[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/are-jobs-in-security-and-cleaning-only-for-older-adults-in-our-country\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/are-jobs-in-security-and-cleaning-only-for-older-adults-in-our-country\/","headline":"Are jobs in security and cleaning only for older adults in our country?","name":"Are jobs in security and cleaning only for older adults in our country?","description":"Working as a security officer was not 24-year-old Mohd Azmi bin Mohd Amran’s first choice.\u00a0 His hesitation was born from the perception that the security industry was only for seniors and retirees: \u201cFrom what I could see, most of the security [officers] are old men, aged 60 plus.\u201d Yet, it was a career determined by […]","datePublished":"2021-07-06","dateModified":"2022-04-16","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Ming%20En%20Liew\/#Person","name":"Ming En Liew","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Ming%20En%20Liew\/","identifier":132,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8fe7a89455a989038349633329a6e4ad6299388f5e1e3ea83c28126090b2314f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8fe7a89455a989038349633329a6e4ad6299388f5e1e3ea83c28126090b2314f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1625566307890_1280X626_284329.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1625566307890_1280X626_284329.jpg","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/are-jobs-in-security-and-cleaning-only-for-older-adults-in-our-country\/","commentCount":"3","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/are-jobs-in-security-and-cleaning-only-for-older-adults-in-our-country\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2026-05-02 06:12:50","description":"I learned something new today.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"world live tv online","url":"https:\/\/www.pinterest.ca\/share\/?url=https:\/\/www.oneotv.com\/"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/are-jobs-in-security-and-cleaning-only-for-older-adults-in-our-country\/#Comment2","dateCreated":"2026-04-26 09:36:05","description":"This was very enlightening.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Salomon ladies shoes","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/women\/Salomon-Women-Shoes"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/are-jobs-in-security-and-cleaning-only-for-older-adults-in-our-country\/#Comment3","dateCreated":"2026-04-23 23:57:54","description":"Thanks for simplifying a difficult subject.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Salomon shoe laces replacement","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/men\/Salomon-Men-Shoes"}}],"about":["Community","Local","Singapore"],"wordCount":2805,"articleBody":"Working as a security officer was not 24-year-old Mohd Azmi bin Mohd Amran’s first choice.\u00a0His hesitation was born from the perception that the security industry was only for seniors and retirees: \u201cFrom what I could see, most of the security [officers] are old men, aged 60 plus.\u201dYet, it was a career determined by unforeseen circumstances. After completing his National Service, Mr Azmi was trying to get a full-time job when he ended up in an accident that forced him to take an extended amount of time off to recover.\u00a0While he had initially wanted to join the uniformed services as an AETOS officer, or by signing on as a Ground Response Force officer with the Singapore Police Force, the accident put a dampener on his plans. After waiting over six months for a response to no avail, he received a call from security firm Pico Guards \u2013 which specialises in commercial, industrial, and retail security \u2013 for an interview early this year.Amid an uncertain economic climate during the pandemic and a stretch of unemployment, Mr Azmi decided to give the security officer position a shot.\u00a0He says of his experience thus far: \u201cIt\u2019s not bad, actually. It\u2019s the same thing as AETOS, the only difference is that we don\u2019t (carry) arms. That\u2019s why I decided to stay as a security officer.\u201d\u00a0While Mr Azmi did not foresee himself being a security officer, he says that the experience has actually been “not bad”, and not unlike the job scope of an AETOS officer, which he had hoped to become. (Photo courtesy of Mohd Azmi Bin Mohd Amran)Mr Azmi is just one of many working-age youths who have joined the security industry, during the pandemic.\u00a0Says Jane Franklin, the Business Development Manager for Pico Guards: \u201cWe had a good number of millennials or younger workers who were previously doing [food delivery], that have come on board to security.\u201dToday, its workforce is predominantly made up of younger individuals, comprising more than 300 officers between the ages of 21 and 45, as opposed to fewer than 100 between the ages of 60 and 70.