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<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=560><TBODY><TR><TD height=7 colSpan=3></TD></TR><STYLE type=text/css> <!-- .bodytext_10pt { font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; color: #000000; } --> </STYLE><!--tr> <td colspan="3"> </td> </tr--><!-- ~RENDER PAGE MARKER~ --><!-- Story With Image Start --><TR><TD vAlign=top width=350>
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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=content_subtitle align=left>Mon, Mar 22, 2010
The Straits Times
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</TD><TD vAlign=top align=right><FORM method=post name=emailToFriendForm action=emailToFriend.jsp><INPUT value=/vgn-ext-templating/asiaone/emailToFriend.jsp?vgnextoid=10001b7957477210VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=f6b73060b6822110VgnVCM100000bd0a0a0aRCRD type=hidden name=emailToFriendPageURL> <INPUT value=http://www.asiaone.com/Business/Office/Hot%2BJobs/Story/A1Story20100319-205540.html type=hidden name=emailToFriendStoryLink> 
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</TD></TR><!-- Story With Image End --><TR><TD class=bodytext_10pt colSpan=3><!-- CONTENT : start -->FOR upwards of 12 hours every day, Mr Abdul Rahim Muhamed Rashid sits alone in his 20th-storey 'corner office'.
The place is small, no bigger than the inside of a Toyota Camry, but the 23-year-old says that he does not leave it except for emergencies.
<TABLE style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #b5d4d8 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #b5d4d8 1px solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #eeeeee; BORDER-TOP: #b5d4d8 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #b5d4d8 1px solid" cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=1 width=136 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 11px" width=192>Related story:
»'Move locals up the career ladder quickly'
»WANTED: S'porean construction workers
»Constant skill upgrading pays off
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>He has a little fridge in there for drinks, a small radio for company and some plastic bags and newspapers to take the place of the toilet.
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width=300 align=right><TBODY><TR><TD><SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="/static/ads/scripts/adsimu.js"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://adtag.asiaone.com/tag/a1/js/AsiaOne_business_imu.js"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/AsiaOneBusiness/TechSense_Home;pos=1;adtype=1;adtype=2;adtype=3;adtype=4;adtype=5;tile=1;sz=300x250;ord=9310368217529598?"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/AsiaOneBusiness/;pos=50;adtype=1;adtype=2;adtype=3;adtype=4;adtype=5;sz=10x10;ord=9310368217529598?"></SCRIPT><OBJECT id=FLASH_AD class=inlineimg title="Big Grin" border=0 alt="" classid="clsid
</OBJECT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><!-- Zone Tag : SPH In-Text --><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://cdn.innity.com/network.js"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://as.innity.com/synd/69cb3ea317a32c4e6143e665fdb20b14/4564/js/**/**/NEWS/1269428507001"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>innity_country = "SG";innity_path = "/201003_2331/9841/";innity_proxy = "proxy_14483";innity_ord = "ord=[timestamp]";</SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://cdn.innity.com/global.js"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://m3.innity.net/media/lib/innity.js"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://m3.innity.net/media/201003_2331/9841/proxy_14483.js?ord=[timestamp]"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://m3.innity.net/media/201003_2331/9841/innity_lib_textpush.js?ord=[timestamp]"></SCRIPT><STYLE>.adv_class {border-bottom:1px dashed #0066CC; cursor:pointer;}</STYLE><STYLE>.adv_class_off {border-bottom:0px; cursor:auto; background:transparent; margin:0px 0px 0px 0px; padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;}</STYLE><SCRIPT id=__ie_onload onreadystatechange="" defer src="//0"></SCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>'It takes 10 minutes for me to climb up there, and I'm young. The older ones take longer. So we don't go up and down when we don't have to. We do everything in the cabin,' he says.
His job involves using the crane to pick up building materials from the ground and hoist them to where they are needed. 'It's a little bit like playing a computer game,' he notes.
But that is perhaps the only upside to it. Long days, isolation and some very questionable toilet habits are all part of the life of a tower crane operator, he says.
And it is clear why people like Mr Abdul Rahim - Singaporeans working in construction - are becoming an endangered species.
Indeed, if not for having dropped out of school at Secondary 4 because of financial problems, he does not know if he would have strayed into the field.
'Before doing this job, I was delivering pizzas. I saw a newspaper ad which said that a company was willing to sponsor a crane operator course for workers so I thought I would go and try it out,' he says.
He was selected to attend the week-long course. He passed the theory and practical tests and has not looked back since.
He started as a tower crane operator in 2008 and eight months later took a government grant for another course on how to operate a different crane.
He does not intend to stop there.
'If I have the ability to operate many different cranes, I am more flexible. If there are no jobs for a tower crane operator, maybe I can work as a crawler crane driver<INNITY></INNITY><INNITY></INNITY>,' he says. A crawler crane has tracks and can therefore be driven around easily.<EMBED height=1 type=application/x-shockwave-flash width="100%" src=http://m3.innity.net/media/201003_2331/9841/push_src/intext_probe.swf?_allowDomain=business.asiaone.com allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="transparent"></EMBED> <EMBED height=1 type=application/x-shockwave-flash width="100%" src=http://m3.innity.net/media/201003_2331/9841/push_src/intext_probe.swf?_allowDomain=www.sammyboy.com allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="transparent"></EMBED>
He admits that it will not be easy getting Singaporeans to do the job, especially those with higher education and options.
