New plan to grow local furniture industry

SINGAPORE — Singapore’s furniture industry grew 7.4 per cent between 2012 and 2015, and booked S$6.25 billion in sales last year. To boost the industry further, the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) has unveiled a three-year blueprint to build capabilities and make use of mature workers.

One of the cornerstones of the blueprint is the development of talent to enhance inter- and intra-industry mobility. This will include industry accreditation of relevant skillsets and the upgrading of the furniture industry’s standards as a whole, said the SFIC in a media release.

“These initiatives are essential for the industry to remain competitive and sustainable,” SFIC president Ernie Koh said today (Feb 12) at the annual industry luncheon. “While the furniture industry continues to enjoy positive growth, it also faces significant challenges from pricing pressures, external competition and the lack of skilled talents. 

“The furniture industry, which has gone beyond just carpentry, is also evolving. We need our growth model to go beyond traditional silos to ensure long-term sustainability.”

The proposed training schemes will cater to all individuals, including industry incumbents, fresh graduates or mid-career switchers, and will have a basic and a specialised tier.

The basic tier provides a platform to unify capabilities standards across the industry, serving as a foundation for both fresh graduates and mid-­career switchers. 

The specialised tier will provide opportunities for the workforce to develop their interests and competencies at a higher level.

The SFIC said it will work very closely with agencies such as DesignSingapore Council, International Enterprise Singapore, SPRING Singapore, National Trades Union Congress’ e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) to roll out the Capabilities Development roadmap. SFIC’s training arm, SFIC Institute, will be a major partner for the training courses at its Yishun campus.

The SFIC also unveiled a new Place-and-Train Programme for older workers in Singapore’s furniture ­industry to boost employment of workers aged above 40 years old. Companies can hire and place these mature workers into jobs such as project coordinators, administrators or other management to mid-level management roles.