In 2018, Singapore produced 7.7 million tonnes of solid waste, and about 4.6 million tonnes were recycled.
Though the amount of solid waste produced was lower than in 2017, that’s still a lot.
Well, 7.7 million tonnes works out to be 1,400 kg per person – about the weight of your average pick-up truck.
Now imagine if no one clears the trash we produce for a year – life would be rubbish, wouldn’t it?
Not having to walk over mountains of trash shows us the excellent job workers in the waste management sector have been doing, whether we realise it or not.
But unfortunately, the industry now finds it challenging to draw local talent, given the nature of the job. In particular, the industry needs more waste collection truck drivers and crew members.
Many who don’t know about the industry perceive it to be low-paying, unclean and unsafe.
But companies like SembWaste are set to change this perception through transforming its operations, with a focus on safety, productivity and efficiency.
The company has implemented several initiatives, which includes Asia’s first Econic refuse collection truck. For safety, the state-of-the-art truck provides better visibility, a blind-spot camera system, and a low-entry design that always allows the driver to have eye-contact with other road users.
The company is also the first public waste collector to have voluntarily implemented the Progressive Wage Model since 2015. The model helps to increase wages, encourage career progression through skills upgrading and improve productivity.
Investing in its workers, SembWaste has sent its truck drivers for specialised training in safety and defensive driving with the Singapore Bus Training Academy and Evaluation Centre (SG BTEC) at Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability.
Sembcorp, the parent company of SembWaste, co-designed the training programme and it was supported by NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute).
The programme consists of theory and hands-on lessons using simulators at the training centre. Truck drivers get to correct their driving practices and pick up the necessary skills to avoid hazardous road situations.
SembWaste believes that its people are its greatest asset and does all it can to enhance their competencies and well-being, said SembCorp Senior Vice President Neo Hong Keat. This is so that they can carry out their jobs more safely and efficiently.
As proof of this, SembWaste will be working closely with the Building Construction And Timber Industries Employees’ Union (BATU) to look at training gaps and needs of 700 SembWaste workers.
Under the partnership, they will set up a company training committee (CTC) with supporting partners like NTUC LearningHub, e2i and the National University of Singapore.
With the CTC, SembWaste and BATU will address challenges both in the company and the industry. In fact, the CTC paves the way to improve the entire sector as it is the first.
“Being privy to what others in the industry are doing, the union can play an advisory role in the development of courses or share best practices that have worked for other companies,” shared BATU Executive Secretary Zainal Sapari.
He hopes more companies come on board the industry transformation journey.
When the waste management industry transforms, companies benefit from better business, workers benefit from better jobs and better pay, and our households benefit from better services. A triple win.
A company training committee is an initiative implemented at company level between union leaders and company management.
Working together, the committee will assess skills development gaps in the company, articulate Worker 4.0 and training requirements for the company, drive company-based training programmes identified in the company's Worker 4.0 plan, and coordinate feedback for training improvements.
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