Demand for security personnel is expected to surge over the next few months. This is according to industry players, who say more security personnel are needed during a recession.
Retrenchments may be rising in Singapore but security firms like Prosec Services are on a hiring spree.
Prosec is looking for some 85 security officers and 25 supervisors to beef up its current team of 750 personnel.
V K Kanesan, recruitment specialist, Prosec Services, said: "Recession means more business because more security is needed."
Prosec is one of 22 security firms hiring at a career fair held at Suntec City and organised by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA).
Prosec also plans to hire more mid-career professionals, managers, executives and technicians, or PMETs, for supervisory roles. And the firm hopes to retain at least some 40 per cent of its personnel when the economy picks up.
Kanesan said: "During the SARS period, people jumped into this industry, because... out there, there's no job, this industry has a job. But then when the economy picked up, they left for better pay, better schemes.
Some 1,200 jobs are on offer at the career fair. WDA expects some 3,500 security personnel will be needed in Singapore over the next two years although industry players believe the number may be higher.
To help cope with the increased demand, WDA has introduced three new security training modules to help PMETs cross over into the industry.
Hui Mei San, director of Workforce Development Agency, said: "We want to ensure that the workers have good progression and are able to enter into the industry even without prior experience."
WDA has tied up with the Security Industry Institute to launch the Professional Conversion Programme and the Security Supervisor Conversion Programme to help workers join the security industry at an operational and supervisory level.
The agency has also partnered APRO Training Centre to introduce a Professional Conversion Programme designed to help professionals, managers and executives make career switches from non-security industries. Each course takes in about 60 workers and the next intake is in May.
The courses last between six and nine months, during which workers will receive training allowances of between S$260 and S$2,000 per month.
Upon completing training, candidates will be bonded for up to nine months. They will be guaranteed a gross monthly salary of nearly S$2,000.
Altogether, WDA has 34 training modules under its Security Workforce Skills Qualifications programme.
- Channel News Asia
Showing posts with label security. Show all posts
Showing posts with label security. Show all posts
Mar 16, 2009
5,000 more security jobs
AN IMPROVED image of the security industry helped attract 5,000 people to the profession last year, making it one of the few bright spots amid the recession.
There are 31,000 security officers, increasing from 26,000 in January last year and 14,000 in 2004, according to figures from the Security Industry Regulatory Department of the Singapore Police Force.
More women have also join its ranks. They now form 13 per cent of the pool.
Mr N. Silva, president of the Union of Security Employees (USE), said improvements in the industry's image and standards have also increased demand as companies recognise the value of better security services.
One key factor, he added, was the coordinated efforts of his union and government agencies to direct suitable job-seekers to the industry, including tapping on the pool of out-of-work women.
He expects demand to rise in the next five years, following the completion of the two integrated resorts and as Singapore stages more high-profile events like the Formula One night race.
'We hope the industry will have 50,000 security officers by 2014 to meet the rising demand,' he said, adding that there is an immediate demand for about 1,500 officers.
Several security agencies interviewed share his optimism and are stepping up their recruitment.
But there are challenges in attracting people to the security line, said the agencies interviewed including a high turnover of staff and formerly lower wages.
- The Straits Times
There are 31,000 security officers, increasing from 26,000 in January last year and 14,000 in 2004, according to figures from the Security Industry Regulatory Department of the Singapore Police Force.
More women have also join its ranks. They now form 13 per cent of the pool.
Mr N. Silva, president of the Union of Security Employees (USE), said improvements in the industry's image and standards have also increased demand as companies recognise the value of better security services.
One key factor, he added, was the coordinated efforts of his union and government agencies to direct suitable job-seekers to the industry, including tapping on the pool of out-of-work women.
He expects demand to rise in the next five years, following the completion of the two integrated resorts and as Singapore stages more high-profile events like the Formula One night race.
'We hope the industry will have 50,000 security officers by 2014 to meet the rising demand,' he said, adding that there is an immediate demand for about 1,500 officers.
Several security agencies interviewed share his optimism and are stepping up their recruitment.
But there are challenges in attracting people to the security line, said the agencies interviewed including a high turnover of staff and formerly lower wages.
- The Straits Times
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