Nearly half - 48 per cent - of the 21,000 landscape workers are Singaporeans, and many of them are young locals, said National Parks Boards officials on Thursday.

NParks director for industry and Centre for Urban Greeenery and Ecology (CUGE) Teva Raj sees more Singaporeans joining the lucrative industry in the coming years.

He cited the fact that landscape jobs have a high level of sustainability because Singapore will always be in need of landscape workers, especially for large-scale projects such as the integrated resort and Gardens by the Bay in Marina.

Manpower growth is also projected to rise at four per cent annually over the next five years, offering about 800 jobs a year.

Other incentives the industry provides include a progressive career path and even the chance to try out the latest landscape machinery, such as an air-conditioned lawn mower which helps make working outdoors more comfortable.

'I feel encouraged. We are seeing more and more young Singaporeans from the ITEs, polytechnics and even 'A' Level graduates coming in to CUGE and joining landscape,' said Mr Raj.

CUGE, which celebrates its second anniversay this month, is a national training centre for landscape industry professionals headed by NParks and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency.

It also conducts job placement fairs every month for landscape professionals and for those who want to join the industry.