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The initiatives will see 700 new professionals, managers, executives and technician jobs created in supply chain management (SCM) from now till 2025 following Singapore's growth as a preferred SCM hub.
On 10 July 2023 (Monday), the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), and Workforce Singapore (WSG) launched new continuing education, training and skills development initiatives which seek to nurture and grow the pool of supply chain management (SCM) professionals in Singapore.
This comes in line with Singapore's growth as a preferred SCM hub, it was noted.
New SCM job scopes and skillsets
Currently, Singapore has 70,000 SCM professionals across both manufacturing and non-manufacturing industries such as food and beverage, wholesale, and retail trade. SCM job roles reside within manufacturers and brand owners, and include supply chain network design, planning and sourcing, production planning, as well as aftermarket services.
SCM professionals also oversee logistics functions within manufacturers and brand owners to support the physical fulfilment of goods, such as inbound and outbound transportation, fleet management, warehousing, and the management of third-party logistics service providers.
There will be 700 new professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) job openings in SCM from now till 2025. Presently, SCM professionals command a median salary of approximately S$5,900, which is higher than the national median of S$4,680, EDB added.
Ramping up efforts to develop SCM professionals
As part of the new and ongoing efforts, local universities have curated and designed courses to educate and provide learning in SCM. These programmes have been launched or are currently in development:
- Pilot Supply Chain Masterclass: The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and o9 Solutions, a globally leading software provider, are working together to offer a Masterclass that addresses the emerging digital and resilience skillsets required for advanced supply chain planning. The Masterclass targets junior- to mid-level supply chain planners and is set to run in the third quarter of 2023.
- Industry Practice Masters (IPM): The Singapore Management University (SMU) Academy is slated to launch its first IPM this year. The IPM will include a SCM specialisation track, focusing on digital supply chain and intelligence. The curriculum features modules offered by the SMU Academy for priority skills identified by SSG that have high demand and transferability. The target learners for the IPM include mid-career professionals seeking to acquire industry-relevant skills and knowledge.
- Graduate Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management: In January 2024, SUSS will introduce a new postgraduate programme for 20 students. The one-year course will cover emerging developments in SCM, such as supply chain digitalisation, supply chain analytics and green supply chains. The programme features the involvement of both academics and senior industry practitioners.
- SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP) in Digital Supply Chain: The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is set to launch the first run of SCTP in 2024, targeted at mid-careerists who intend to transit to SCM job roles. The programme aims to equip participants with in-demand supply chain competencies. It also hopes to provide participants with the opportunity to develop strategies to enhance supply chain resilience, gain exposure to major applications of supply chain information technology and recognise the significance of innovation and sustainability in the supply chain industry.
Revamped Work-study Diploma (WSDip) in Logistics and Supply Chain Management: The Institute of Technical Education’s (ITE) WSDip in Logistics and Supply Chain Management course was revamped for its April 2023 intake. Work-situation-based curriculum has been newly added and focuses on building SCM skills and knowledge in the areas of digitalisation, technologies and innovation, sustainability, data analytics and operational excellence. In that effort, industry partners, such as co-training partners, conduct 80% of on-the-job training training at their workplace, while the remaining 20% is conducted by lecturers from ITE College East. Since its launch in 2019, the industry participation rate has grown from nine to 38 companies, and the annual intake of WSDip trainees has also increased from 23 in 2019, to 76 in 2023.
Conversion Programme (CCP) for Supply Chain and Logistics Professionals and Coordinators: This OJT programme launched in May 2023 aims to reskill employees to adapt to growing supply chain careers or redesigned job roles. It covers supply chain planning and development, e-commerce supply chain management, sourcing and procurement, and material supplies management. The programme further encouraged companies to hire mid-career individuals or reskill existing employees by providing up to 90% salary support for the CCP duration.
Lastly, EDB and SSG are working to develop a one-stop reference guide for companies’ in-house training teams, schools and training providers. The guide would feature trends that will reshape SCM job scopes and raise awareness on in-demand skillsets that SCM practitioners need to remain relevant and competitive. The SCM Skills Plan hopes to guide training providers in curriculum development, help firms enhance their in-house SCM training programmes, and provide individuals with information to upskill and reskill to take on jobs in SCM.
The Plan is set to launch on 31 July 2023, and is to be accessible on the EDB website.
Launch of the SCM-Jobs Transformation Map (JTM) study
Alongside the launch of these initiatives, the SCM-Jobs Transformation Map (JTM) study, commissioned by EDB, WSG and the Ministry of Manpower and in partnership with SSG, was also launched. The study gave insights into the key trends shaping SCM, a forecast of job transformations in SCM, and suggested measures employers could take to upskill workers to be better prepared in today’s everchanging job landscape.
Global trends
Today, the growing uncertainties created by geostrategic changes further emphasise the need for companies to strengthen their SCM as a critical aspect of their business. Such an environment has resulted in two significant supply chain shifts which present new opportunities for Singapore.
Firstly, investments in manufacturing and SCM activities and job roles in Southeast Asia are increasing as business and supply chains within Asia are diversifying.
Secondly, greater focus on advancing technology and sustainability, coupled with the desire for more resilient and responsive supply chains, are changing the job scopes and demanded skillsets for SCM job roles.
In addition, growing importance of SCM in Singapore is becoming evident as it plays a significant role in Singapore’s economy, and its position as a leading logistics hub as one of the world’s most connected countries. This sentiment is supported by findings in the study which revealed that 48% of business leaders with supply chain operations in Asia Pacific plan to expand their manufacturing capacity in Southeast Asia over the next three years.
In her speech at the launch, Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Low Yen Ling, shared, "Supply chain management, or SCM, plays a significant role in Singapore’s
economy and our position as a leading logistics hub and one of the world’s most connected countries. SCM can make or break a company’s success. For this reason, businesses make careful decisions surrounding SCM and the locations of their operations. "
Global trends are changing the demand of skillsets required a job scope of SCM roles.
Supply chain planning in Asia Pacific: As companies expand sourcing and manufacturing networks within Asia Pacific, optimising supply and demand planning and managing risk of regional scale disruptions is of high priority.
Sourcing and procurement: Global companies are looking for expertise to reduce reliance on a single source and to drive sustainability. This can be done through expanding sourcing and procurement activities, and diversifying supplier base across South and Southeast Asia, while addressing environment, social and governance (ESG) concerns.
Logistics management: Companies are investing in logistics management capabilities to organise a more efficient and resilient flow of raw material supplies to manufacturing facilities, and subsequently transportation of goods from the manufacturing facilities to end customers.
Initial findings from a EDB-Gartner industry survey, which will be released in the coming weeks, indicate that 49% of surveyed business leaders with supply chain operations in Asia Pacific identify planning as the top area in need of upskilling and retraining. This is especially essential for data-driven decision-making roles such as supply planners and demand planners.
Adding to that, the presence of these global players in Singapore facilitates growth opportunities for local SMEs and startups. For instance, it was shared, Cotton On leveraged Singapore-based supply chain tech start-up Tramés' visibility solution stack, to create its own digital freight ecosystem and turn real-time data into actionable insights.
Following the launch, in a Facebook post, Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng shared, "The Government will continue to support the supply chain management sector as it navigates the new trends. I hope employers and workers will make use of the JTM findings to take stock of their business transformation, upgrade their skillsets and forge new frontiers."
Lead image / Shutterstock
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