31/05/2016

Driving Workforce Transformation with Food Services Sectoral Manpower Plan

Mr S. Iswaran, Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry), launched the Food Services Sectoral Manpower Plan (SMP) today. Developed by SPRING Singapore (SPRING) and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) in consultation with industry stakeholders and unions, the five-year SMP contains strategies and initiatives to make every job better, reduce reliance on manual labour and build skills for local workers to progress in the Food Services sector. It complements the second Food Services Productivity Plan ¹ to drive the sector’s transformation towards being manpower-lean. Food Services companies will receive support in strengthening their capabilities to enhance business models and improve quality of jobs, while employees can look forward to re-skilling and up-skilling opportunities.

Food Services SMP for Sustainable Growth

The Food Services sector plays a vital role in Singapore’s economy and supports the vibrancy of the tourism industry. The growth of the sector over the past few years has been supported by a corresponding manpower increase, which is not sustainable given the tight labour situation.

"To enable the Food Services sector to be less reliant on manpower, companies have to redesign and automate operational processes. Business owners must adapt to changing workforce aspirations, and rethink current jobs to make them more attractive and meaningful for employees. It is also important to prepare the people at the heart of day-to-day operations with new skills to facilitate their progression into emergent roles. I am glad to know of companies that have made a good start in transforming their business models, processes and jobs, are enjoying better employee retention and business performance", said Mrs Kee Ai Nah, Group Director (Industry & Enterprise Development), SPRING Singapore.

Ms Julia Ng, Senior Director, Enterprise Development Group of WDA said, "WDA will continue to support Food Services enterprises under the Sectoral Manpower Plan in skills upgrading and job redesign initiatives, to facilitate the adoption of manpower-lean practices in their business transformation. The shift to lean business models will help drive business growth and create better quality jobs for employees, while providing a more seamless and enhanced customer experience."

Key Strategies to Develop a Future-ready Food Services Workforce

The Food Services SMP consists of three key strategies to build a quality workforce and drive the sector’s transformation.

Accelerate redesigning of jobs through business transformation

In a tight labour market with non-PMET (Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians) workers forming the bulk of the Food Services sector, there is a need for work processes to be streamlined and redesigned to increase productivity and reduce reliance on manpower. Food Services companies are encouraged to transform their businesses by moving towards manpower-lean formats through adoption of innovative business models, front-of-house digital services solutions and back-of-house kitchen automation. Technology plays a key role in enabling the redesigning of jobs.

Build a strong and future-ready Singaporean core

Sector transformation and redesigning of jobs will bring about the need for the workforce to acquire emerging skills to stay relevant. WDA and SPRING are developing the Food Services Skills Framework (SF), which helps employers map out clear career progression pathways and skills training needs, to facilitate employees’ career progression and mobility within the sector.

SkillsFuture initiatives such as the Enhanced Internships (EI) and the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme support young entrants by giving them a head-start in their careers, and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to meet the emerging needs of the sector. Mid-career professionals can also deepen their skills through the SkillsFuture Study Awards and curated masterclasses. Together, these re-skilling and up-skilling initiatives provide Singaporeans with the means to learn new skills, progress and be future ready.

Strengthen Human Resources (HR) capabilities

To build and retain a pipeline of talent for the Food Services sector in the long term, employers need to view HR as a strategic function. For a start, employers can tap on SPRING’s HR Diagnostic Tool to help them assess their current HR performance practices, and identify possible gaps. With support from SPRING, WDA and other agencies, companies can embark on efforts to strengthen their core HR competencies. These include developing learning and development plans, implementing robust performance management systems and improving recruitment processes amongst others.

Companies interested to find out more about the Food Services SMP can visit https://www.smeportal.sg.