Bright spots in jobs front: Precision engineering to have 3,000 places
TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE – In contrast to the troubled financial sector which has been shedding hundreds of jobs, the precision engineering industry is expected to create 3,000 jobs — in areas such as robotic coordination and industrial data science — over the next three years for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs).
This was announced on Wednesday (Oct 12) by Minister for Trade & Industry (Industry) S Iswaran as he launched the industry transformation map (ITM) for the precision engineering sector.
“As the precision engineering industry moves towards innovation-intensive activities, it will see the creation of jobs that require more skills and greater depth of knowledge, accompanied by better remuneration and career growth prospects,” said Mr Iswaran, who was speaking at the launch of a “smart factory” project by homegrown precision engineering firm Meiban.
The ITM is the third of the 23 road maps — and the first for the manufacturing sector — being developed under the S$4.5 billion industry transformation programme to drive Singapore’s longer-term economic progress. The Government had previously unveiled the road maps for the food services and retail sectors.
In a media release, the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) said that amid the move towards digital manufacturing, the workforce profile of the precision engineering sector will shift significantly, with PMETs expected to account for more than half of the industry workforce by 2020.
Mr Iswaran said: “A key strategy of the precision engineering ITM aims to shift the industry into new growth areas. This will be done by growing complementary segments such as additive manufacturing, robotics, advanced materials, sensors, and lasers and optics.” These segments are expected to grow at an average annual rate of over 10 per cent. The Government aims to grow the precision engineering output from S$32 billion today to S$42 billion by 2020.
Industry leaders TODAY spoke to were optimistic that Singaporeans will be drawn to the new precision engineering jobs created, following recent efforts to make the engineering profession more attractive including raising salaries. New areas such as robotics and 3D printing appeal to the young, they noted.
Mr Jeremy Fong, chairman of Singapore Precision Engineering and Technology Association, said: “The big push now has to come from the Government besides changing the mindsets of parents.”
The diminishing appeal of engineering jobs in Singapore has come under the spotlight in recent years.
In July, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that while Singapore was built on the backs of engineers during the years of nation-building, it has not only become harder today to woo Singaporeans into the profession, the Republic is also not at the “cutting edge” in most engineering fields.
Speaking at the Institution of Engineers’ (IES) golden jubilee event, Mr Lee reiterated that Singapore must develop “deep engineering capabilities and a complete, thriving engineering ecosystem”.
Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament Lee Bee Wah, who was the president of IES from 2008 to 2010, said: “I am pleased to see that there will be so many opportunities in this field, and I hope Singaporeans will seize this chance ... EDB has done much good to open a new growth area.”
Based on latest official figures, the precision engineering industry employed about 94,000 workers and contributed S$8.8 billion to the economy in 2014.
In his speech, Mr Iswaran said the Government will invest in new infrastructure to build up the technical capabilities of local companies.
Under the ITM for the precision engineering sector, “model digital factories” and “digital champions” will be rolled out to encourage innovation.
Digital manufacturing platforms will be set up in A*Star’s Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Remanufacturing & Technology Centre to develop digital technologies and solutions for companies. The first phases are expected to be ready by next year.
EDB will also groom precision engineering companies which are ready as digital champions, with Meiban being the first. Meiban plans to invest between S$10 million and S$15 million in its iSmart Factory project which will see the company co-developing solutions in robotics, automation and smart factory software with a range of partners comprising start-ups, small and medium enterprises as well as multinational corporations.
The solutions will be test-bedded and adopted in Meiban factories, and subsequently commercialised for both the domestic and overseas markets.
