CITY DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED AND WOH HUP (PRIVATE) LIMITED RECEIVE INAUGURAL AWARD FOR CONSISTENT HIGH WORKMANSHIP QUALITY
- BCA launches a human resource (HR) guidebook to help firms in the built environment sector improve their HR practices to attract, retain and develop talent
13 June 2017 – The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has given out a record 493 awards this year. The Awards recognise excellence achieved by firms in all facets of the building sector – development work, architecture, engineering, design and construction.
Building quality homes
2. This year marks 15 years since BCA’s Quality Mark (QM) scheme was introduced. Under the QM scheme, all dwelling units in a residential development are subject to checks on the workmanship quality of internal finishes. Units that meet a minimum workmanship standard will receive the Quality Mark certification. Currently, one in every two new private residential units subscribe to the voluntary QM scheme. A survey conducted by global market research consultant J.D. Power in 2015 found that homeowners of QM properties experience fewer defects than non-QM properties.
3. To commemorate this 15th year milestone, BCA launched a new Quality Star Champion Award at the BCA Awards Ceremony to recognise leading developers and builders who have been committing to QM and are consistently delivering high workmanship quality in their projects. City Developments Limited and Woh Hup (Private) Limited are the recipients of the inaugural Quality Star Champion Award for achieving five Quality Excellence Platinum awards. This year, five developers and seven builders will receive the Quality Excellence Award for delivering high quality projects. Please refer to Annex A for the list of winners.
Building capabilities in the built environment workforce
4. To transform the built environment sector into a workplace of choice and develop a strong Singaporean core in our workforce, BCA has been working with industry firms to build up the sector’s HR capability. These initiatives include the launch of the voluntary “Pledge for a Better Built Environment Workplace” initiative in 2014 and funding support for HR-related training for firms in the built environment sector. To date, more than 300 built environment firms have signed the Pledge to show their commitment towards adopting good HR practices.
5. At the awards ceremony, BCA launched a human resource (HR) guidebook, developed in consultation with industry firms, to help firms in the built environment sector improve their HR practices to attract, retain and develop talent.
6. The HR guidebook comes with industry best practices, HR templates and self-assessment tools and resources to help firms improve their HR practices in areas such as performance management and training, recruitment and on-boarding, communication, rewards and compensation, and wellness and support schemes. Built environment firms who sign the Pledge can download the guidebook from BCA’s Building Careers Portal (www.buildingcareers.gov.sg) for free.
7. To support the industry transformation and ensure graduates are equipped with the necessary skillsets when they join the sector, BCA is also planning to set up a joint taskforce with industry associations and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL) to identify relevant content that can be incorporated into the curricula of built environment related courses at IHLs.
8. In addition, BCA will be working with IHLs to explore the idea of introducing a capstone programme for graduating students to help them attain deeper industry knowledge, and better prepare them for work upon graduation. More details will be available later this year.
9. “We expect to see steady growth in Singapore’s built environment over the next decade, with more quality buildings and infrastructure. The ongoing transformation of the built environment sector will create good jobs for Singaporeans entering and in the sector,” said Mr Hugh Lim, CEO of BCA.