The Government has announced that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will require all construction firms to have at least 10% of their work permit holders (WPHs) qualified as "Higher Skilled" R1 workers from 1 January 2017.
MOM and BCA have put in place various pathways for firms to upgrade their "Basic Skilled" R2 WPHs to "Higher Skilled" R1:
- CoreTrade scheme
- Multi-Skilling scheme
- Market-based Skills Recognition Framework (MBF)
- Direct R1 pathway
Upgrading pathways
| Criteria | (A) CoreTrade / (B) Multi-skilling | (C) MBF | (D) Direct R1 | Enhanced (B) Multi-skilling (Safety), from Oct 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experience | Min 4 years | Min 6 years | ✕ | Min 6 years |
| Skills assessment (test) | Pass skills assessment | ✕ | Pass at higher skill level | Pass selected safety courses |
| Minimum fixed salary¹ | ✕ | $1,600 | $1,600 | ✕ |
¹ "Fixed monthly salary" means the sum of basic monthly salary and fixed monthly allowances. The Direct R1 pathway started on 1 September 2015. Source: Building and Construction Authority (BCA).