Taking a 70-per-cent pay cut is not a move most young Singaporeans would be comfortable with, but 29-year-old Low Kee Chong did just that six months ago, quitting his job as a liaison officer at the National Environment Agency to become a landscape worker.

The chance to become a climbing arborist, a professional trained to care for and maintain trees, was what made him take the leap.

“Many people will say this is a very low-wage kind of industry, but it’s not. So long as you have the will to upgrade yourself, you can (climb) the ladder,” he said.

The progression pathways outlined under the Progressive Wage Model gives him confidence that he can become an arborist within three years.

Landscape technician Goh Keng Lian, 55, who entered the landscape industry six years ago, agreed that willingness to upgrade is a must.

He has completed Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications courses on using machinery, and is currently learning about landscape operations.

“You may be aged, but when other companies see that you have the certification, they’ll hire you, because you can still teach the younger workers,” said Mr Goh.