Singapore's civil aviation authority, CAAS, along with Workforce Singapore, is implementing new workforce initiatives to support the anticipated growth in the country's aviation sector over the next five years. This expansion is expected to generate up to 30% more jobs, with current aviation maintenance personnel numbering around 6,000. To address increased demand, the authorities aim to shorten licensing times for aircraft maintenance professionals by integrating education and training programs.
The initiative involves collaboration with higher education institutions and industry partners to streamline professional and undergraduate curricula. This will help reduce the licensing timeline from 44 months and will also extend to training air traffic control officers, who currently undergo additional 18 months of preparation. CAAS plans to establish mentorship programs and improve facilities at key transport hubs such as Changi Airport to support workforce retention and development.
The Singapore government will utilize funds from the S$200 million (roughly US$156 million) OneAviation Manpower Fund to support these improvements. Recent efforts include a large-scale career fair held at Changi Airport, where over 2,000 industry vacancies were filled through participation from organizations including SIA Engineering and GE Aerospace. These efforts aim to ensure Singapore's aviation industry is equipped with a skilled workforce ready to meet future growth demands.
