Date Published: 11 Mar 2007
1. 5,000 hawkers will receive national certification for skills under the Food and Beverage (F&B) Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) system1 by 2008. This is part of the pilot Skills Upgrading for Hawkers Programme developed jointly by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) to raise service standards and upgrade skills in the F&B industry. WDA has set aside $1.8 million to fund the skills upgrading programme over two years.
2. Under WDA’s skills upgrading programme, hawkers can attend courses in customer service, stall displays and food hygiene. They will receive a WSQ Statement of Attainment upon the successful completion of each course. To date, 1,400 hawkers have completed the WSQ customer service training course. A pre- and post-training survey completed in December 2006 showed that training has helped hawkers to better manage customer expectations, address customers’ needs and project a more professional image. It also indicated that customer service has improved by 21%.
3. In order to raise the standard of food hygiene, NEA will also align its Basic Food Hygiene course2 for Food Handlers to the F&B WSQ system with effect from 1 June 2007. This new Food Handlers’ course contains a practical segment, which will allow hawkers to demonstrate their understanding of various hygiene tips better. Said Director-General (Public Health) Khoo Seow Poh: “A competency-based course will make the training on good food hygiene practices more interesting and effective. This will contribute towards our desire to improve standard of food hygiene across all eating establishments including hawker centres.”
4. Said Ms Teo Sio Hoon, Director of Tourism Division at WDA: “The WSQ is an open access system which enables hawkers to take up training regardless of their academic background. With the relevant F&B skills and WSQ certificates, hawkers will also have the mobility to look for jobs in other F&B sectors and/or continue to upgrade themselves for better employability”.
5. Assoc Prof Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, will be presenting the WSQ Statements of Attainment to hawkers on their completion of the customer service course at the opening of the Sims Vista Market and Food Centre on Sunday, 11 March 2007 at Blk 49 Sims Place at 9.00am.
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About NEA
The National Environment Agency (NEA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. It champions a clean and green environment, and partners the People, Public, and Private sectors in caring for the environment as a way of life. NEA seeks to protect Singapore's air, land and water resources today to ensure sustainable development and quality living for present and future generations.
About WDA
The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) seeks to enhance the competitiveness and employability of employees and jobseekers, thereby building a workforce that meets the changing needs of Singapore’s economy. Working with industry, unions, employers, economic agencies, professional associations and training organisations, the agency’s efforts are targeted at supporting industry growth by building a pipeline of workers through training and skills upgrading, and raising industry standards through enhancing manpower capabilities.
1 The WSQ is a national continuing education and training system for adult learners.
2 The Basic Food Hygiene course is a basic requirement for individuals who wish to enter into the hawker
