Skills Framework for Environmental Services updated to benefit over 340 firms

Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA), together with SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore, has made some updates to the Skills Framework for Environmental Services (ES).

This was announced on Saturday (7 December), in conjunction with the launch of the inaugural Environmental Services (ES) Star Awards by President Halimah Yacob.

Through this refreshment, the framework now includes key information on the pest management sector, career pathways, occupations and job roles, as well as current and emerging skills. It is expected to now benefit more than 340 organisations and more than 3,100 professionals in the pest management sector, which provide vector control services.

Additionally, it will provide a list of training programmes which would allow workers in the sector to acquire new skills or upgrade their existing skills - for instance, through the joint ITE-NEA Certificate on Pest Management and Pest Control offered at ITE (Central), and the Fundamental Course on Vector Management Control offered at Singapore Polytechnic.

Apart from the pest management sector, which was included under the Environmental Services Industry Transformation Map (ES ITM) in April this year, the refreshed framework would also include important information on the cleaning and waste management sectors, such as potential pathways within and across the three sectors.

For instance, general cleaners who equipped with the relevant skills and training can become pest control workers, while professionals in executive and managerial roles can also consider other roles within six tracks under the framework. They can also take up relevant skills development options, which would provide them with greater career mobility.

About the Environmental Services Star Awards

A key initiative of the Environmental Services Industry Transformation Map (ES ITM), the Environmental Services Star Awards recognises the top employees in the ES industry across three sectors – cleaning services, waste management, and pest management – in the categories of frontline, supervisory, and back-end.

Recipients of the awards included a mix of profiles such as customer-facing executives and support roles, who were nominated by their employers based on the following criteria: Service excellence, leadership, upgrading/training, received compliments/awards, innovation, and contribution to environment sustainability.

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