Todays update:
http://www.asiaone.com/st/st_20050929_343691.html
More engineering grads opting to work in sectors like finance, real
estate
By Bryan Lee, Grace Ng
Sept 29, 2005
The Straits Times
THE cream of Singapore's engineering graduates face a stark choice
when they leave college - the no-frills manufacturing plants of
Jurong Island or the glitz and glamour of Raffles Place
skyscrapers.
In recent years, more and more of these top engineers are opting
for uptown jobs in callings such as finance and real estate, where
their numeracy skills are in demand.
But the trend has sparked fears that Singapore's vital
manufacturing industry is not attracting enough top local talent to
stay competitive.
Speakers at the National Manufacturing Conference yesterday said
the sector faces a 'key challenge' of recruiting and retaining top
engineering brains as it moves into more high-end activities.
Singapore 'already faces some shortage of skills in the
manufacturing sector', said Shell Eastern Petroleum manufacturing
director Andrew Smith. He said there has been a 'leak of
engineering students' into industries such as finance. 'This
reflects the quality of an engineering education that is so much in
demand in other professions.'
The managing director of the Economic Development Board (EDB), Mr
Ko Kheng Hwa, added that the challenge for the manufacturing sector
is to motivate engineering students to stay in this profession for
the long term.
Mr Ko and Mr Smith were speaking at a panel discussion on
Singapore's ambitious blueprint - unveiled yesterday - to double
total manufacturing output to $300 billion and raise the skills
profile of its workers.
Industry players have also voiced concerns that the quality of
students applying for manufacturing jobs has been slipping in
recent years.
More than half of the electronics firms the EDB has had discussions
with in the past 12 to 18 months said the quality of new applicants
for manufacturing jobs was 'not as good as it used to be', said Mr
Lim Swee Nian, the director of EDB's electronics cluster.
Economists note that the flourishing services sector, which values
engineers highly for their numeracy and analytical expertise, is an
increasingly potent lure for top graduates.
DBS regional economist Chua Hak Bin said that thriving sectors such
as finance, real estate and tourism can offer talented young
graduates higher wages than the manufacturing sector, where pay
rates are under pressure owing to stiff global competition.
The director of Action Economics, Mr David Cohen, cited the case of
Hong Kong, whose manufacturing centre was gradually hollowed out in
the 1990s as its financial and tourism services boomed.
The EDB has unveiled a new education blitz which it hopes will
counter the rather unglamorous image of manufacturing jobs. It will
develop a TV series that puts the spotlight on career opportunities
and the evolving manufacturing landscape, as well as conduct
factory tours for teachers, students and the community.
Other efforts include enhancing technical education at all levels
and offering workers retraining programmes.
[email protected]
[email protected]
Brain drain
# Top engineering graduates are valued for their numeracy and
analytical expertise.
# More are choosing to work in the thriving services industry,
which can offer higher pay than the manufacturing sector.
# Industry players have also voiced concerns that the quality of
students applying for manufacturing jobs has been slipping in
recent years.
# To address these concerns, the EDB will go on an education blitz
to counter the unglamorous image of manufacturing jobs.
# It will develop a TV series that puts the spotlight on career
opportunities, conduct factory tours for teachers, students and the
community. Other efforts include enhancing technical education and
offering workers retraining programmes.