\u00a0Despite the shift, the stigma surrounding being a security officer remains, admits both Ms Franklin and Mr Azmi.Security officers as \u2018old men\u2019 who \u2018do nothing\u2019When he first joined the industry, Mr Azmi admits that he had his fair share of reservations: \u201cWhen I joined, [I thought that] the mindset of talking to old men is really different. Let\u2019s say, you are working with someone of the same age, you can easily talk to them but with old men, it\u2019s very hard. Sometimes, they don\u2019t get what we are trying to say.\u201d\u00a0But his worries were unfounded: \u201cI was quite surprised that they [the older workers] can understand the younger generation, and also give us life and work advice.\u201dAnother preconceived notion, adds Ms Franklin, is that security officers do nothing: \u201cWhat people don’t see is that it takes a lot of physical and mental strength for every security officer to maintain their position, and remain focused on their surroundings, looking out for possible threats, let alone do it for hours.\u201d\u00a0Jane Franklin, the Business Development Manager of Pico Guards, says that contrary to popular belief, security officers have to obtain licences to work, and are trained to deal with a variety of scenarios and threats. (Source: Canva)She continues: \u201cA lot of people seem to think that security officers are not educated or not licensed, but the truth is security officers are licensed and they are also very highly trained to deal with a variety of scenarios and possible threats.\u201dIn fact, security officers are required to go through a minimum of three Workforce Skills Qualification courses, including learning to recognise terrorist threats and handle security incidents, before being issued a security officer license.Another common misconception, observes Ms Franklin, is that roles in the security industry serve only as a \u201cstopgap job rather than a career\u201d.\u00a0When in fact , the security industry is covered under Singapore\u2019s Progressive Wage Model (PWM). Under the PWM, a five-level career progression model has been developed to ensure that security officers have a clear career path.Mr Azmi acknowledges that being a security officer is actually a \u201cfast progress job\u201d. Since joining Pico Guards around March, he has been sent for courses to upskill himself, and is hopeful for his future in the industry. \u201cFor the long-term, maybe I can become the operations manager,\u201d he says.\u00a0He also feels that being a security officer is a better fit for him, compared to more popular jobs among the younger generation at the moment such as food delivery riders and private-hire drivers.\u00a0\u201cYou need self-discipline,\u201d he says. \u201cFor security, you are working with a team… [With private hire], you can do your own time, own target, so it\u2019s not a fixed income. Security is a fixed job.\u201d\u00a0It is not all rosy, however. Mr Azmi admits: \u201cPay-wise, I can only say it\u2019s okay, not to my expectations.\u201d\u00a0Under the PWM, security officers are paid a minimum of S$1,400 (USD$1,039) a month (as of 2021), which will be raised to S$1,530 (US$1,138) by 2024. A forum letter penned by Ikhsan Suri, the Executive Director of Security Association Singapore, a trade association in the security industry, suggests that this is a point of concern.\u00a0Despite the Progressive Wage Model, Mr Azmi shares that the pay is not up to his expectations. (Source: Canva)Within his letter, he clarified that most, if not all, security officers draw a gross wage of S$2,400 (US$1,786) a month, as opposed to the minimum stipulated wage by the PWM, but only because they work up to 72 hours of overtime during that same period.\u00a0He thus suggests: \u201cPWM increases should be accelerated to deal with the fact that security officers feel the need to work such long overtime hours, just to earn a reasonable wage.\u201dDespite the less-than-desirable pay, Mr Azmi is still content being in the security sector for now: \u201cOverall, it\u2019s okay. If your workplace is healthy, everything will go smoothly.\u201d\u00a0But comfortable as he is with being a security officer, Mr Azmi shares that he regularly fields questions from young people in their mid-30s on why he is one.\u00a0\u201cSome of them also say, \u2018This guy looks too young to be a security officer\u2019,\u201d he says.\u00a0While these comments were disheartening at first, and nearly pushed him to give up on the security industry, advice from his friend encouraged him to persevere: \u201cMy friend said wherever I work, even if I\u2019m a Grab driver or even a manager, someone or somehow, people will try to find that one thing to look down on you.\u201d\u00a0He continues: \u201cIf you really want to take things to heart, it\u2019s really hard for you to progress… Now, this is my job. This is what I want, so I just ignore them. Sometimes, to be honest, I will still feel paiseh [embarrassed], but I will slowly progress.\u201dAt the end of the day, he says: \u201cWork is still work, we are putting food on the table.\u201d\u00a0Cleaning is a \u2018low-class job\u2019While the security industry has seen a spike in younger workers during the pandemic, the same cannot be said for the cleaning industry.