Textile workers' jobs in peril

Singapore – Even though the apparel industry output is projected to grow by as much as 20% over the next five years, its current 10,000-strong workforce will likely decrease in strength as the industry moves up the value chain.

Speaking at the launch of Apparel Singapore, the first collective brand identity for Singapore-managed apparel companies, Chris Koh, secretary general of the Textile and Fashion Federation Singapore (TaFf) said, “The talents we wish to attract are not sewing operators but the likes of merchandisers and designers. This may not be captured in studies, but in our own estimate, while the overall employment may remain stagnant, the growth of this group of people should increase by 10-15%, in line with the growth of our business.”

In 2007, the local apparel industry raked in $6 billion in sales, or 2% of the world’s apparel market. The latest figures from the Ministry of Trade and Industry indicate there are 128 manufacturers and a workforce of 10,000, or 3% of Singapore’s total manufacturing jobs.

Patrick Lee, executive chairman and managing director of Sing Lun Investments and Sing Lun Holdings said its aim is to change the organisational structure by increasing the ratio of higher value-added resources.

Plans for this structural change in the employment make-up is part of the apparel industry’s continuous effort to move beyond labour-intensive manufacturing production towards a technology driven and capital intensive industry so as to remain globally competitive.

“Our traditional business model has to change. Buyers, continually driven by new consumer demands, are looking beyond low-cost manufacturers to those that can provide product differentiation and innovation, new technologies, manufacturing capabilities, and manage their supply chain,” Koh says.

As most Singapore apparel manufacturers are headquartered here, there will be an increase in the need for talent in areas like training and development, research, merchandising, designing and logistics to meet the demands of the industry's growing clientele.

Hence, TaFf has ongoing initiatives to build capabilities in design and technology. In 2006, a productivity development and design center was set up through the Local Enterprise and Association Development. To date, it has trained 80 designers in virtual designing and aided local apparel manufacturers such as SL Global and Ocean Sky to reduce their development costs and turnaround by 15%.