Singapore’s agriculture tech sector has planned to create about 4,700 jobs by 2030 with the help of a new career conversion programme (CCP) Manpower Minister Tan See Leng announced the scheme today.

As per the announcement, about hundred skilled workers and job seekers are expected to make the switch into agri-tech in the next 2 years with the help of the programme, with job opportunities ranging from professional, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) or skilled labourers.

Under the planned programme, diploma or degree holders will be trained over 6 months as farm managers or engineers, crop scientists, and agronomists, or soil management experts while non-PMETs will undergo 3 months of training for agri-tech operator roles such as supervisors, farm technicians and operations executives. 

Dr Tan See Leng, Manpower Minister, SG said,”While the initial recruitment target allows the CCP to be run in a very calibrated and also operationally efficient manner, we will not hesitate to ramp up and put in even more resources should the take-up for the programme be promising”.

He also added that these kinds of roles will require workers to have competencies in areas such as science, infocomm technology, engineering and maths, encouraging them to build capacities, as well support manpower growth and development in the agri-tech sector.

15 companies have shown interest in bringing on skilled labour through the agri-tech CCP, which is a partnership among government agencies Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), as well as Republic Polytechnic (RP). According to the mandate, employers will sponsor the full costs of the RP courses, which comprise both classroom and structured on-the-job training.