SINGAPORE – Estate and facilities management workers can soon look forward to better career prospects and salaries by taking on expanded roles with the support of employers and trade associations.
This forms one of the fresh recommendations by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and its partners to address the persistent labour constraints in the sector.
To explore how to improve staff livelihoods sustainably, SBF said on Thursday (July 7) that it partnered seven companies to redesign jobs and teach workers new skills.
The companies ran 10 pilot projects from March last year to this May, involving about 50 workers, in collaboration with the SBF and four trade associations, as part of an industry-led effort dubbed Lighthouse Project.
For instance, security and housekeeping staff at Allgreen Properties, which owns the Great World Serviced Apartments in River Valley, learnt how to perform customer service and basic mechanical and electrical maintenance in two separate pilots by the firm.
The other six companies that ran pilots are CapitaLand, CBM, Certis, Far East Organization, ISS Facilities and Pontiac Land. They manage properties from serviced apartments and industrial buildings to mixed-use developments.
A skilled and motivated workforce means companies can benefit from improved productivity, while staff can enjoy better career progression and wages, said the federation.
“However, to achieve this, companies must invest in the training and development of their staff to ensure they are well-equipped to perform their expanded roles successfully.
“Mutual trust and close communication between employers and employees are also critical to the success.”
Allgreen Properties shared the results of the pilot with Minister for National Development Desmond Lee during his visit to Great World Serviced Apartments on Thursday.
A pilot for outcome-based contracts with clearly defined, fair and mutually agreed upon contract specifications between CapitaLand and ISS Facilities found that such contracts could serve mutually desirable outcomes.
Such contracts reduce the risk of disputes, while ensuring more consistent levels of service are provided by a more streamlined and productive workforce.
Both companies worked closely on a new outcome-based contract for both landscaping and cleaning services to ensure contract requirements were mutually beneficial; specific to the Galaxis building in one-north it covered; and aligned with ISS Facilities’ capabilities and strengths.
For instance, both companies now capture inspection data on a shared application on a tablet to mutually agree on at the end of each inspection.
Mr Lam Yi Young, SBF chief executive, said: “The pilot projects showed that with service buyers and service providers working together, the estate and facilities management sector can achieve sustainable productivity gains and uplift the skills and wages of workers.”
According to Ministry of Manpower statistics, 72,600 people worked in the real estate services sector as at March this year.
Join ST’s Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards
Spin the wheel now
MCI (P) 031/10/2021, MCI (P) 032/10/2021. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2021 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.