Speaking at the BCA-Redas built environment and property prospects seminar yesterday (8 Jan), Minister of State for National Development and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad said that the proportion of locals taking up jobs for PMETs in the construction sector has fallen over the past decade.

He said that new policies are in place to attract local white-collar workers back to the construction sector, he added.

But Zaqy also acknowledged that employers can readily find less-skilled foreign workers at a lower cost in this sector.

The construction sector accounts for about 4 per cent of Singapore’s total gross domestic product. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) projects construction demand to be between $27 billion and $34 billion a year from 2021 to 2022, and between $28 billion and $35 billion a year from 2023 to 2024.

“Beyond 2020, we see construction demand strengthening further… supported by major developments such as Changi Airport Terminal 5, developments at Jurong Lake District, the expansion of the two integrated resorts (IRs) – Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa – and new MRT lines such as the Cross Island Line,” Zaqy said.

BCA chief executive Brigadier-General Hugh Lim told reporters that a skills framework for the construction sector will be launched later this year.

He noted that the BIM (building information modelling) professional conversion programme (PCP), which helps mid-career PMETs acquire skills to switch to the sector, has not been very successful.

“Few firms have taken this up, compared with the PCPs in other sectors such as healthcare and manufacturing. So we will need to work with (the industry) to help more fresh graduates and mid-career professionals enter the sector,” he said.

Average salary for civil engineers much lower than national median salary

It’s not difficult to find out why less Singaporean PMETs are willing to take up jobs in the construction sector if BG Lim only bothers to find out the kind of salaries they are getting in construction.

According to job site indeed.com.sg, the average salary for a civil engineer is $3,927 per month in Singapore. Salary estimates are based on 264 salaries submitted to Indeed by employees, users, and collected from past and present job sponsorships on Indeed in the past 36 months.

However, in the latest MOM report published two months ago (28 Nov), the nominal median income of Singapore residents on full-time employment is now stated to be $4,563 (‘Income growth slows in Singapore; median salary now above S$4,500: MOM report‘).

For comparison, in the case of a financial analyst, he would be getting $4,739 on average, according to Indeed, higher than the national nominal median salary.

 

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

Singaporeans stuck in Morocco due to sudden announcement of international flight suspension

A number of Singaporeans are stuck in Morocco after the kingdom suddenly…

似乎不了解禁令仅限电动滑板车 妇女推车徒步缓行网民心酸

前日,国会正式颁布禁令,不准电动滑板车在人行道上行驶,惟脚车和电动轮椅等代步工具(Personal Mobility Aids),仍可在人行道、脚车道和公园连道使用。 不过有网民发现,一位行动不便的妇女,可能是对禁令不甚了解,而在行人道上慢慢地推着行动辅助器、一拐一拐地行走,令见者都不免心酸。 一名网友于昨日(11月5日)下午5时许,在Helloあsia Singapore脸书群组上传了一段,只有短短六秒的视频。   视频拍摄者相信是乘坐着行驶中的车子,只见一名很穿暗色系的穆斯林妇女手推着一辆三轮的行动辅助器,在人行道上缓慢前行,行动非常不方便。 上载者也在视频中写道,“看了都让人心酸”。 这视频在15个小时内就获得七万人观看,2500人转发,以及305个留言。 呼吁撤下有关视频 有网民感叹禁令实施的不合时宜,“害惨了阿姨这群体的人士”。…

网民用餐时惊见  西洋菜猪肉汤上漂“虫尸”

在外打包了西洋菜猪肉汤回家后,想大快朵颐的网民却惊见汤上飘着“虫尸”,倍感恶心。 网友Shidion Tan昨日下午4时许,在脸书群组COMPLAINT SINGAPORE上分享这令人恶心的一幕,更询问网民们是否知道这些小虫是什么,汤内有这些“东西”是否正常。 据他分享的照片和视频中,只见白色汤匙内的汤中,浮现了不少黑点。细看之下,会看到有很多小黑点在汤内漂浮。 不少网民都感谢网友的分享,以便提醒其他民众在订购外送食品时提高警惕,并鼓励网友向国家环境局或新加坡食品局进行投报,将有关的视频和照片呈上作为证据。 有些网民则认为这些小虫是藏在西洋菜内的水蛭幼虫,或蚂蝗,甚至是苍蝇幼虫。也有网民认为这并没什么大惊小怪,就是商家没有把蔬菜洗干净的情况。 然而,还有网民乘机打趣,指商家在为网友补钙质,并且添加额外调味料。 西洋菜原本就是众多蔬菜中,较难处理干净的蔬菜之一,但是却有着清心润肺、治疗肺痨的功效。   因此,在清洗西洋菜时,其中一个方法是先摘去根部,浸泡盐水约45分钟,让藏在蔬菜内的水蛭或蚂蝗蜷曲沉底后,将西洋菜取出并用清水冲洗数次。有机种植的西洋菜,则只需水中稍微冲洗。

Netizens express their dissatisfaction to the new regulation that allows for bigger dogs to live in HDB flats

Yesterday (1 March), the National Parks Board’s Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS)…