The Hawkers’ Development Programme, a key idea of the Workgroup on Sustaining Hawker Trade, was jointly developed by NEA and SSG, in close consultation with hawkers and relevant industry stakeholders.

JOINT NEWS RELEASE BETWEEN NEA AND SSG

Singapore, 20 January 2020 – The National Environment Agency (NEA), together with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), has launched a new programme – the Hawkers’ Development Programme. Done in close consultation with hawkers and relevant industry stakeholders, the Hawkers’ Development Programme complements existing efforts to sustain the hawker trade, and facilitate a continuing flow of new and younger hawkers into the hawker trade. The Hawkers’ Development Programme is a key idea from the Workgroup on Sustaining Hawker Trade [1].

Hawkers’ Development Programme   

2          Hawkers are the key custodians of the Hawker Culture in Singapore. However, with the median age of hawkers at 60 years old, it is important to grow the pool of hawkers and sustain the hawker trade for future generations. NEA and SSG have jointly developed the Hawkers’ Development Programme, in close consultation with hawkers and relevant industry stakeholders, to equip existing and aspiring hawkers with the relevant skills and competencies to run their hawker businesses. It also encourages them to take advantage of social media platforms to market their business.

3          The programme comprises three stages:

(a) Stage 1: Training – Participants will be coached by certified trainers from SSG’s appointed Continuing Education and Training Centre, Nanyang Polytechnic’s Asian Culinary Institute (NYP-ACI), through a new 5-day training programme known as “Core Hawker Entrepreneurship Fundamentals”.

The course will cover four core modules which will focus on areas such as the basics of food safety and hygiene, fundamental skills in cooking techniques, and preparation methods, as well as arm participants with the tools needed to conceptualise and execute a business plan, apply marketing techniques to reach out to their patrons and establish their presence on social media platforms and food delivery mobile applications.

Both existing and aspiring hawkers can apply and the course fee is $500 for Singaporeans or Permanent Residents. Eligible participants can tap on existing SkillsFuture subsidies such as the SkillsFuture Credit and SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy to further offset the course fees. For example, Singaporeans aged 40 years and above can tap on SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy and pay $222.96 for the course.

They can also sign up for an optional one-day module and learn the recipes behind popular hawker fare such as Carrot Cake and Chwee Kuay, amongst others.

(b) Stage 2: Apprenticeship – After completing the training stage of the Hawkers’ Development Programme, aspiring hawkers can progress to the apprenticeship stage where they will learn the ropes of the trade from experienced hawkers at their stalls for two months. Experienced hawkers will also provide guidance to aspiring hawkers in applying for the NEA’s Incubation Stall Programme or bidding for a stall under NEA’s monthly public tender.

(c) Stage 3: Incubation – At this stage, aspiring hawkers will undergo an immersive and experiential process of testing the feasibility of their business plans and cooking skills, either through the NEA Incubation Stall Programme or available stalls released during NEA’s monthly public tender. NEA’s Incubation Stall Programme provides an average rental rebate of 40 per cent for pre-fitted stalls, for an incubation period of 15 months. For the first three months of this stage, experienced hawkers will continue to provide support and advice to aspiring hawkers on implementing their business plans.

4          Participants who complete all three stages of the Hawkers Development Programme will also receive a Certificate of Completion.

Memorandum of Understanding between the Nanyang Polytechnic’s Asian Culinary Institute and the Federation of Merchants’ Associations, Singapore

5          A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the Hawkers’ Development Programme was also signed today between Nanyang Polytechnic’s Asian Culinary Institute and the Federation of Merchants’ Associations, witnessed by the Guest of Honour, Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education and Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and Ministry of Health. Under the MOU, both organisations will leverage each other’s capabilities and networks to promote the new programme to aspiring and existing hawkers and encourage their participation.

6          This collaboration will strengthen the continued partnership among multiple stakeholders to grow the 6,000-strong hawker trade operating their businesses at hawker centres and sustain the hawker culture in Singapore. For example, at the new hawker centres operated by the Socially-Conscious Enterprises, incubation programmes are put in place to facilitate and encourage new entrants. To date, 18 aspiring hawkers, with a median age of 34, in these new hawker centres have joined the trade.

[1] The Workgroup on Sustaining the Hawker Trade was formed to offer ideas to help sustain the hawker trade and work towards recommendations to safeguard the Hawker Culture in Singapore. The Workgroup is co-chaired by Mr Edward Chia, Managing Director of Timbre Group and Mr Lim Gek Meng, Vice-President of The Federation of Merchants’ Associations, Singapore and Chairman of the Chinatown Complex Hawkers’ Association and comprises hawkers, food advocates and relevant stakeholders.  

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