Clean energy pivot will yield green jobs, but time needed to fill them

The renewables space could present better job prospects, but the skill sets are different, and the market will need time to fix mismatch

Annabeth Leow

Published Thu, Nov 26, 2020 · 09:50 PM

Renewable energy

Singapore

OIL majors are cutting jobs in traditional business segments as they move to cleaner energy, and their downstream suppliers will follow suit.

However, given the economic importance of the oil-and-gas (O&G) industry in Singapore, it will take time for the workforce to make the same shift, although the green jobs of the future could be more attractive.

Damian Chan, executive vice-president of the Economic Development Board, called the energy and chemicals sector a "key pillar" of the Singapore economy; it accounted for more than S$95 billion in manufacturing output in 2018, and had a headcount of more than 25,000 people.

Some companies are still expanding. Oil refinery Neste, for instance, said it will grow its headcount in Singapore over the next two years, even as it cuts …