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SINGAPORE – Currently around 1,300 jobs are offered in the logistics sector, and approximately one in three is for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET).
This represents more than 60 percent of the more than 2,100 jobs and training openings available at the end of September, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in its weekly jobs report on Tuesday (October 27).
PMET jobs include roles as regional business sales managers and business development managers, with monthly salaries between $ 4,000 and $ 7,000, with a median of $ 5,000. Meanwhile, logistics managers earn between $ 3,700 and $ 7,250 a month, with a median of $ 5,500.
Most of the jobs, about 64 percent, are non-PMET roles, as the sector requires a workforce to carry out functions such as warehousing, transportation, and value-added services such as labeling and packaging.
These non-PMET jobs include transportation employees, who generally earn monthly salaries of $ 1,900 to $ 2,400, with a median of $ 2,175. Cargo and material handling workers earn between $ 1,600 and $ 2,350 per month, with a median of $ 2,050.
In addition to jobs, there are also around 510 company-organized internships and attachments, as well as around 290 training opportunities available.
The ministry revealed that some 710 people have been placed in jobs, company-organized internships and training vacancies in the logistics industry between April and September.
Almost 600 of them found work, of which more than 40 percent were mature workers.
Others have signed up for adjuncts and internships, such as logistics analytics, software development, supply chain management, and IT applications since June.
Industry employers are open to job seekers with work experience in other sectors, said Human Resources Minister Josephine Teo.
Speaking after a visit to the premises of the German logistics company DB Schenker at The Red Lion in Changi, Ms Teo noted that logistics companies serve a wide range of customers.
“So when they hire people from different industries, they actually have more connection points with their customers, because they are more likely to be able to understand customer requirements and therefore consider how they can update their products and services in order to satisfy customer needs, “he added.
The effects of the pandemic on the industry have been uneven. It saw a severe reduction in air cargo capacity, a worker shortage due to border closures, and a reduction in efficiency due to safe distancing measures.
Those serving hardest hit sectors, such as aviation and aerospace, were hit the hardest, while those providing e-commerce, last-mile fulfillment services, and serving critical sectors such as healthcare saw an increase in demand for their services, MOM said.
Companies that were able to adapt quickly to capture new business opportunities stemming from the coronavirus situation also remained resilient.
For example, the change in consumer behavior due to Covid-19 has accelerated the growth of e-commerce services and the adoption of technology. Logistics companies like Moovaz Logistics and Ninja Logistics are leveraging technologies like artificial intelligence and cloud computing to create new areas of growth.
Third-party logistics providers, such as DB Schenker and Pacific Logistics Group, are also looking to capitalize on the growing demand for supply chain management services and solutions. These companies have embarked on business transformation and digitization projects to develop new capabilities, expand capacity, and prepare for post-pandemic recovery. To support these expansion and transformation efforts, these companies continued to hire despite the recession.
Ms Teo said that the use of technology in the sector does not always mean that jobs will be lost.
“By using more technology, companies can operate more efficiently, get more customers and in turn, these customers can be drawn to Singapore as an efficient and effective hub,” he explained. “As a result of all this increased growth and the volume of business that we handle, in fact, we may still have to use more people.”
To support the industry’s workforce needs, Workforce Singapore has worked with logistics companies in demand for recruitment to accept workers from the worst-hit sectors, such as aerospace, aviation and hospitality, on secondment.
Between April and September, about 380 workers from the most affected sectors were able to continue working thanks to these agreements.
For example, DB Schenker hosted 21 logistics assistants, secondment workers from Razor Solutions, a subcontractor specializing in aviation ground operations.
On Tuesday, Ms Teo, along with Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, toured DB Schenker’s Red Lion facility and looked at its automation systems, contract logistics and air transport operations. The $ 163 million high-tech warehouse, located in the Singapore Airport Logistics Park Free Trade Zone, is the company’s largest single investment globally.
In 2019, the logistics industry, a key pillar of Singapore’s economy, contributed an added value of $ 6.8 billion, equivalent to 1.4 percent of gross domestic product, and employed more than 86,000 workers.
Over the years, the Republic has built and maintained its status as the leading logistics center in Asia. Industry plays an important role in connecting supply chains to facilitate the flow of goods locally and abroad, supporting key industries such as food, electronics, pharmaceuticals, retail, and construction.
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