As the Labour Movement (LM) strives towards our LM2015 Vision of “Better Jobs for All”, it is critical that we continue to forge a strong core of labour leaders and encourage them on the path of lifelong learning so that we can continue to be an effective voice for working people. Today’s event is a timely reminder for the Labour Movement (LM) to take stock and focus on the drive towards strengthening leadership development within the LM.
The annual Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute (OTC Institute) Graduation Ceremony is a major platform for the Labour Movement to recognise union leaders and partners for their dedication and efforts towards lifelong learning. These role models and their stories serve as an inspiration to fellow union leaders, workers and management.
This year’s OTC Institute Graduation Ceremony 2013 saw 111 graduands recognised for their achievements in the journey of lifelong learning. They have graduated from the OTC Institute’s milestone certificate and diploma programmes in industrial relations and employment relations – the OTC Institute Advanced Certificate in Industrial Relations (ACIR), OTC Institute-UniSIM Diploma in Employment Relations (DER) and the OTC Institute-NEX Professional Diploma in Employment Relations (PDER).
Held at Pasir Ris Downtown East, the proud graduands received their certificates and diplomas from Guest-of-Honour, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Environment and Water Resources, Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien, who is also the Second Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Topping the ACIR class is Ms Lee Won Peng, a community relations manager with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and an internal auditor with the Housing and Development Board Staff Union (HDBSU). She was also awarded the Nithiah Nandan Award and the NTUC Income Achievement Award for her outstanding performance.
For the DER programme, Ms Manjit Kaur d/o Najar Singh, an assistant manager with the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and a Branch Committee member of the Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees (AUSBE), topped her cohort to win the Seah Mui Kok Award. She also received the Shell Book Prize.
Mr Ronald Lee Min Loong, a principal consultant with the OTC Institute, was awarded the NTUC Club Best Student Award for being the top performer in the PDER programme.
Besides the certificates and diplomas presented to graduands, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who is also the Chairman of OTC Institute’s Board of Governors, also presented awards to honour trainers, unions and management who have contributed to the Institute’s programmes and activities.
The Leadership Trailblazer Award recognises unions that have demonstrated sustained commitment to developing union officials’ leadership capabilities through OTC Institute’s training programmes and engaging activities. This year’s five award recipients are:
The Workplace Partnership Award honours unions and companies that have made efforts to forge and strengthen labour-management relations through the OTC Institute’s programmes. Two award recipients of this year are:
For the first time, the Workplace Partnership Award (Gold) is presented to unions and companies that have demonstrated strong commitment to institutionalise good labour-management relations through OTC Institute’s programmes. This year’s three award recipients are:
Mr S Thiagarajan, Director, OTC Institute, commended, ““We congratulate our graduands on completing their studies. Their commitment to lifelong learning is commendable. In particular, the unionists deserve special mention. They are mainly volunteers with full time jobs giving time to look after workers’ interests at the workplace. The strong support from enlightened employers for training of union leaders is encouraging. We hope more will follow such examples as the labour movement steps up leadership renewal and development in our unions. Well trained unionists are an asset not only for the labour movement, but also for businesses and the country.”
Some 300 people attended the event comprising members of the OTC Institute Board of Governors as well as graduands and their family members.
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