Launch of Employment and Employability Institute
30 January 2008
MEDIA RELEASE
Better jobs for life – that is the vision of the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) for workers in Singapore. Officially launched by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 1 February 2008, e2i is a one-stop, skills-based institute that equips workers with the mindset, skills and job opportunities to stay employable for life.
e2i is an initiative of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) in partnership with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF).
Earlier this week at its annual Workplan Seminar, NTUC announced its roll-out of plans to tackle issues beyond unemployment – that of also increasing the employment rate and reducing underemployment. The launch of e2i is timely as e2i will play a significant role in providing the necessary infrastructure to drive the programmes and initiatives that will address the Labour Movement’s aims.
With its ability to leverage on the unique strengths of the labour movement and its operating model of working with the tripartite players and other partners, e2i is also strategically positioned to support the national initiative to build a world-class Continuing Education and Training (CET) infrastructure.
One-stop, Skills-based Institute
e2i is a one-stop shop that provides employability assessment and coaching, skills training and job placement opportunities for workers. Its menu of programmes reaches out to a broad spectrum of existing and displaced workers with different needs and challenges. These include the retrenched, the long-term unemployed, low-wage workers, contract and casual workers, mature PMETs, older workers, and back-to-work women.
At e2i, employability coaches help these workers identify gaps in their employability and provide advice on skills training and job options. Workers can take on-the-spot assessment tests to assess their skills level under the Singapore Employability Skills Systems (ESS). They can sign up for customised Employability Camps which address the employment challenges that they face and help them effect a mindset change. Workers not only upgrade their industry skills, they also acquire soft skills in areas such as literacy, numeracy, IT, and communications. e2i also organises Job Preparation Exercises (JPE) which provide workers with information on new growth industries, the job opportunities available, and the requisite training.
Since it started operations in September 2007, e2i has placed 230 workers in jobs and generated close to 3,000 training places in the process. In 2008, e2i targets to place 2000 workers in jobs and generate 10,000 training places.
Mr Zee Yoong Kang, Chief Executive Officer of e2i, said, “At e2i, it is skills, not qualifications, that matter. Whatever the workers’ academic qualifications, our focus is on changing mindsets and equipping workers with the skills that are relevant to the workplace. We offer workers a career progression pathway that will secure for them better skills, better jobs and better pay in an ever-shifting economic landscape. In other words, we empower workers to run One Race to the Top.”
Working Through Partnerships
e2i’s business model hinges on collaborative partnerships. Working closely with the tripartite partners – government agencies, unions and employers – as well as industry associations and private training providers, e2i has put in place an infrastructure that has opened up opportunities for workers in 10 sectors. These include cleaning, education, food and beverage, generic manufacturing, healthcare, landscape, real estate, retail, security and taxi.
With its wide network of partnerships, e2i is able to reach out not only to workers, but to employers as well. e2i recognises that a competitive economy with growing job opportunities is the best insurance for workers. To this end, it also focuses its attention on boosting the competitiveness of employers. e2i works with employers to address their manpower needs and build up the skills capability of their workers. Leveraging on its partnerships, e2i is able to assist employers with customised training programmes for their workers.
For example, e2i, in collaboration with WDA and NTUC LearningHub, has been promoting the adoption of WDA’s Certificate in Generic Manufacturing (CGM). e2i initially targeted the CGM at retrenched manufacturing workers, to give them a skills certification to improve their chances at being hired again. In 2008, e2i will work with unions and employers to equip 1000 workers in the current manufacturing workforce with the CGM. This will increase the workers’ flexibility and productivity and hence their long-term employability with their current employers.
Mr Ong Ye Kung, Chief Executive Officer of WDA, said, "WDA is very glad and privileged to be able to work with the Labour Movement on e2i. Many of the training providers in e2i are WSQ quality providers that WDA has painstakingly nurtured over the years, so I am glad they have now all found a common home, under the able management of NTUC. More importantly, NTUC will help them complete the last mile of their service, which is to translate quality training courses, into better jobs and better pay for workers."
Key Driver of Job Re-creation and Industry Re-development
Job re-creation has transformed the security, landscaping and cleaning sectors. Working with government agencies, industry players and employers, e2i will now be a key driver for Job Re-creation and Industry Re-development. e2i will collaborate with the tripartite partners to increase the skills content of jobs, introduce new work techniques and technologies, and foster industry best practices.
For 2008, e2i targets to champion industry re-development in four sectors – landscaping, security, conservancy cleaning and taxi.
Key Role in CET Infrastructure
e2i is strategically positioned to play a key role in the national CET infrastructure. As an initiative of the labour movement, e2i is able to leverage on the labour movement’s unique strengths to help workers stay employable for life. These include a track record of spearheading skills upgrading and re-training for workers, a first-hand understanding of the issues and challenges faced on the ground by different categories of workers, and the ability to pool synergies with the tripartite partners to bring about better outcomes for workers. e2i will be of particular assistance to the long-term unemployed and older workers in the national CET plan.
NTUC Secretary-General Mr Lim Swee Say said, “As we reap the fruits of a growing economy and tight labour market, we must also brace our workers to weather recession fears, keener competition and rising inflation. e2i, with its outreach to a diverse background of workers, will be a key pillar in helping to raise the employment rate, lower the unemployment rate, and reduce the under-employment rate in Singapore."
Zee Yoong Kang
Chief Executive Officer
Employment and Employability Institute (e2i)
