Construction Work

[Riverwalker]

I am a successful business owner in the construction trades in Louisiana, USA. I would like to work in SG for about a year in any of the trades for which I am experienced. What can I realistically expect to find? I do not want to move permanently to SG, just temporarily. Are there any websites that may be helpful to me in this search? I can't seem to find anything on the net.

Thank you.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I'm afraid that you won't have too much luck. The "tradespersons" that are well paid in the US are some of the worst paid in Asia. The odds of you working on a Work Permit (won't happen as you are not from a traditional source country) for 1000/month are totally unrealistic. Here the work for 600-800/mo and stay 8-20 men in a room.

Now, of course if you are a certified coded welder (tig/mig/argon, etc) and could get onto a Oil & Gas project you might have a chance. But again, those positions have been largely scooped up already and you would have to find somewhere where a project has not yet been started. I wish I could be more positive but reality is all we have to go by.

Of course you could always open a company here if you have the where-with-all, but that seems like a hell of a way to come over here for a year until the GOM starts to recuperate from the debacle of BP. I came to Singapore from Morgan City in 1982 due to the oil embargo of 81-82 for the same reasons. Although in my case I was already working in the oil industry and snagged a contract in the same industry here. Been here ever since. In fact I was working in the GOM when the 1st and still biggest blowout happened on the Ixtox 1 happened in '79.

[Riverwalker]

I appreciate your honest answer. I'm not actually looking for work to support myself, I have ample supply of $, I just wanted to get away from here for a while...since I like my work I though maybe there might be something I could do while there...pay isn't an issue...I would just work for whatever.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Of course, if the funds are there, you could always do a vacation here and looks for work while here. But you would almost have to look towards the O&G industry. As you did not indicate what your skillset was (generally speaking) Most, if not all building here are made of reinforced concrete. Housing is all high-rise (some 2/3 story but again, all reinfoced concrete formed from the foundations up. No wood construction at all due to the proliferation of tropic insects that love wood. Very little steel construction as it's cheaper to build with reinforced concrete especially with labour being so cheap (most construction workers are from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand & China). Degreed Engineers, (Civils, M&E, Construction, etc or Project Managers) however are another story.

Of course, depending on what you can bring to the negotiating table, Project Management might well be up your alley. At least that is an avenue for exploration.

sms

[skpsiva]

I am in the construction field, I would propose www.bca.gov.sg is the best website to see about the construction market in Singapore