\u00a0A myriad of factors hinder the young from joining the cleaning industry, including a lack of flexibility, low wages, and stigma against cleaners. (Source: Canva)Tan Hui Bin, an Operations Executive at commercial cleaning firm A1 Facility Services, shares that while they have young workers on their roster, most of them are foreigners. These workers, she explains, are typically scheduled for home-cleaning jobs, as homeowners prefer younger workers. For local hires, the workers are usually 40 and up, and are usually delegated to office-cleaning jobs.\u00a0When asked about hiring young locals, Ms Tan says: \u201cWe can open up for the younger generation, as long as they\u2019re willing to give it a shot.\u201dBut she acknowledges that there are several factors that may hinder young adults from joining the industry, as opposed to other jobs like those within the gig economy.\u00a0\u201c[Younger workers] feel more drawn to [being] delivery riders and private-hire drivers, because they can be their own boss,\u201d she explains. \u201cThey don\u2019t have someone above them telling them what they can or cannot do… Whereas for cleaners, you still have to answer to the boss.\u201dShe also highlights that being a cleaner requires one to work on a fixed schedule every day, with limited amounts of medical and annual leave, which could be another deterrent.Finally, money is a concern.\u00a0She says: \u201c[Private hire] drivers and delivery drivers get paid better than cleaners… If the salary of cleaners can be increased, that may attract more people.\u201d\u00a0But salary increments come with its own set of difficulties, notes Ms Tan, as it means the company\u2019s clients have to pay more for the service. Otherwise, cleaning providers, such as A1 Facility Services, are unable to increase staff wages.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s a vicious cycle,\u201d Ms Tan rues. \u201cIf that side [clients] don\u2019t increase, our side also cannot increase, and then nothing can be increased.\u201d\u00a0There is hope, however.\u00a0In June, the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners (TCC) mapped out new wage levels and skill requirements for those in the cleaning industry under the PWM. With this review, higher salary increments are planned until 2029, with multi-skilled cleaners being paid a minimum wage of S$3,040 (US$2,262) by 2029, as compared to the S$1,648 (US$1,226) today. The revised wage schedule hopes to attract a younger workforce into the industry, according to TCC Chairman and Assistant Director-General of the National Trades Union Congress Zainal Sapari.\u00a0Still, the PWM has been criticised as insufficient. Ong Ee Cheng, senior lecturer at the department of economics in the National University of Singapore (NUS), and Jennifer Yao, an economics undergraduate at the same university, penned a commentary in June stating that the PWM has \u201ctwo main shortcomings \u2013 coverage and speed of implementation.\u201dSpecifically, they cite how the PWM was first introduced in June 2012, but to date, only covers 85,000 workers.\u00a0Professor Emerita of Corporate Strategy and International Business at the Stephen M Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Linda Lim, and Associate Professor of Social Work and Director of the Social Service Research Centre at NUS, Irene Ng, echo the sentiments that the implementation has been slow.\u00a0They state that since the introduction of the PWM, the average annual increase in salaries of the three lowest-paid occupational categories, which includes cleaners, was 3.4 per cent, trailing behind the 3.9 per cent average annual wage growth of those in the highest earning occupational categories.\u00a0The recent review is, however, a step in the right direction. Says Member of Parliament (Sengkang GRC – Workers\u2019 Party) Jamus Lim: \u201cI view this implementation of PWM as substantial progress that will improve the welfare of Singaporeans and Permanent Residents.\u201dNevertheless, he calls for this model to be implemented in even more sectors, with quicker changes, to benefit more Singaporeans.\u00a0Pragmatic concerns aside, a longstanding perception of cleaning being a \u2018low-class job\u2019 means that the younger generation are, in general, reluctant to even consider it.\u00a0Ms Tan says a stigma persists: \u201cThey (the young) feel that this is a job for those who don\u2019t study, or have no skills… Even though we post [job openings] online, it\u2019s hard to get the younger generation to join us as cleaners.\u201d\u00a0Parents also perpetuate this negative perception: \u201cFrom young, parents will be like, \u2018if you don\u2019t study, next time you go be cleaner.\u2019 So they [the younger generation] grew up with this idea that being a cleaner is not a good job. This is not a problem that can be easily resolved… This stigma is one problem that will last for many years.\u201d\u00a0There is still a perception that cleaning is a ‘low-class’ job, meant for those who are uneducated. (Source: Canva)Nevertheless, she hopes that this shame can be erased over time: \u201cAs long as you\u2019re working responsibly, you shouldn\u2019t feel ashamed no matter what industry you are in.