SINGAPORE - Workers taking on carbon management or other new green roles in their companies will be equipped with the skills to do so in a new career conversion programme.

Workforce Singapore (WSG) has launched its first career conversion programme (CCP) to support 200 workers who are reskilling to take on such new business functions, including sustainability reporting and the implementation and development of carbon projects.

The programme was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Saturday at Eunoia Junior College, where he launched the annual Clean and Green Singapore campaign.

Learning about carbon management could enable workers to carry out tasks like preparing carbon emission data and conducting cost and impact analysis on carbon emissions for stakeholders, according to WSG.

Gaining skills in regulatory compliance and emission reporting through the CCP could help workers manage and conduct sustainability audits and ensure that company processes abide by sustainability related regulations and laws.

The new CCP will also support the creation of new jobs like sustainability officers and carbon analysts. Some of the sectors involved in the programme are built environment and construction, energy and power, and consultancy.

WSG will provide funding to employers for up to 70 per cent of a trainee’s monthly salary, capped at $4,000 per trainee a month for the training duration, with higher funding and cap for older as well as unemployed trainees.

Among other conditions, those applying for the new CCP must be Singapore citizens or permanent residents, be aged 21 and above, and have worked before. More details can be found on the Singapore Business Federation website.

Mr Jeremy Lau, 50, was a facilities manager at local wholesale trade company FoodXervices and was roped in to a new sustainability team in December.

The three-man team will undergo the CCP and lead the integration of green practices within their operations as well as support external stakeholders’ adoption to develop a sustainable food and beverage supply chain.

After the CCP, he will take on an expanded job role of a facilities and sustainability manager.

“FoodXervices has put in place initiatives like a solar panel and food digester that converts food waste to water – the skills I will pick up at the CCP like energy and waste management will help my team work to implement these initiatives,” said Mr Lau.

DPM Heng, in his speech at the launch of the Clean and Green Singapore campaign, said more needs to be done to promote recycling, noting that the amount of daily waste generated has increased seven-fold over the past 40 years.

“Around 40 per cent of the contents in the recycling bins today cannot be recycled due to contamination... We can do more to encourage recycling – not just recycling more, but recycling right,” he said.

To better support recycling, households can collect a home recycling box named Bloobox. The box will help people identify what can and cannot be recycled, and also how to separate out e-waste items.

During the launch, the National Environment Agency (NEA) awarded 27 people with the Environmental Services Star Award and another 472 people with certificates of excellence to recognise their contributions.

“I want to thank the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep Singapore clean and green,” said DPM Heng, thanking the environmental services workforce, which includes cleaners and waste and pest management workers.

In support of the Clean and Green Singapore campaign, and in support of the OneMillionTrees movement, DPM Heng planted a pink mempat tree at Mempat Green in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, together with Mayor of Central District Denise Phua.

The OneMillionTrees movement, launched in 2020, aims to restore nature back into Singapore through the planting of a million more trees across Singapore by 2030.

The Clean and Green Singapore campaign, organised by the NEA, started in 2007. It aims to inspire Singaporeans to care for and protect the environment.

This year’s campaign featured a series of five events held in October and November, which included ground-up and local community eco-carnivals.