Debated in Parliament on 5 Apr 2021.
Mr Abdul Samad asked the Minister for National Development (a) in the next five years, what will be the 1,000 new and upgraded landscape jobs and skillsets expected, broken down by number and types of jobs; and (b) how will these training needs be met.
With greater digitalisation and the expansion of the landscape sector, NParks expects that 1,000 new and upgraded jobs will be created over the next five years, catering to workers of different profiles.
NParks estimates that about 70% of these new jobs will be in the areas of arboriculture, horticulture and landscape design. These jobs can be taken up by both fresh graduates from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), polytechnics, and universities, as well as mid-career applicants. 25% of the new jobs will be for residents taking part in NParks' Resident Gardeners Programme, a pilot programme where landscape companies employ residents to care for greenery in their neighbourhoods. These estimates are subject to change based on industry developments and the results of NParks' ongoing pilots for the Resident Gardeners Programme, and the use of digital technologies to manage greenery and parks.
NParks works with stakeholders in the landscape industry and Institutes of Higher Learning to support the industry's training needs. This is part of NParks' efforts to digitalise, mechanise and professionalise the sector under the Landscape Sector Transformation Plan. For example, NParks has worked with ITE to revise its landscaping course curriculum to impart a wider range of skills, including digital skills. Companies can also tap on ITE’s Work-Study Diploma in Arboriculture and Horticulture. NParks' Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology also conducts skills training programmes for landscape sector professionals, and NParks will train residents in the pilot Resident Gardeners Programme to use mechanised tools for their work, where relevant.
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