04/08/2017

Higher Productivity, Easier, Safer And Smarter Jobs For Food Services And Retail Industries Through Manpower Initiatives

Employers from the Food Services and Retail sectors can look forward to more Government support to sustain growth and overcome manpower crunch as they tackle the challenges of a changing labour market landscape.

Workforce Singapore (WSG), in collaboration with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and with support from SPRING Singapore, unions and associations, has sought to encourage more employers from both sectors to relook at, adapt and transform their operations and work processes by embracing innovation and adopting technologies. By leveraging technologies, routine work processes are streamlined to produce higher output whilst being less reliant on manpower. It has also enabled employers to mitigate the effects of the ageing workforce by making work easier, safer and smarter for their older workers.

The shift to more technology-enabled operations and the resulting redesigned job roles would require the upskilling and reskilling of employees to help them stay relevant and perform new job roles in demand today. The creation of such higher value-added job roles puts employers in better positions to meet changing career aspirations amongst local workforce and to attract the talent they need.

To support and help offset part of the implementation costs of these technologies, employers can tap on WSG’s WorkPro Job Redesign Grant, under WSG’s Transform & Grow initiative, to fund job redesign projects up to $300,000.

On training and wage subsidy support, employers from both sectors can tap on WSG’s suite of Adapt & Grow programmes, such as Professional Conversion Programmes, the Career Support Programme and Work Trial to enhance and complement their hiring and training efforts.

Mr Tan Choon Shian, Chief Executive of WSG said, “To manage manpower and productivity challenges in the changing labour market, we urge employers to tap on WSG’s Transform and Grow initiative to implement lean transformation projects to enhance their business competitiveness. WSG will also continue to work with forward-looking employers to enhance their manpower recruitment needs, and to connect them with jobseekers interested in pursuing a career in these progressive industries.”

Adapt & Grow Food Services and Retail Day

To further inspire and encourage employers to adopt technologies, drive recruitment and promote the wide range of job opportunities, WSG has organised the two-day Adapt & Grow Food Services and Retail Day on 4 and 5 August 2017 at the Lifelong Learning Institute. This event comprises three components: a technology showcase featuring technology solutions for both sectors, a seminar on “SMEs of the Future: Food Services and Retail”, and a career fair.

The technology showcases features various technology solutions, such as the e-Waiter, Table Top Auto-Cooker and Virtual Reality Technology.

To further encourage employers to adopt technologies and transform their operations, WSG has also organised a “SMEs of the Future: Food Services and Retail” seminar providing employers with insights on upcoming trends.

The two-day Career Fair on-site features close to 1,200 job vacancies offered by 34 employers from both sectors (Please refer to Annex A for full list of participating employers). Available positions include Management Trainee, Assistant Chef, Store Manager and Visual Merchandiser.

Jobseekers, including mature PMETs and mid-career switchers, can look forward to kick-starting their career in either sectors by tapping on WSG’s suite of Adapt & Grow programmes. WSG has also organised a series of talks where seasoned professionals from both sectors, such as Master Mentor at Asian Culinary Institute (ACI) Chef Eric Teo, DBR System manager Ms Karen Tan, and Swensen’s restaurant manager Mr Norman Tan, share their real life job experiences and work expectations with jobseekers.

Launch of Skills Frameworks for Food Services and Retail

The Skills Framework for Food Services and the Skills Framework for Retail are also launched to support the manpower strategies laid out in the respective Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs). The Skills Frameworks were jointly developed by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), WSG and SPRING Singapore in consultation with employers, industry associations, unions and education and training institutes.

Mr Poon Hong Yuen, Chief Executive, SPRING Singapore said, “Industry transformation, aided by the use of technology, can only happen with a strong workforce – one that is equipped with the relevant skillsets to take on new roles and adapt to evolving market needs. The Skills Frameworks serve as references for Food Services and Retail businesses to enhance the skills of their employees and create better quality jobs.”

Mr Ng Cher Pong, Chief Executive of SSG said, “The two Skills Frameworks that are launched today support the implementation of the ITMs for the Food Services and Retail industries. Trends such as increased automation in the Food Services industry and the growth of e-commerce in the Retail industry provide new business and career opportunities. To seize these opportunities, the workforce will need to be equipped with new skills. The Skills Framework outlines how an individual can stay relevant and benefit from these opportunities in each industry.”

Seven tracks, covering 52 job roles, have been identified in the Skills Framework for Food Services. These tracks are Beverage Service, Food and Beverage Service, Pastry and Baking, Culinary Arts, Central Kitchen Production, Quality Assurance and Research and Development. The Skills Framework also lists existing and emerging skills required by each job role, which include innovating with New Culinary Ingredients in Food and Beverage Production, Operating Automated Cooking Equipment for Cooking Food Products, and Using Primary Functions and Applications of a Tablet.

The Skills Framework for Retail outlines five career tracks within the sector, covering the areas of Retail Operations, Brand Management, Marketing, Merchandising, and E-Commerce. A total of 174 existing and emerging skills and competencies have been identified across 24 key job roles. Some of these skills include Data Analytics, Customer Experience Management and Market Research.

Annex A: List of Participating Employers

Annex B: Adapt & Grow Food Services And Retail Day

Annex C: Additional Quotes from Partners