Number and Type of Landscape Jobs and Skillsets Expected in Next Five Years and Plans to Meet Training Needs
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns MP Mr Abdul Samad’s inquiry about the 1,000 new landscape jobs expected over the next five years and the plans to meet associated training needs. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee stated that these roles will be primarily in arboriculture and horticulture, with others in resident gardening and information technology. Training will be driven by the Landscape Sector Transformation Plan, involving partnerships with Institutes of Higher Learning to digitalize and professionalize the sector. Key initiatives include a revised ITE curriculum, a Work-Study Diploma in Arboriculture and Horticulture, and professional training at the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology. NParks will also train residents in the Resident Gardeners Programme to use mechanized tools, ensuring a skilled workforce for future urban greenery management.
Transcript
44 Mr Abdul Samad asked the Minister for National Development (a) in the next five years, what will be the 1,000 new and upgraded landscape jobs and skillsets expected, broken down by number and types of jobs; and (b) how will these training needs be met.
Mr Desmond Lee: With greater digitalisation and the expansion of the landscape sector, NParks expects that 1,000 new and upgraded jobs will be created over the next five years, catering to workers of different profiles.
NParks estimates that about 70% of these new jobs will be in the areas of arboriculture, horticulture and landscape design. These jobs can be taken up by both fresh graduates from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), polytechnics, and universities, as well as mid-career applicants. 25% of the new jobs will be for residents taking part in NParks' Resident Gardeners Programme, a pilot programme where landscape companies employ residents to care for greenery in their neighbourhoods. Finally, 5% of the jobs will be in related industries such as information technology and facilities management. These estimates are subject to change based on industry developments and the results of NParks' ongoing pilots for the Resident Gardeners Programme, and the use of digital technologies to manage greenery and parks.
NParks works with stakeholders in the landscape industry and Institutes of Higher Learning to support the industry's training needs. This is part of NParks' efforts to digitalise, mechanise and professionalise the sector under the Landscape Sector Transformation Plan. For example, NParks has worked with ITE to revise its landscaping course curriculum to impart a wider range of skills, including digital skills. Companies can also tap on ITE’s Work-Study Diploma in Arboriculture and Horticulture. NParks' Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology also conducts skills training programmes for landscape sector professionals, and NParks will train residents in the pilot Resident Gardeners Programme to use mechanised tools for their work, where relevant.