Not enough Singaporeans to fill cleantech jobs

Jamie Lee, Business Times 16 Mar 09;

(SINGAPORE) Some 1,200 jobs are up for grabs in the clean technology (cleantech) industry this year, says the Economic Development Board (EDB).

Most of the jobs would be created from investments by wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems and solar cell manufacturer Renewable Energy Corporation, EDB's director of cleantech, Goh Chee Kiong, told BT in a recent interview.

But there are not enough Singaporeans who can fill the specialist jobs - Vestas employees span 20 nationalities.

'There's a clear gap today,' Mr Goh said. 'It's safe to say that companies want to hire Singaporeans as much as they can if they can find the skill sets. But there are many instances where there's just insufficient Singaporean talent.'

EDB is also bracing for a pullback in new investments in the sector during the recession, though Mr Goh said that it was still 'early days' to assess the extent of the impact.

'There's no doubt that the current financial crunch has affected this industry,' he said. 'If people are building a wind farm or a solar farm, there are going to be more difficulties than usual in raising the money, so that has set the market back.'

A new incubator fund has been set up to attract cleantech investments. Capped at $500,000, the loan would be offered to start-ups, which have to meet criteria in accumulated revenue and technological breakthroughs over three to four years.

At the end of five years from the time the loan is taken, the company must repay it at 1.25 times the original sum.

However, if the start-ups are unable to meet targets, EDB is prepared to write off the investment, Mr Goh said.

But to avoid counterintuitive strategies by start-ups in setting high revenue targets during the recession, the EDB would set balanced terms that 'reflect the success' of these companies, said Mr Goh.

EDB is in talks with a few local and international companies to disburse the grants, he added.

Besides looking at cleantech manufacturing, EDB is keen to encourage developers and businesses to fit energy-efficient or cleantech features and facilities into buildings and other infrastructures.

'That is a new emerging area that many parts of Asia are not accustomed to, and we believe we can develop a niche in that,' said Mr Goh.

For example, water treatment plants built in rural areas may require solar panels to generate power to treat water for the villages, since the plants have no electricity, said Mr Goh.

Singapore is largely seen as clean and green, though some quarters feel that it ought to take a tougher stance on environmental policies, given its high gross domestic product (GDP) and steep per capita carbon dioxide emissions.

'Singapore's image as a clean and green nation has been well accepted by many societies in the world,' said Mr Goh, when asked about criticisms of Singapore's green policies.

Green-collar jobs 'the sexiest around'
Cleantech sector hots up with 1,200 jobs despite recession
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 15 Mar 09;

AS MANY as 1,200 jobs will be up for grabs this year in an emerging sector that is still hotting up despite the recession: clean technology.

The Economic Development Board (EDB) said the jobs will come from foreign companies that have invested locally and are now hiring.

Also, the burgeoning number of research and development (R&D) centres and start-up firms in the sector are aggressively hiring, said EDB's director of cleantech Goh Chee Kiong.

Clean technology - 'cleantech' for short - refers broadly to eco-friendly technologies and solutions such as clean energy, environmental or water technology.

The cleantech industry is one of the fastest growing in the world, with investments rising from US$148.4billion (S$228billion) in 2007 to US$155.4 billion last year in spite of the global financial crisis, according to research firm New Energy Finance.

The EDB recognises the sector as an opportunity for Singapore to diversify its economy, and recently put its cash behind cleantech. Singapore has invested $680million in the sector, building its R&D, test-bedding and manpower capabilities, and giving a leg-up to start-ups.

January's Budget also pledged a further $1billion to fund sustainable development.

The EDB expects the industry to contribute $1.7 billion to gross domestic product come 2015, providing 18,000 jobs - 11,000 from environment and water space, and 7,000 from the clean energy industry - according to Mr Goh.

He cited examples of such 'green-collar jobs': membrane specialists in the water industry, engineers in the solar sector, systems integrators who wire solar panels to buildings, suppliers of sustainable building material and those in energy management.

Even the finance sector is benefiting with the growth of cleantech funds and business trusts in environmental technology.

The EDB continues to woo major international firms to relocate here and will announce deals in the year to come, said Mr Goh.

Singapore remains attractive as it provides the right infrastructure for businesses and is positioned as a 'living lab' for test-bedding such technologies before exporting to the world.

The country's manufacturing sector, which includes electronics, chemicals and precision engineering clusters, provides a good foundation for the industry.

'All the building blocks are already in place,' said Mr Goh.

'Despite the crisis, we are confident that the industry is on track and will become a major contributor to our economy in the next decade.'

Cultivating talent is extremely important and to this end, the Government has given out $5million for 18 cleantech-related scholarships via the Clean Energy Programme Office and the Environment and Water Industry Development Council.

The target is to award 200 scholarships worth at least $55million over the next five years.

And demand seems to be growing strong as interest in the sector hots up. Mr Goh said 160 applications for scholarships were made this year, twice the number last year.

Singapore Environment Council executive director Howard Shaw added that jobs linked to the environmental and sustainability sectors now are 'on the list of sexiest jobs'.

'I think these jobs will be snapped up. There is a lot of career development in the green sector now. Even the economic woes have not stopped long-term investments in this industry.'