HE STARTED off as a guard in 1995 but today Mr Mohamed Saparin Saidi has moved through the ranks to be Sentosa's operations supervisor.
While overseeing daily operations and manpower planning, the 33-year-old is also planning the closed-circuit TV systems for the island's new facilities.
Mr Saparin was entrusted with many of his new responsibilities after graduating with a diploma in security management from the Security Industry Institute last October.
He told The Straits Times that security officers can easily climb the ranks by improving their qualifications and skills.
It is this mindset that values training that the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) has been pushing for.
Despite the security industry employing more than 42,000 officers, it is still looking for more capable individuals.
A career fair this weekend at Suntec Convention Centre is offering more than 1,500 immediate vacancies among the 22 firms taking part.
Mr Saparin said that after gaining his diploma, he now has the training and skills to go further in the industry. But he was not always this confident.
When Sentosa ceased having armed guards in 2002, Mr Saparin thought long and hard before staying on as an assistant security supervisor.
The father of two young children said: 'After I made it my career, I decided to attend courses to upgrade my skills because the job scope for security officers has grown.'
Today's security officers are technicians, concierges and customer-relations representatives, all rolled into one.
Mr Patrick Tay, 37, executive secretary of the Union of Security Employees, said: 'With malls and buildings relying on bar code readers to speed up customer flow while ensuring no slip-ups, security officers need to become proficient in harnessing the new technology.
'And at malls and commercial buildings, it is quite common for visitors to ask security officers for assistance.'
Aexis Security Management's managing director Tay Eng Hock, 47, adds that technology and the widening job scope will help enhance the professional image of the industry.
Former police officer S. Govindaraju, 56, who is now a trainer at the Security Industry Institute also believes the new technology enhances professionalism.
Citing his experience during past recessions, Mr T. Mogan, president of the Security Association (Singapore), said: 'Those desperate for jobs are now entering our ranks but many may leave when the economy picks up.
'This time, perhaps, they may realise that the prospects in the security industry are comparable with those in other professions.'
This weekend's fair will also feature information about another WDA-organised event in May for professionals, managers, executives and technicians, who want to make a mid-career switch to the security industry but lack the relevant experience.
