The F&B industry is boundless and highly diverse with a resilient force despite the COVID19 pandemic situation.

The persistence of the sector has since transformed the F&B sector by staying ahead of the trends which are currently driven by accelerated digitalisation efforts.

Many jobs in the sector fly under the radar as we often think of the Food and Beverage industry with the frontline servers who serve up our favourite food dishes accompanied with all smiles. There are a wide series of potential roles from the kitchen to service staff to the administration and management; the production and control.

The F&B industry whilst largely remains service-oriented and customer fronting has taken upon technological redesigns and automation in improving the productivity of work-flow in service positions and standards.

This also in line with the well-being of the service staff, with their workplace practices optimized and made less manual and smarter. (Initiatives such as Digital services, kitchen automation, and automated dishwashing have been introduced.)

This translates to how companies might be looking to hire more lower-level service staff rather than highly skilled service staff in curbing the labor crunch.

As of September 2020, the food and beverage services saw a plunge of 22,900 employment vacancies, yet it does show signs of recovery with newer challenges imposed on the industry.

With the rise of the demand for restaurant workers, following the return of dine-in services in late 2020, vacancies remain stagnant with slow takeup of local applicants.

This has perhaps opened opportunities for alternative sources of labor and if you are one who belongs to the below categories: part-time talent pool, looking to rejoin the workforce, or a mature worker, this industry is ready for you!

If you are one who is new to the industry or wishes to start afresh, the F&B industry is one that is welcoming to newcomers with no specific set of fixed requirements. Having that said, depending on the field you may wish to go into, specific vocational skills and food-related permits still apply and you are advised to read up on the field before diving right in.


It is ultimately important for one(a newcomer) to:

1. Understand the various pathways and attributes required for an occupation in the sector
   
2. Understand the competencies needed and the programs that you may need to get you qualified to where you wish to land
3. Check out the skills framework that details what the sector has to offer before embarking on your career in food & services!

Starting from somewhere is always great but looking to progress in your career is also vital!

The food and beverage industry is one that is highly linear in terms of progression so look on to find out what courses you may wish to consider to take you through the next level of your career.

Require additional information on where to start or how your qualification can fit into the larger scheme of the industry? Check out the resources below to get you all covered!

• Skills Framework for Food Services by Skillsfuture
  
  

The breakdown of roles within the industry at a glance. The framework also depicts a highly linear progression for career onlookers in taking the next step in unlocking a fulfilling career in the industry.

Embark on your very first step in the industry today with the wealth of resources like FastLearn hosted on FastJobs, our very own jobs portal where you can be sure to land an amazing F&B career opportunity your way!

There are other alternative resources for you to uncover more of the industry at: SGUnited Skills Program or SkillsFuture as mentioned above.

Starting out in a new industry may seem daunting at first but will definitely prove rewarding in the longer run.