CHINESE COMPETENCY TESTS FOR ISSUANCE OF TRADE LICENCES

Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether the Public Utilities Board will use Chinese as a medium to conduct competency tests for the issuance of trade licences such as the electrical workers licence to enable those who studied the electrical installation and servicing course in Chinese and who had obtained the National Technical Certificate-2 or National Technical Certificate-3 from the Institute of Technical Education to have the opportunity to obtain the relevant trade licences.

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Only electrical workers licensed by the Public Utilities Board are allowed to carry out electrical work independently. Holders of National Technical Certificates who are unsuccessful in their applications for an electrician licence are able to practise if they work under the supervision of licensed electrical workers.

Electrical workers are required to comply with the national wiring Code of Practice and gazetted regulations, which are in English. Furthermore, the instruction manuals of electrical fittings are normally in English. Therefore, licensed electrical workers need to have adequate knowledge of English to understand the technical and procedural requirements in the Code of Practice, gazetted regulations and instruction manuals to ensure that safety is not compromised.

The PUB therefore has to use English when it assesses the competency of applicants for issue of licences for electrical workers.