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OPINION: Built Environment Professionals' participation in upcoming national elections is vital

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Mlondi Cele, a Built Environment Professional, emphasizes the significance of the upcoming national elections for the construction and built sectors. He encourages stakeholders to actively participate and articulate their expectations to influence economic policies and attract investments. Cele believes that the involvement of industry professionals and stakeholders in the elections can positively impact the industry's future and create favorable outcomes for all. The South African elections are of paramount importance to the construction and built sectors, as they have the potential to significantly influence their future trajectories. Economic, policy, and regulatory changes stemming from the elections can either catalyze growth or present novel challenges. Consequently, it is a pivotal juncture for stakeholders in these industries to actively participate in the electoral process and advocate for their interests. The construction and built environment industry plays a central rol
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NEWS: Singapore's Foreign labour shortages in construction sector is a wake-up call for change

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Delays and stop-work orders because of COVID-19 shows this is the right time to re-think the way Singapore's construction sector does business, says labour economist, Kelvin Seah.


For a long time, Singapore’s strategy of augmenting its workforce with a large pool of low-skilled foreign labour had served it well.

It made economic sense: Focus on what we are good at, build a high-skilled educated workforce, and complement this with low cost, low-skilled, foreign labour acquired from abroad.

This strategy helped to keep production costs down, which in turn made our goods cheap and our companies competitive in the global market. But the recent COVID-19 pandemic has exposed just how vulnerable this strategy can make us, especially when black swan events like the pandemic hit.

Businesses in the construction sector came to a virtual halt for at least two months last year after COVID-19 swept through the worker dormitories and a circuit breaker had to be imposed.


Businesses in other sectors like F&B, cleaning, and manufacturing which relied heavily on low-skilled workers from neighbouring countries also struggled to find solutions after many of their employees were unable to return to Singapore owing to border restrictions and personal choice.

In April this year, the Ministry of National Development revealed that a large fraction of ongoing BTO projects would be delayed because of such manpower.

And most recently, CNA reported how cleanliness issues had emerged after many migrant cleaners were unable to enter Singapore.

Can we reduce our reliance on low-cost foreign labour? One suggestion is a proposal to re-introduce trade schools to boost the supply of Singaporeans working in essential areas such as construction, which rely heavily on foreign workers.

LOW WAGES DISCOURAGES LOCALS FROM TAKING UP THE TRADE


But simply introducing trade schools is unlikely to work, unless corresponding changes are made to reinvent the way companies produce.

Having such schools does not mean that Singaporeans will automatically enrol in them. We already have vocational schools in Singapore - the Institutes of Technical Education (ITE).

Unlike the trade schools of the past, pitched at the secondary level and provided narrower training in specific trades like carpentry, plumbing, or electrical fitting, today’s ITE is a postsecondary institution providing higher-level and broader training in vocational areas like engineering, info-comm technology and hospitality.



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