HELPING S'PORE'S HAWKERS

The Hawker Master Trainer Pilot Programme was launched last October.

Organised by the Workforce Development Agency and National Environment Agency, the programme encourages Singaporeans to take up the hawker trade.

It aims to get veteran hawkers to pass on their culinary skills to interested "hawkerpreneurs," and provides them with foundational training in the food and beverage industry.

More importantly, the training programme's goal is preserving Singapore hawker fare, which would help build a pipeline of hawkers for the 10 new hawker centres slated to be built by 2017.

Trainees are funded up to 90 per cent of the course fees.

Some 23 participants were selected to take part in the programme last year, which was about half of the expected turnout of 50.

After going through the Workforce Skills Qualifications training and work attachments at hawker stalls, the trainees' performance will be assessed for the third stage of the programme in which they will run their incubation stalls.

Interested applicants for this year's programme can e-mail Project Dignity at themasterhawker@projectdignity.sg or call 9853-9086.