I don't read around I should, and I hardly ever recommend books, but one book that I believe must be standard reading for anyone who wants to be in to rope access is: "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman.
You don't have to trust with every point this books produces it to change your perspective on (your work) life. Maybe take it as a big bitter pill of contemporary reality if you might, however the statistics and stories that are presented by this book deliver a knockout punch to anyone who thinks that they are immune to the pressures of the international job market Singapore Rope Access. Rope access are at the epicenter of this job market by default because of the ever emerging worldwide offshore rope access requirements. As rope access has become universally accepted as a safer and more efficient (not only financially - those bed spaces that large scaffold teams occupy offshore do have more of an implication to the entire rig performance than we realize) option to complete just work at height it will end up a known and expected section of offshore installations worldwide. With which come the technicians of the world.
All of us owe the North Sea credit for being within exactly the same light that the world owes the Wright Brothers recognition for flight. Respect and reverence, but only in a historical sense. Sir Richard Branson is not going to provide any USA airline any slack when he is establishing a new intercontinental route. Air travel is an incredibly competitive industry that requires investment and innovation (Government handouts notwithstanding) to keep at the front. Rope access is the same.
My opinion is that the only path forward will be the best. Offering companies a specialization is an excellent way forward. Another way is if you paint, be the very best painter that you could be. Don't complain about things that the organization can't control, they don't want daily emails about how the food is not edible on board. It takes a lot of effort to get ahead offshore, and it won't get any easier anytime soon.