SINGAPORE - Some 5,400 jobs in food services and food manufacturing have been available since April under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, with about two in five of them for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs).
About 2,070 jobs are for PMETs, in roles such as food technologists, chefs, food and beverage services managers and business development managers.
The remaining 3,350 jobs are for non-PMET roles, including supervisors and general foremen for food processing, bakers, pastry and confectionery makers, and shop and store salespersons.
Job salaries are varied, based on the job nature and skills requirements.
For example, for PMETs, manufacturing managers earn between $2,500 on the 25th percentile and $6,050 on the 75th percentile, with a median salary of $2,850.
In non-PMET roles, bartenders and baristas earn between $1,550 on the 25th percentile and $2,600 on the 75th percentile, with a median salary of $2,150.
Besides jobs in the sectors, there are also about 540 company-hosted traineeships and attachments available, with 440 for PMET roles and 100 for non-PMET roles.
Of the 740 training opportunities available, 420 are for PMET roles while 320 are for non-PMET roles.
Manpower Minister Josephine Teo, in her weekly jobs situation report on Monday (Sept 21), said that between April and July this year, more than 1,800 people found jobs or took on training roles in the food sector through Workforce Singapore's (WSG) programmes.
Nearly 80 of them were mid-career individuals who entered the sector through career conversion programmes.
For the food manufacturing sub-sector, many of them came from the financial and insurance sector and other sub-sectors of the food manufacturing and wholesale trade, while those who converted to the food services sub-sector mainly came from accommodation and food services, transportation and storage, and administrative and support service activities.
Some transferable skills that would enhance a job seeker's career prospects in the food manufacturing sector include innovation management, operation management, and workplace safety and health, MOM said.
In food services, these skills would include customer service, food product marketing, and digital skills.
Job seekers with little or no prior experience in the food sector can take up company-hosted traineeships and attachments, or training courses under the SGUnited Skills Programme, the ministry added.
Since April, nearly 80 job seekers have entered company-hosted traineeships and enrolled for training under SGUnited Skills programme.
Mrs Teo also disclosed on Monday that some 900 workers from 25 food services companies have been or are being trained and redeployed into new or higher-value roles under WSG’s Job Redesign Reskilling Programme for the food services industry.
The programme, which was introduced in February, helps companies to transform their businesses, and workers to gain new skills.
“Workers who have been reskilled not only get to keep their jobs, but also acquire new skills and take on higher-value tasks. There is also scope for them to earn higher wages when the economy improves,” she added.
Mrs Teo noted that the food services sub-sector was hit harder by the Covid-19 pandemic compared with the food manufacturing sub-sector.
Food manufacturing firms that previously invested in automation or that manufacture staple food were able to continue to meet business demands during circuit breaker, while the food services sub-sector faced manpower shortage and low footfall during the same period, she said.
