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SINGAPORE: Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 800 companies in the food sector have offered around 6,700 job, internship and training opportunities since April.
Of these, 5,420 have been for jobs, of which 2,070 (about 38 percent) have been for professional, managerial, executive and technical functions (PMET). These include roles as food technologists, chefs, and business development managers.
These figures were released on Monday (September 21) in the sixth edition of the labor situation report of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), with a focus on the food sector.
For PMET positions, salaries for food and beverage service (F&B) managers ranged between S $ 2,450 and S $ 3,300, and between S $ 2,500 and S $ 6,050 for manufacturing managers.
For non-PMET roles, waiters’ salaries ranged from S $ 1,500 to S $ 2,000, while salaries for food processing supervisors and general foremen ranged from S $ 2,250 to S $ 2,750.
Between April and July, more than 1,800 people found jobs or took on new roles in the food industry through WorkForce Singapore programs. About 56 percent of those people were 40 and older, MOM said.
IMPACT OF COVID-19
Singapore’s food industry employs more than 48,000 people in food manufacturing and more than 180,000 in food services.
Food manufacturing comprises more than 940 companies and contributes 1.1 per cent of Singapore’s gross domestic product (GDP), while food services includes more than 10 000 companies and contributes approximately 0.8 per cent of GDP from the country.
The impact of COVID-19 on the food manufacturing sector has been “uneven”, with companies that manufacture staples and those that sell their products through retail channels have seen sales increase from 30% to 70% .
However, companies supplying hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and food services experienced a decline in sales of 40 to 90 percent.
Hiring in the food manufacturing sector has reflected these business trends.
The foodservice sector has been hit hardest by the pandemic and “had to cope with a labor shortage and low influx” due to the “circuit breaker” period to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Before Phase 2 of Singapore’s reopening, many workers were reassigned to other “income opportunities” such as food deliveries.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to food ingredient and flavoring maker KH Roberts, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing noted that Singapore’s food manufacturing industry had seen a compound annual growth rate of around 6.45 percent annually between 2013 and 2018.
Although its performance was affected during the breaker period, the industry continues its growth trajectory, it said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made people more aware of the need for food safety, Chan said, noting that Singapore’s experience with agricultural technology, as well as research and development, gives the country an advantage. competitive.
“We believe there is a bright future for this industry to create many more jobs for our people,” he said.
Manpower Minister Josephine Teo pointed to Workforce Singapore’s job retraining program for the foodservice industry.
The program, introduced in February this year, supports the business transformation of food service companies as well as the training of existing workers.
“As of the end of August 2020, about 900 of the existing workers at 25 foodservice companies have been or are being trained and reassigned to new and higher-value roles,” Ms Teo said.
“For workers who have been re-qualified, they not only have the opportunity to keep their jobs, but they also gain new skills and take on higher value tasks, of course (with) scope to earn higher wages when the economy improves,” she said.
He encouraged job seekers to consider different job fields, even if they have no industry experience, as long as they arrive with the right attitude and are willing to learn.
“For those who come from sectors where they have transferable skills, such as innovation management or manufacturing practice, they will certainly have a more seamless experience tuning into the food industry, but there will still be specific skills that they will need to pick up for the food sector, “he said.
Chan also noted that the country will introduce a new “Singapore brand”, with the aim of allowing local products to stand out from international competitors.
The brand, which will be introduced in November, will apply to a variety of consumer lifestyle products, such as fashion accessories, as well as beauty and wellness products.
This will allow Singaporean companies and products to earn a premium in the international market, Chan said.
“Now how does that relate to jobs? For Singapore, we do not compete on the basis of price, but on the basis of our quality. So as we expand the market for such quality products, there will be more opportunities for Singaporeans in these industries that we are talking about, ”he said.
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