Orient - The Official Magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore - Issue 71 April 2019
Academia has to become more committed. There are a lack of alternatives to the well-trodden graduate path undertaken in a person’s late teens and early twenties. Are there opportunities for retraining? A worker in their forties can have a fulfilling future by contributing through a 25 year career ahead of them. Companies are putting integration into new businesses and reintegration or re-entry courses in place for existing employees who are seeking to shift focus or have undergone milestone events such as taking a career break or raising a family. Some programmes in Singapore have now been running over a decade including those focussed on bringing women back into the workforce.
The energy sector should constantly review the industry’s attractiveness. Even though it is undergoing an energy transition, for many, the perception is it’s old and dirty; not digital and clean. There are also perceptions of safety. Today’s energy sector, like high-end manufacturing undergoing automation, is seeing impacts of Human Factors. Latest robotics and digitalisation innovations to be learnt by today’s senior plant operators – not just at the graduate level. Increasing numbers of the workforce are looking at more and more screens. This will raise workforce issues around decision making and behaviours.
The sector enjoys high remuneration per worker and in Singapore a career as an energy professional is exciting and is a major contributor to GDP – even more if the trading sector is included. Energy is 70% of Singapore’s large manufacturing sector. Change is quick. Nimbleness and open-mindedness is required and universities and schools have a collaborative role to play with industry.
The future is bright. Singapore remains attractive to those seeking an exciting career encompassing upstream, downstream and the board services sector. The country is well placed to outpace rivals with a combined approach involving the energy industry, government, academia, technical institutes. The professions will all play a part in developing STEM for future worthwhile value-driven careers. Change in the energy sector is future job creation and security - if tackled in a collaborative approach.
About the Author Peter is the chief representative of the prestigious UK Energy Institute (EI) here in Singapore. In addition to his work with the EI, Peter provides customised executive advisory services through his own company Merlenergy Pte ltd. He has gained an international reputation as a leading independent energy strategy and business development consultant with an executive-level international client-base that has included the world’s leading national and international energy and mineral resource companies as well as a number of governments and regulatory agencies.
About the Author Bree has lived in Asia for over 15 years and is a specialist projects and construction lawyer and partner of international law firm Reed Smith. She advises on renewable and conventional power, energy efficiency, oil and gas, transport and water and waste, and commercial development projects worldwide. She is recognised as a thought leader in clean energy and leads a work stream for a global solar energy standardisation initiative launched by IRENA and a Paris based NGO.
About the Author Tim Rockell relocated to Singapore to launch the KPMG Global Energy Institute for Asia Pacific in November 2012. He has extensive experience of emerging markets. He was based with KPMG in the Middle East from 2005-2012 where he focused on Energy clients, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Previously he was based in KPMG’s London office as the Global Energy & Natural Resources Sector, Executive Director.