Manpower plan launched for retail sector

The labour-starved retail industry will be getting a leg-up over the next five years to implement more manpower lean practices and schemes to train and retain workers under a new plan launched today (Dec 10).

The Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) told TODAY that more than 40 per cent of frontline positions in the industry still remains unfilled, and the figure is unlikely to change due to current restrictions on foreign manpower.

The new manpower blueprint by SPRING Singapore and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency for the retail sector includes a study starting next year that will involve up to 30 retailers from different industries and company sizes.

The study will identify training and skill needs for the sector, as well as offer guidelines for companies to adopt leaner manpower models and create higher added-value job roles.

At the second stage of the study, retailers who are keen to implement the study findings can tap on grants offered by SPRING.

The guidelines from the study will serve as best practices for industry players — mostly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) — to learn at a quicker pace and from each other, noted Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say at the plan’s launch.

According to SPRING, small retailers with annual revenues of less than S$10 million make up 98 per cent of the retail sector.

Under the new manpower plan, up to 100 retail companies can also revamp their existing human resource (HR) strategies to improve on their compensation, and learning and development aspects. Companies will be able to receive up to 70 per cent of funding from SPRING, while employers can also tap onto SPRING to review and give recommendations on current HR practices.

Other measures to help the retail industry include piloting new job roles for interns so as to equip them with skills needed for future jobs, and programmes to support existing staff with skills upgrading and leadership development.

Decks, a fashion retailer which carries brands such as Surfers Paradise, was hailed as an example for the retail sector at the launch today.