Enhancing Adult Employment Opportunities for Tradesmen

Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Education (a) how will the Ministry enhance adult employment opportunities for tradesmen, such as recruiting more trainers who can conduct training in dialects; (b) what are the specific targets to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts; and (c) whether the Ministry can provide details of the on-ground communications and outreach efforts to attract more tradesmen to join adult learning and training programmes.

Today, there are various adult learning and training programmes in place to support a sustainable pipeline of locals in the skilled trades, which include occupations, such as plumbers and electricians. These programmes cater both to locals who wish to enter the skilled trades, as well as existing tradespeople who are looking to upskill.

For example, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) delivers entry-level ITE Skills Certificate courses in Electrical Wiring and Residential Plumbing as well as related Part-time Nitec and Higher Nitec courses to provide work-compatible upskilling pathways for adult learners in these sectors.

Apart from ITE, there are also training institutions offering upskilling courses, including courses funded by SkillsFuture Singapore, to mid-career tradespeople. These include the Building and Construction Authority’s BCA Academy for plumbers, and the Singapore Institute of Power and Gas that is recognised by the Energy Market Authority as a training centre for electrical workers.

While courses are delivered in English, training providers will pace their instructions accordingly to suit each learner’s level of English proficiency and supplement the delivery with visual aids, such as diagrams and pictures, to illustrate the concepts.

Besides providing a variety of training opportunities that can support interested individuals to enter these skilled trades, the Government is partnering the National Trades Union Congress to look into how we can redesign skilled trades, particularly those that remain indispensable in our future economy, to offer better salaries and clearer career and skill progression ladders.