The manufacturing sector is becoming one of the most technologically disrupted industries, with robotics and automation becoming more widespread.
Over 13 per cent of Singapore’s workforce is employed in this sector, and it is the largest contributor to the nation’s GDP at 21.4 per cent in 2018.
Something needs to be done to help workers ride the wave of transformation, and that is precisely what 32 companies, seven unions, along with NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) are trying to do.
Over 12,000 local workers in the manufacturing sector will now have access to more training opportunities, after the companies, unions and e2i committed to setting up company training committees (CTCs) in the respective organisations.
The agreements were formalised with memoranda of understanding (MOUs) signed on 31 May 2019 at Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability.
Of the workers who will benefit from the CTCs, 70 per cent are professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs).
Together with the help of unions and e2i, the companies’ management will get to assess skills development gaps and develop training programmes to prepare their workers for technological and digital change.
According to NTUC, unionists will use their ground advantage to understand the training needs of different worker groups while encouraging them to have the right mindset towards transformation.
They will also work with the management to partner training providers through e2i to create customised training suited to the specific needs of workers.
NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Koh Poh Koon said: “As compared to their counterparts in other countries, Singapore’s companies and workers in the manufacturing sector are very well supported – not only do they enjoy grants and assistance from the Government to move towards Industry 4.0, but they can also tap on our unions to help hold the ground and mobilise workers for training.
“This is possible with tripartism, and the CTCs are a result of that. The CTCs will help to drive transformation within the company and ensure that workers are not being left behind. At the end of the day, we want our workers to be able to enjoy better wages, welfare, and work prospects as the company successfully transforms.”
Singapore Industrial & Services Employees Union (SISEU) was one of the unions that had committed to working with the management to setting up CTCs with nine of its unionised companies.
“With the increasing pace of change, workers’ training has become even more urgent than ever before. SISEU encourages our workers to take ownership of the upgrading of their skills and remains committed to working together with management, e2i and training providers to form Company Training Committee (CTC) to drive the change. This will also help our workers secure the 3Ws – better wages, better work prospects, and better welfare,” said SISEU President Sazali Zainal.
The other six unions were Chemical Industries Employees’ Union, with six companies; Keppel Employees’ Union, working with one; Metal Industries Workers’ Union, with seven companies; Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Employees Union, with three companies;United Workers of Electrics and Electrical Industries, with five companies; and United Workers of Petroleum Industries, with one company.
To date, more than 50 CTCs have been set up. NTUC announced earlier this year that it is looking to set up 1,000 CTCs in the next three years.
