With S$11K Temasek Poly certificate program
There’s now an academic route to operating a food stall in Singapore
Complementing news that Singapore’s hawker centers recently won renowned UNESCO cultural recognition, the city-state is launching one-year diploma programs for vocational students to help keep the hawker trade alive.
Classes start in March at Temasek Polytechnic for just over S$11,000 (US$8,000), with Singaporeans and permanent residents paying a fraction of that at just over S$1,700. None of the lecturers listed for the Certificate in Hawkerpreneurship program are hawkers themselves but rather includes chefs Paul Sin Fook Choy and Randy Chow.
“[T]he new 12-month course is designed to meet the needs of younger aspiring hawkers by offering a longer, more structured curriculum while optimising their learning experiences and skills development to run a hawker business or enter the F&B trade,” the national environment agency, which manages some of Singapore’s hawker centers, announced yesterday.
People eat at a hawker centre in Singapore on June 19, 2020, as restrictions to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus are eased. - Restaurants, retail shops and most other businesses reopened in Singapore on June 19 as the virus-hit city-state eased curbs, but the city-state's leader cautioned residents "not to go overboard celebrating". (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP)
If there’s one dish that tops the “must-eat” list of visitors to Singapore it’s chilli crab. Whether you eat it in a hawker centre or a posh seafood restaurant, digging into a whole crab swimming in sweet and spicy sauce is the most memorable (and messy) meal that Singapore has to offer.
Amy Khor announces new programme to train poly and ITE grads to become hawkers
Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor announced yesterday (11 Jan) that the government will launch a new work-study programme in March to train polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates to become hawkers (‘Poly, ITE grads can train to be hawkers under new programme‘). The new Work-Study Post-Diploma (Certificate in Hawkerpreneurship) is a 12-month programme open to to all recent poly and ITE graduates.
Dr Khor said, “With the increasing recognition and appreciation of hawker fare, setting up a hawker stall can be considered as a gateway into the F&B sector, and there could be budding food and beverage entrepreneurs who may aspire to join the hawker trade.” She said the National Environment Agency (NEA) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) will work together with Temasek Polytechnic (TP) to launch the programme.
Students will undergo a two-month classroom-based training, followed by a four-month apprenticeship and a six-month mentorship with experienced hawkers. Both mentors and apprentices will receive a monthly training allowance of $500 and $1,000 respectively.
Poly, ITE grads can train to be hawkers under new programme
The programme can accommodate about 50 people over three years. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
A new work-study programme to help ease the entry of young people into the hawker trade will be launched in March.
The Work-Study Post-Diploma (Certificate in Hawkerpreneurship), which comes under the SkillsFuture Singapore work-study programme, is the first of its kind.
Announcing the programme at the second edition of the SG Hawker Seminar on Monday (Jan 11), Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor said: "With the increasing recognition and appreciation of hawker fare, setting up a hawker stall can be considered as a gateway into the F&B sector, and there could be budding food and beverage entrepreneurs who may aspire to join the hawker trade."
Lim Tean: Is “Hawkerpreneurship” programme the best Govt can offer?
Referring to recent news about a new “Hawkerpreneurship” programme for aspiring ITE and polytechnic graduates, lawyer and opposition politician Lim Tean has questioned in a Facebook post on Monday (Jan 12) whether this type of training is the best the People’s Action Party-led government can offer by way of creating new jobs.
Mr Lim, the founding leader of the Peoples Voice party, added:
- “Of course we respect our Hawkers.” He did not, however, mince words when it came to criticising the PAP.
- “But this programme shows how bankrupt the PAP are when it comes to new ideas on how to create good-paying jobs for Singaporeans and our next generation.
- “So our Young are being encouraged to study hard and become Hawkers?”
He also made a reference to the fact that Singaporeans who occupy high positions in public office are among the highest paid in the world.
WORK-STUDY POST-DIPLOMA (CERTIFICATE) IN HAWKERPRENEURSHIP
This 12-month course aims to provide recent graduates from polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) a head-start in the hawker profession through classroom and on-the-job training which will prepare them for a career as a hawkerpreneur and also in the larger food and beverage industry. Trainees will undergo an in-depth training to enhance business management skillsets and culinary skills needed to operate on a commercial scale.
This course comprises of 3 phases. Phase 1 (Training Phase) which runs for 2 months will have trainees attend structured lessons on campus to learn foundational skills in culinary art and science, and business operations. Phase 2 (Apprenticeship Phase) spans 4 months of which 3 months are spent working under the mentorship of an experienced hawker to acquire the experience of running a hawker stall. Then, trainees undergo 1 month of business preparation training back in campus, where they will acquire the basics of preparing a business plan and perform product differentiation. The final phase, Phase 3 (Incubation Phase) lasts for 6 months, where trainees will run their business at their individual stalls. Trainees will apply for their individual hawker stall under NEA's Incubation Stall Programme. Experienced hawkers and mentors from TP will provide support and guidance to the young aspiring hawkers.
Trainees are provided with S$1,000 training allowance per month during the course.
Temasek Poly offers 12-month work-study post-diploma in Hawkerpreneurship for aspiring hopefuls
This piece of news follows the announcement of Singapore’s hawker culture having made its way into the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Though integral to and deeply embedded into Singapore’s culture, the sustainability and stability of hawker culture has long stirred concerns of doubt.
With Temasek Polytechnic‘s 12-month work-study post-diploma in Hawkerpreneurship, hawker hopefuls will now get a bit of a head-start through classroom and on-the-job training which will prepare them for a career as both a hawkerpreneur, and also in the food and beverage industry at large.
The 12-month-long course comprises of three phases, in which trainees will undergo in-depth training to acquire business management skillsets and culinary skills needed to operate on a commercial scale.
Singapore Hawker Dishes - Singapore chilli crab
If there’s one dish that tops the “must-eat” list of visitors to Singapore it’s chilli crab. Whether you eat it in a hawker centre or a posh seafood restaurant, digging into a whole crab swimming in sweet and spicy sauce is the most memorable (and messy) meal that Singapore has to offer.
Unlike most hawker dishes, which originated in countries like China or India, the chilli crab is a true Singapore creation and the recipe was only developed in the 1950s. There is some debate about exactly who created it, but the credit is generally given to Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant. Needless to say, the dish was a hit and the Singapore chilli crab has become so iconic it can be found on postcards and souvenirs.
The appeal of the chilli crab is all in the addictive sauce: a mix of tomato, egg and lots of spices. Though one of them is definitely chilli, the other ingredients balance it out and chilli crab is not overwhelmingly spicy. The crab is then stir-fried in the delicious sauce and served with rice or man tou (Chinese fried buns) to mop up every last drop. If you’re interested in mastering the art of chilli crab, a few cooking schools in Singapore offer lessons. The crab shell is only partly cracked, so you’ll need to get your hands dirty to get to the good stuff inside. Do not wear your favourite white shirt to a dinner of chilli crab and, if eating at a hawker centre, remember to bring some tissues for wiping the red sauce from your mouth and fingers!
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