With Singapore as a manufacturing base since 2005, American company Edwards Lifesciences (ELS) has been producing highly advanced heart valves.
Following a recent visit to the company to better understand the opportunities and needs of the fast growing medical technology sector, NTUC Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing shared his thoughts in a Facebook post.
“Glad to see workers are well taken care of, and the company is recruiting many more to expand production. Proud to see workers producing each heart valve with precision and dedication; every valve is a life saving device. It's meaningful work,” he wrote.
MANPOWER CHALLENGES
The sewing and stitching skills required for the assembly of these medical heart valves may be basic, but the difficulty lies in applying them with pinpoint precision in a clean room environment similar to that of an operating theatre. Additionally, the detailed nature of the work requires operators to review their stitches through a microscope and diligently document the process.
While many applicants possess the basic skills, the combination of patience, focus and precision while coping with the physical demands of the role has made it difficult to find the right staff. Given that the heart valves are for patient use, there is no compromise on quality.
To overcome manpower challenges, the company’s management has been collaborating with NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and the Chemical Industries Employees’ Union (CIEU).
“One of the most distinct achievements was a pilot collaboration between e2i, industry players [including Edwards Lifesciences], the Singapore Workforce Development Agency and the Electronics Industries Training Centre, to develop and roll out Workforce Skills Qualifications training modules for the medical technology industry in areas such as product assembly and cleanroom practices,” shared e2i CEO Gilbert Tan.
The company-focused seven-day ‘Readiness Training Camp’ was introduced in end-March 2016 to help prepare and skill local job seekers interested in working at Edwards Lifesciences.
As of 13 June 2016, nine editions of the ‘Readiness Training Camp’ have been conducted for 133 prospective applicants. Following the camp, 16 participants have been employed by the company, with four more poised to join.
Based on recommendations from NTUC, e2i and the company’s own research, wages for the job of a heart valve specialist were raised to a more attractive $1,575 base salary.
“These industries are still relatively new to our local job seekers. The perception remains that jobs such as Medtech Specialists or related positions are similar to assembly or production operator jobs in manufacturing sectors,” said Mr Tan.
UNION COLLABORATION
“I’ve been very impressed with how CIEU has supported us. Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding to be unionised on 3 March 2016, they [the union] immediately followed up by giving us access to a list of workers when I called asking them for help,” said Judy Heng, director of human resources at Edwards Lifesciences.
She also highlighted that the company is working closely with the union to explore employment opportunities for recently displaced workers at its facility.
Out of the company’s 1,693 staff, including management representatives, more than 1,300 of them have taken up union membership sponsored by the company.
