Singapore's fast-growing power sector requires a steady stream of skilled workers, and the Energy Market Authority (EMA) will work closely with industry and key stakeholders to achieve this.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs & Trade and Industry, S Iswaran, announced this on Wednesday (16 January). He highlighted the key recommendations made by the Power Sector Manpower Taskforce (PSMT) to build up manpower capacities and capabilities for Singapore's power sector.
The Taskforce, formed in March 2012, has suggested a three-pronged approach for the power sector to meet its long-term manpower needs.
The first recommendation is to focus on attracting, retaining and developing talent within the sector. Youths would be targeted, with power sector-related scholarships and internships awarded at different educational levels. To retain talent, power sector companies should also review their remuneration framework regularly to remain competitive employers.
The second recommendation is to conduct a sector-wide branding exercise to help raise the profile of the power sector and highlight the various career opportunities it offers.
The Taskforce also highlighted the need for better coordination across the industry to train and develop the capabilities of workers. They have recommended the establishment of a Centralised Training Institute as well as a coordinating industry body to manage the sectorial manpower needs.
Minister Iswaran agreed with the above recommendations, stating in a letter to the PSMT that "as the sector continues to grow significantly over the next decade, it is important that we invest in essential infrastructure, and enhance manpower capacity and capabilities in the sector".
The Taskforce's recommendations come after a manpower landscape study, conducted in 2011 by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), showed that the power sector had an ageing workforce, with a median age of 48. More than half the existing workforce will be retiring in the next 10 to 15 years.