e2i, LIAS and SILA showcase PME opportunities at inaugural Landscaping Study and Career Fair

The Landscaping Study and Career Fair held at the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability today drew a crowd of students and public interested in a career in the landscaping industry.

This inaugural partnership between the Landscape Industry Association (Singapore) (LIAS), Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects (SILA) and NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) aims to encourage (1)Singaporeans to pursue landscaping courses at the polytechnics, ITE and universities; (2)current landscaping workers to continually upgrade their skills for career progression.

LIAS and SILA hope to arouse the interests of students and increase awareness among Singaporeans about the various PME careers and advancement opportunities in the landscaping industry. The first-of-its-kind Landscaping Study Fair brings together local institutions and overseas universities that offer programmes related to Horticulture, Environmental Design and Landscape Architecture.

John Tan, Chairman of LIAS, remarked, “Our industry is reaching out to schools as part of an initiative to inspire and mentor the future potential successors of our industry. This Career Fair aims to showcase the various career paths the landscape industry has to offer, and we hope for more people to join us in paving the future of the industry.”
Students from the ITE, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic transformed the event space at e2i with their works, together with a showcase by Singapore Local Designers from the Singapore Garden Festival 2014.

“We are pleased to partner LIAS and SILA to encourage the young to embark on a career in landscaping, and to further develop the skills of existing landscaping professionals. The efforts put in by e2i and the industry partners will create awareness about the myriad of professional jobs available in the landscaping industry and raise the quality of the sector’s workforce,” says Gilbert Tan, Chief Executive Officer of e2i.
Eight member companies from LIAS and SILA offering positions ranging from landscape architects, horticulturists, to arborists at iconic landmarks such as Gardens by the Bay and Singapore Changi Airport also conducted job interviews at the fair.
President of SILA, Damian Tan, observed, “Not many people understand what we actually do for landscapes. The Landscaping Study and Career Fair opened minds and many rewarding possibilities of what students and job seekers could pursue in this sector.”