Mayor Zainul Abidin Rasheed
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mayor of North East District and MP for Aljunied GRC

My fellow Tampines GRC MPs

Mr Terry O'Connor, Managing Director, Courts (Singapore) Limited

Mr Choo Peng Chee, CEO, Supermarkets, Dairy Farm Singapore

Mr Tom Huzell, Managing Director, IKEA Tampines

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Afternoon

Introduction

I am happy to join you today at the first Warehouse Retail Job Fair @ North East.

2 The retail sector is an important part of our economy. It provides a variety of jobs to thousands of Singaporeans, ranging from cashiers to sales assistants to store managers. Over the years, the retail sector in Singapore has seen strong growth, both from the small family-provision shops as well as the big multi-national companies.

3 We are indeed happy that three well-known global companies have decided to set up their regional headquarters in Singapore under the Warehouse Retail Scheme or WRS. They are Courts, Dairy Farm and IKEA - and their base is right here in Tampines.

4 The WRS at Tampines is the first project to be launched under this national scheme. The companies under the WRS will house their various operations such as headquarters, logistics operations, and other retail functions all under one roof.

Benefits to the Community

5 I am pleased to share that the WRS at Tampines is set to bring about enormous benefits for the community in the North-East of Singapore, including Pasir Ris, Aljunied and here in Tampines. Firstly, the 9.3 hectare site housing Courts, Dairy Farm and IKEA provides a larger shopping arena for all. This means that our residents can look forward to being among the first to experience this whole new exciting and innovative shopping experience. With the warehouses and distribution centres of three major retailers all in one location, residents can expect greater convenience, better service and larger savings.

6 Secondly, on the business front, Tampines has already established itself as the shopping hub of the east. The WRS at Tampines presents additional business opportunities for our local retailers. The co-location of these multi-national companies will bring more visitors to Tampines. Many regional activities such as seminars and conferences will take place here. More shoppers will come here. This can bring more exposure and more business for our neighbourhood shops. Our local retailers can also leverage on the training and other opportunities provided by the WRS to upgrade their operations.

7 Thirdly, and the reason why we are here today, is that the WRS is able to provide jobs for our people living here in the North-East, including Tampines. As part of the WRS, the Tampines GRC MPs have initiated this Warehouse Retail Job Fair @ North East to match our job seekers with suitable jobs being offered by Courts, Dairy Farm and IKEA. Today's job fair offers more than 800 new vacancies which are created under the WRS.

8 The job opportunities range from the lower-skilled positions such as porters, cashiers and retail assistants, to managerial positions such as section managers, product specialists and management trainees.

9 I urge all residents who are looking for a job to take this opportunity to explore the various employment and training options. Approach the companies. Talk to them. Find out what kind of career choices there are which may be suitable for you.

10 Today's job fair is not the first. And it certainly is not the last. Residents can look forward to more of such WRS recruitment drives which will be held at the various CCs in Tampines GRC in the months to come.

11 Working with our grassroots organisations and community partners such as the North East CDC, we aim to help our residents get good jobs, because that is the best way to secure a better future for them and their family. One way is through skill development programmes to help residents upgrade. We have the North East HomeWorks Programme, where housewives from needy families are provided training to acquire new skills. Another example is the recent career fair - Job Fair @ North East - that featured numerous employment opportunities for older workers. North East CDC also works with various employers to conduct regular walk-in interviews for our unemployed residents. For residents who need more help, North East CDC organises Job Preparation Exercises to help job seekers brush up on their interview skills and language.

12 Finally, I would like to commend North East CDC, Tampines Grassroots Organisations and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency for organising this Job Fair. Many thanks also to Courts, Dairy Farm and IKEA for their participation in today's job fair and their tremendous support to making the WRS a win-win for the North-East community in Tampines, Pasir Ris and Aljunied.

13 I wish all of you a pleasant afternoon and every success in your employment search.

14 Thank you.

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