Singapore’s construction industry needs rebranding and restructuring to ensure sustained growth, despite the industry’s robust outlook for the next three years.
“To achieve a breakthrough, we will need to go beyond cosmetic changes so rebranding cannot just be about having more spin (or) more snazzy adverts,” said Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister of State for National Development and Manpower.
“I think the industry as a whole does rely quite extensively on foreign workers, but as we try to tighten this up, we should take this opportunity to look at how we can do the same, or more, but with fewer people,” he said.
The industry also faces the problem of an ageing local workforce. According to the 2010 BCA manpower survey, only 12 percent of the local workforce are below the age of 30 and almost 50 percent are above 45.
Rebranding the industry is crucial to attract more Singaporeans and one way to do so is to implement a Construction Productivity Roadmap, said Tan.
“We need to take bold steps to start reshaping the construction industry fundamentally, and through these efforts, enhance the industry’s image.”
With that goal in mind, BCA and MND will study how to rebrand the industry in order to meet future manpower needs, support green building initiatives and construction productivity.
Meanwhile, the construction industry demand for 2012 is predicted to be lower than the S$32 billion recorded last year.
The overall construction demand for this year is probably between S$21 billion and S$27 billion, said Tan.
Although the projection is lower than the previous year’s record, he explained that construction demand remains healthy due to the on-going construction of major civil engineering projects like the Downtown Line and the volume of contracts awarded over the last two years.
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