on June 2 2020 for a consultancy firm to conduct a comprehensive 12-month study of Singapore’s funeral profession.According to NEA’s tender documents, given Singapore's aging population, the annual number of deaths is projected to double from 20,017 in 2016 to 40,000 in 2040.
According to NEA, the findings from the study would aid in policy formulation to drive industry capability development, so as to ensure that the funeral profession has a ready pool of competent service workers to serve the needs of bereaved families. The study, according to NEA, will focus on seven main aspects of the funeral profession in Singapore, and this includes an industry overview, the current and projected manpower profile of the industry, manpower demand and supply projections, skills demands and needs, improving processes through innovation and technology, recommended standards and guidelines as well as the benchmarking of international best practices.