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First joint programme by NTUC & EDB launched to encourage Singaporeans to gain global exposure, supported by multinational companies in the Labour Movement’s U Circle of Friends
To better prepare our workforce to be future-ready, NTUC Secretary-General, Mr Chan Chun Sing, made a call at last year’s Future Leaders Summit to encourage more to explore opportunities beyond Singapore and gain overseas exposure as one of the ways to remain competitive and advance their careers. Similarly, a LinkedIn study on the career pathways of corporate executives (CXOs) in Singapore, conducted together with NTUC U Future Leaders, revealed that more than half of CXOs in Singapore have had international experience – be it through work or education. This highlights the importance of gaining global exposure in moving-up the corporate ladder. By gaining the right exposure and seizing global opportunities, more Singaporeans can join the top tier of various multinational corporations (MNCs). Building on that, the Labour Movement wants to help more Singaporeans progress in their careers by working together with these MNCs and developing a stronger Singaporean Core.
U Circle of Friends
To help our working people, the Labour Movement’s U Circle of Friends was set up in 2015, comprising regional chief executives and managing directors of large MNCs based in Singapore. Leaders from U Circle of Friends have been contributing by sharing their own experiences and trends emerging in their respective industries through NTUC’s U Future Leaders Programme (please refer to Annex A for more information). They have also spent considerable time, to assess the gaps and how best to develop our local talents and further strengthen their Singaporean leadership core.
The U Circle of Friends also sees the Labour Movement partnering with global chambers of commerce and associations. These partnerships and C-suite leaders help NTUC to gain access to emerging business trends, latest global thinking on talent needs of businesses, and best practices from different companies and countries on grooming talent.
The U Circle of Friends partnership will bring together NTUC’s extensive network and wide range of services, which talents can leverage to gain cross-sectoral competencies and knowledge, as well as the MNCs’ global reach and robust progression programme. Together, this will provide Singaporeans with an international perspective and will value-add to their long term careers.
U Future Leaders Global Programme
Launched this afternoon by NTUC’s Director of U Future Leaders, Mr Vivek Kumar and Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) Director of Human Capital Division, Ms Goh Wan Yee, the U Future Leaders Global Programme aims to get more MNCs on board to groom aspiring Singaporeans to helm future leadership roles.
The Programme, which marks the first of its kind partnership between NTUC and EDB, aims to identify young and promising Singaporeans from participating organisations, provide them with international exposure and opportunities to build key leadership attributes and develop relevant competencies that could facilitate future career acceleration.
Ms Goh Wan Yee, Director for the EDB’s Human Capital Division, said, “There is an established base of companies which host regional and global functions in Singapore. This has created new and exciting jobs for locals, including opportunities for Singaporeans to develop their leadership competencies with these companies. The partnership with NTUC and participating companies exemplifies EDB’s commitment to strengthen the pipeline of aspiring Singaporeans to helm corporate leadership roles.”
Mr Vivek Kumar, Director for U Future Leaders at NTUC, said, “To be able to better compete at a global level, our Singaporean talent will need not just the right attitude, skills and knowledge, but also relevant experience and overseas exposure. We are excited to partner with EDB and work with our U Circle of Friends who have shown remarkable commitment to open up opportunities for Singaporeans and groom the next generation of corporate leaders who can hopefully take on top management positions in these large corporations in the future.”
The Programme is currently open to companies who are part of the U Circle of Friends. Six MNCs with their regional headquarters in Singapore will be part of the pilot programme. They are Dentsu Aegis Network, Diageo, Mastercard Asia Pacific, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Yum! Asia Franchise.
Mr Luis Campedelli, Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Mastercard Asia Pacific said, “Mastercard is focused on investing in developing Singaporean talent and we are delighted to partner with EDB-NTUC on the U Future Leaders Global Programme. This programme will benefit the career development of young Singaporeans and prepare them well to take on future leadership roles.”
The Labour Movement will also help ensure that these aspiring Singaporeans have access to good mentoring advice – they will be given opportunities to meet with senior leaders from the Labour Movement, including NTUC Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General. In turn, they can share their experiences and learnings with fellow Singaporean working people at various U Future Leaders platforms.
Today’s launch took place during the U Future Leaders Global Symposium which was attended by about 80 business leaders and representatives from the U Circle of Friends. The symposium also featured an exhibition of key findings from a unique survey on CXO Leaders in Singapore by LinkedIn and NTUC. Ms Feon Ang, Senior Director of Talent Solutions at LinkedIn Asia Pacific and Japan shared that, “We hope that the LinkedIn study on career pathway of CXOs will unlock and inspire young professionals in Singapore to stretch themselves by thinking ahead and taking initiative to ask for opportunities outside of their comfort zone. With the U Future Leaders Global Programme in place, this should spark a new generation of leaders who dare to dream and be different."
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