\u201d\u00a0Attracting young hires through digitalisationBesides tackling on-the-ground concerns of career progression, wages, and stigma, both Pico Guards and A1 Facility Services are also adapting to technology in the hopes of keeping their organisations relevant, while attracting younger hires.\u00a0Ms Franklin believes that workplaces need to morph to accommodate the younger generation. (Photo courtesy of Jane Franklin)Ms Franklin acknowledges the importance of \u201cmorphing our workplaces to accommodate the millennial generation\u201d. She says: \u201cIf we do not, we will not be able to acquire and retain talent, which will stunt our ability to innovate.\u201d\u00a0Thus, Pico Guards has integrated technology into the services they provide, which allows it to “deliver greater business value” for its clients, explains Ms Franklin. While, also eliminating the “pen- and paper-based world that traditionally characterises the security industry… to appeal to the younger generation.\u201dLikewise, A1 Facility Services is hopping aboard the digital bandwagon to keep up with the times. They have already begun to implement the usage of phone applications for job-scheduling purposes.\u00a0This is the direction that Ms Tan foresees the cleaning industry moving in as well: \u201cI feel that maybe 10 years down the road, you can call a cleaner, like how you call a Grab. You just input in the app, and the cleaner will come down straight away, instead of the old practice where you have to make bookings for sessions. There will be more on-demand cleaning services available.\u201d\u00a0With the industry moving in a direction that is more similar to the gig economy, Ms Tan is hopeful that this may attract more youngsters to join the industry.\u00a0Tan Hui Bin believes that the cleaning industry will eventually move towards an on-demand service model, similar to ride-hailing services today. (Source: Canva)Besides technological advancements, Pico Guards also provides opportunities for horizontal development within the organisation, should they be keen. This means that individuals who start out as security officers on the ground can eventually move to back-end roles, such as operations managers within the company \u2013 a real-life example provided by Ms Franklin of a worker who climbed the ranks over four years.\u00a0Roles outside of security officers are also available.\u201cIt takes a big team of professionals to get security going,\u201d Ms Franklin clarifies, citing the importance of roles, such as business development, operations and human resources, which may be of more interest to the younger generation.\u00a0The same applies for the cleaning industry, where Ms Tan herself is an operations executive. But, regardless of the role, Ms Tan emphasises that any young adult looking to join the cleaning industry will need to be both tech-savvy and passionate about working with seniors.\u00a0\u201cNot everyone will have the patience to handle aunties and uncles on a daily basis. Working on the back-end…youngsters would be preferred, but they have to be someone who can communicate with the older generations,\u201d she says.\u00a0Ms Tan also foresees new roles opening up in the cleaning industry moving forward: \u201cOne role that could come up would be someone who can teach the older generation how to start blending into the technological society.\u201dShe elaborates: \u201cFor now, older people are not as receptive to apps and all that. So if we do roll out apps and more technology, there will definitely be someone who is needed to act as a bridge.\u201dJobs for all working agesEven as efforts are made to draw the younger generation into the industry, Ms Tan underscores the need to still retain jobs for the older generation.\u00a0\u201cGiven the current standard of living in Singapore, even the elderly may need a job to continue surviving comfortably,\u201d she says. \u201cTo keep these jobs for them will be good, because you don\u2019t require high education levels, and it\u2019s not something that is very tedious, even for the older generation.\u201dShe adds: \u201cIf people don\u2019t hire them and they don\u2019t have income, they may have to survive on [very little food] every day. This is the kind of situation that breaks the society, because you have to learn to take care of your elderly before your society can grow. Leaving our elderly behind is not something that society should grow into.\u201d\u00a0And for the young who are looking for a job but are hesitant to join such industries, Mr Azmi proffers this advice: \u201cDon\u2019t feel paiseh about anything. At the end of the day, it\u2019s your income, your job scope, and your responsibility to put food on the table… The correct state is to have a positive mindset in every job you do.\u201d\u00a0Join the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia’s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Are jobs in security and cleaning only for older adults in our country?","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/are-jobs-in-security-and-cleaning-only-for-older-adults-in-our-country\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]