Plans for NEA's Daily-rated Staff to be Skilled for Future Jobs

Mr Zainal Sapari asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources what are the plans for NEA's daily-rated staff to receive the necessary skills required for the future jobs under the Environmental Services Industry Transformation Map.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) launched the Skills Framework for Environmental Services (ES) in December 2017 as an integral component of the Environmental Services Industry Transformation Map (ES ITM). The framework maps the skills and competencies that workers in the industry need to perform their roles effectively.

NEA’s daily-rated employees (DREs) are potential beneficiaries of the ES ITM. To equip DREs with the skillsets for future jobs, NEA has been providing training opportunities, such as Workforce Skills Qualifications courses in environmental cleaning, landscape operations and digital literacy. NEA also encourages its DREs to attend relevant training programmes under the ES Skills Framework to broaden and deepen their skills and knowledge. With the requisite training and work experience, DREs may take on more challenging or expanded roles within the agency and in the wider ES industry.

One DRE who has benefited from NEA's upskilling efforts is Mr Somasundaram Ganeson. Mr Somasundaram was previously an Environmental Support Assistant who kept the streets clean. At 62, he was recently promoted to be a Higher Environmental Support Assistant in vector control, after completing a vocational course and attaining the skills needed for the new portfolio. Accordingly, he now commands a higher salary. Other DREs have similarly upgraded their skills and taken on new roles.

NEA is also working with Post-Secondary Education Institutions to enhance existing technical courses and develop new Continuous Education and Training programmes on relevant topics that would also benefit DREs who wish to upskill and avail themselves of job opportunities in the industry.

NEA will continue to partner stakeholders to expand education and training programmes to address the skills and manpower needs of the ES industry.