyer Engagement
The Security Industry Council (SIC) comprising USE, the Association of Certified Security Agencies and the Security Association Singapore is currently reaching out to service buyers to educate them on ways to improve the industry.
SIC has come up with a practical guide which aims to inform service buyers of operational concerns and highlight how buyers like them play a critical role in the well-being of outsourced officers.
The guide includes recommended contract clauses for industrial, commercial and residential properties, quoted contract prices for security manpower, and tips on providing a safe and conducive work environment for security officers. The guide will be updated regularly.
SIC has also been organising seminars for service buyers with regard to procurement contracts. Its first service buyer seminar in March 2018 attracted 30 representatives from 16 buyer organisations. They were guided on how to make informed procurement choices given the regulatory changes and its impact on manpower.
The seminar also covered topics such as standard clauses for security contracting, market surveys of currently quoted rates for security manpower, recommended welfare provisions for all security officers, and best practices of procuring outcome-based security contracts.
2. Catalysing Tech-Manpower Partnerships
One key recommendation of the Security ITM is for both service buyers and agencies to push towards more technology adoption and less manpower reliance.
To spur adoption of the ITM, SIC worked with Security Systems Association of Singapore (SSAS) to conduct a joint “matchmaking” session to spark conversations and partnerships between security agencies and security technology providers for more holistic solutions.
The inaugural session held on 20 March 2018 attracted a turnout of about 100 participants from both agencies and solutions providers.
3. Skills Framework
The Skills Framework for security was launched together with the Security ITM in February 2018.
In March 2018, USE engaged union leaders about the ITM and the expanded career pathways.
4. Security Industry Digital Plan
USE is also pushing for more companies to adopt the Security Industry Digital Plan (IDP), which will be launched in July 2018.
The Security IDP is a step-by-step guide to support security agencies starting out on their digitalisation journey, providing support and funding for broad-based adoption of market-ready solutions.
USE has also been giving inputs to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Information Media Development Authority on the development of the Security IDP.
Focus group workshops were also held with unionised security agencies before the launch to gain feedback on the proposed IDP.