'It's hard work and a lonely life. And we work very hard seven days a week. Your girlfriend needs to be very understanding,' he jokes.
But with a monthly salary of around $4,000 including overtime and the prospect of making up to $6,500 as he gains experience, he isn't about to give it up.
'There are not that many opportunities for people of my qualifications to earn this kind of salary.'
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The Straits Times
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The place is small, no bigger than the inside of a Toyota Camry, but the 23-year-old says that he does not leave it except for emergencies.
<TABLE style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #b5d4d8 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #b5d4d8 1px solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #eeeeee; BORDER-TOP: #b5d4d8 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #b5d4d8 1px solid" cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=1 width=136 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 11px" width=192>Related story:
»'Move locals up the career ladder quickly'
»WANTED: S'porean construction workers
»Constant skill upgrading pays off
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>He has a little fridge in there for drinks, a small radio for company and some plastic bags and newspapers to take the place of the toilet.
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width=300 align=right><TBODY><TR><TD><SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="/static/ads/scripts/adsimu.js"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://adtag.asiaone.com/tag/a1/js/AsiaOne_business_imu.js"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/AsiaOneBusiness/TechSense_Home;pos=1;adtype=1;adtype=2;adtype=3;adtype=4;adtype=5;tile=1;sz=300x250;ord=9310368217529598?"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/AsiaOneBusiness/;pos=50;adtype=1;adtype=2;adtype=3;adtype=4;adtype=5;sz=10x10;ord=9310368217529598?"></SCRIPT><OBJECT id=FLASH_AD class=inlineimg title="Big Grin" border=0 alt="" classid="clsid
</OBJECT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><!-- Zone Tag : SPH In-Text --><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://cdn.innity.com/network.js"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://as.innity.com/synd/69cb3ea317a32c4e6143e665fdb20b14/4564/js/**/**/NEWS/1269428507001"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>innity_country = "SG";innity_path = "/201003_2331/9841/";innity_proxy = "proxy_14483";innity_ord = "ord=[timestamp]";</SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://cdn.innity.com/global.js"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://m3.innity.net/media/lib/innity.js"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://m3.innity.net/media/201003_2331/9841/proxy_14483.js?ord=[timestamp]"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://m3.innity.net/media/201003_2331/9841/innity_lib_textpush.js?ord=[timestamp]"></SCRIPT><STYLE>.adv_class {border-bottom:1px dashed #0066CC; cursor:pointer;}</STYLE><STYLE>.adv_class_off {border-bottom:0px; cursor:auto; background:transparent; margin:0px 0px 0px 0px; padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;}</STYLE><SCRIPT id=__ie_onload onreadystatechange="" defer src="//0"></SCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>'It takes 10 minutes for me to climb up there, and I'm young. The older ones take longer. So we don't go up and down when we don't have to. We do everything in the cabin,' he says.His job involves using the crane to pick up building materials from the ground and hoist them to where they are needed. 'It's a little bit like playing a computer game,' he notes.
But that is perhaps the only upside to it. Long days, isolation and some very questionable toilet habits are all part of the life of a tower crane operator, he says.
And it is clear why people like Mr Abdul Rahim - Singaporeans working in construction - are becoming an endangered species.
Indeed, if not for having dropped out of school at Secondary 4 because of financial problems, he does not know if he would have strayed into the field.
'Before doing this job, I was delivering pizzas. I saw a newspaper ad which said that a company was willing to sponsor a crane operator course for workers so I thought I would go and try it out,' he says.
He was selected to attend the week-long course. He passed the theory and practical tests and has not looked back since.
He started as a tower crane operator in 2008 and eight months later took a government grant for another course on how to operate a different crane.
He does not intend to stop there.
'If I have the ability to operate many different cranes, I am more flexible. If there are no jobs for a tower crane operator, maybe I can work as a crawler crane driver<INNITY></INNITY><INNITY></INNITY>,' he says. A crawler crane has tracks and can therefore be driven around easily.<EMBED height=1 type=application/x-shockwave-flash width="100%" src=http://m3.innity.net/media/201003_2331/9841/push_src/intext_probe.swf?_allowDomain=business.asiaone.com allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="transparent"></EMBED> <EMBED height=1 type=application/x-shockwave-flash width="100%" src=http://m3.innity.net/media/201003_2331/9841/push_src/intext_probe.swf?_allowDomain=www.sammyboy.com allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="transparent"></EMBED>
He admits that it will not be easy getting Singaporeans to do the job, especially those with higher education and options.
'It's hard work and a lonely life. And we work very hard seven days a week. Your girlfriend needs to be very understanding,' he jokes.
But with a monthly salary of around $4,000 including overtime and the prospect of making up to $6,500 as he gains experience, he isn't about to give it up.
'There are not that many opportunities for people of my qualifications to earn this kind of salary.'
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
