ADDRESS BY MS GRACE FU, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION, AT GREEN THUMBS 2008
13 Sep 2008 at East Coast Park
 

Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon and a warm welcome to "Green Thumbs 2008".

2. Since its launch in 2006, "Green Thumbs" has evolved into a milestone event on the Singapore landscape industry calendar. More than just an event to showcase the skill sets of the landscape workforce, it is also an occasion to celebrate how the industry has successfully grown and transformed over the years to meet the challenges of our Garden City.

3. Today, our landscape industry is worth some $1.1 billion and employs around 21,000 people. With major projects such as the Gardens by the Bay and the Integrated Resorts, and our commitment to provide more green spaces for Singaporeans, the industry will continue to grow in the coming years.

4. Indeed, we want to create a thriving, vibrant and professional landscape industry that can support our vision of making Singapore a City in a Garden. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the initiatives that NParks and its industry partners have taken to raise the standards of the landscape industry.

Enhancing Professionalism Through Training
5. Professional standards in the industry have been enhanced through greater focus on skills training in the past few years. The Singapore Landscape Industry Council has implemented a set of national skills standards for the industry under the Landscape Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System. Within this national framework, landscape workers are trained to perform better at their jobs, and have opportunities to upgrade along a formal career path. NParks' Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology, or CUGE, now plays an important role as a one-stop training centre for all levels of the landscape workforce. Since it was set up in 2007, CUGE has certified 1,100 workers under the WSQ system, covering over 12% of the local workforce. I am heartened to learn that the Landscape Technicians who had undergone WSQ certification had their salaries increased by about 20%.

6. It is also encouraging to know that more than 1,500 Singaporeans have joined the landscape industry workforce in the past year, through the job matching programmes conducted by the CUGE Career Centre. NParks will continue to work with the Community Development Councils and various community self-help groups to raise awareness of job opportunities in the industry. Through initiatives such as the Job Re-Creation Programme and Best Sourcing, we are on track to make landscape jobs more challenging, meaningful and rewarding for Singaporeans, and to bring the professionalism of the landscape industry to greater heights.

7. Following the success of the Landscape WSQ System, the floristry industry and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) have jointly developed the Floristry WSQ System. The floristry industry in Singapore is blooming today, with more than 800 floral establishments, employing some 3,000 workers. The industry is projected to grow to about $245 million by 2014. The Floristry WSQ standards are benchmarked against international frameworks and will offer workers in the industry more opportunities to advance their careers with skills upgrading.

International Collaborations & Networking
8. Besides training, NParks has also facilitated the development of the landscape industry by creating opportunities for the local industry to collaborate and network with international partners. The biennial Singapore Garden Festival launched in 2006 is a major platform for our local landscape firms to work with top garden designers from around the world in creating award-winning displays. Such signature events help to boost the standards and image of our landscape and horticultural industry. Visitors to the recent Singapore Garden Festival were treated to enchanting garden and floral displays, which reflected the high standards of our local landscaping firms. Many of us were enthralled by the beautiful Fantasy Garden "Seeking Shangri-La" which won the Best of Show and the People's Choice Awards. This garden was designed and built by Far East Flora, one of our very own local firms.

9. This year's Singapore Garden Festival also included a new Expo segment for the industry to network and share best practices with leading international practitioners in the field. We have invested in the SGF Expo to provide our industry with a platform to showcase our expertise and raise Singapore's profile as a centre for horticultural excellence in the region.

Reaching Out to the Community
10. As we leverage on international networks and opportunities to grow our industry, we must remember the importance of building strong local support for the industry. It is critical to raise the profile of the industry among the community, and for that reason, NParks has initiated Green Thumbs as an annual event to showcase the industry's achievements. I am glad that this year's Green Thumbs event has taken on an even stronger community focus, with activities for families and children.

11. Of course, "Green Thumbs" is not complete without a competition of skills. This year, the number of skills championship contests has increased from seven to ten, to showcase a wider variety of skills of the landscape workforce. Among the new categories is the Workplace Safety and Health Championship to reinforce the importance of cultivating good safety habits at work. I am pleased to know that the number of participants has doubled from 80 to 160 this year. For the first time, we are seeing seven overseas landscape practitioners from Hong Kong participating in the Tree Climbing Championship.

12. Through these fun and competitive activities at "Green Thumbs", we hope that more people will be encouraged to join this growing industry and are able to appreciate the industry's efforts in making Singapore a beautiful City in a Garden.

Conclusion
13. Let me end by thanking all the contestants in the skills championships for your enthusiastic participation. I would also like to express my appreciation to the overseas participants and judges who had travelled from their home countries to join us today. I hope that all of you here have enjoyed and learnt something from this year's "Green Thumbs" event.

14. I wish you an enjoyable afternoon. Thank you.