SINGAPORE – Job roles related to sustainability have long been the preserve of deep-pocketed multinationals, but smaller companies have started getting in on the action as well.

New regulations are propelling some companies into the process but shifting consumer preferences and lowered operation costs in the long run that can outweigh the initial outlay are playing a part as well, say industry observers.

Government agency Workforce Singapore (WSG), which launched the Career Conversion Programme for Sustainability Professionals (CCP-S) in December 2022, is supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their pursuit of sustainability.

More than 70 companies have placed 180 workers under the CCP-S as at June 30, with 24 workers having completed the programme, said Mr Anderson Ee, WSG’s director of the manufacturing and connectivity division.

About 96 per cent of the workers who have completed the CCP-S, and 88 per cent of those still undergoing training, work in SMEs.

WSG will increase the number of CCP-S places from 200 now to 500 by 2025 to meet growing interest among companies to groom talent in the sustainability area, as well as among individuals to develop sustainability skills.

CCP-S participants are placed in job roles paying at least $2,500 a month, with WSG providing salary support of up to 90 per cent for up to six months.

Mr Ee said that wholesale and retail trade, and manufacturing, as well as professional, scientific and technical activities, were the top three sectors represented in the CCP-S.

Property management company Exceltec, which employs around 400 people, tapped the CCP-S to make its first sustainability hire in September 2022 when it brought Mr Stevyn Zeng on board as its senior sustainability executive.

He has to understand sustainability reporting standards, develop and prepare data for reporting, help implement energy efficiency measures and promote waste reduction and recycling programmes.

Mr Zeng, 40, had lost his job in operations and business development for a retail company in 2021 and spent almost a year fruitlessly searching for a new job.

He attended the six-month SGUnited Skills Programme – Industrial Attachment in March 2022, during which he was attached to Exceltec for two months.

Immediately after his attachment, Exceltec offered him the sustainability role and placed him on the CCP-S.

The CCP-S lasts six months for new hires like Mr Zeng and three months for existing employees who are being reskilled, for new or redesigned roles with their current employer.

“At first, I was a bit hesitant about the offer as there was a steep learning curve,” Mr Zeng said.

“After deep thought and discussion with my family, I decided to take on the challenge, because I have always been passionate about environmental sustainability.”

Exceltec senior manager Jeff Chiang said that with Mr Zeng’s new expertise and the help of an external consultant, the company is on track to publish its first sustainability report at the end of 2023.

Health supplement manufacturer Herbal Pharm also aims to lower its environmental footprint, with 10 of its 54 staff in sustainability-related roles.

Four employees have already completed the CCP-S, with five more lined up, while a new hire will also attend the programme.

Chief executive Kanan Packrisamy said the company hopes to train staff to develop solutions to improve the recycling rate of its aluminium containers, as well as reduce emissions related to shipping both raw materials and manufactured products.

“Any sustainability initiative will come with an increase in costs. However, when applied and implemented properly it will start to show in better managed operating expenses,” said Mr Packrisamy.

SMEs struggle most with understanding what sustainability means to them, as well as regulatory and consumer trends, said Professor Ang Hak Seng of the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS).

“Unlike multinational corporations who have large budgets, SMEs need to be selective about the aspects of sustainability they wish to invest time and capital into,” said Prof Ang, director of SUSS’ Centre of Excellence for Social Good.

He said one sustainability-related skill in acute shortage among SMEs is the ability to plan for shifting regulations and community expectations, as well as planning how to reduce costs and venture into new markets through sustainability initiatives.

Another skill shortage relates to redesigning existing work processes to be more sustainable.

Prof Ang added that SMEs in the built environment, transport and hospitality sectors could face the most difficulty in implementing sustainable processes, due to various reasons including costly infrastructure and less environmentally friendly customer choices.

He said the CCP-S serves as a good starting point for SMEs’ sustainability initiatives, noting that such companies have much fewer resources than multinationals and typically cannot hire an external sustainability expert, so they have to train their own staff to develop the capability internally.