Friday, December 5, 2008

BCA initiates plan to strengthen local construction sector

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is launching initiatives to attract locals to join the construction sector and to strengthen skills at all levels of the sector’s workforce.

These initiatives are part of a masterplan that is being drafted to build a competent, productive and progressive labour force for the local construction industry.

Announcing the masterplan on Friday at a BCA Academy graduation event, Senior Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu said Singapore’s construction sector is holding up under the effects of the current economic slowdown.

But she said construction demand is expected to come down in the next two years and the industry must make adjustments to adapt.

One of the key initiatives will see the BCA working with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Work Development Agency (WDA) to reclaim suitable jobs in the industry for locals.

In particular, the Construction Re-Skilling for Employment (CORE) scheme will subsidise skills training for new local entrants in key construction trades.

A new scheme called CoreTrade will also be launched next year to build up a core pool of competent and experienced tradesmen and foremen to help construction workers progress into supervisory positions.

Source : Channel NewsAsia - 5 Dec 2008

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