~ NTUC signs MOU with ITE to support 1,500 students annually with career preparatory support, including sectoral career mentorships
~ NTUC launches the new NTUC Starter Membership to help youths transiting from school to work
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) announced today its partnership with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to provide sector-specific career mentorships, pre-employment workshops and work opportunities for youths. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed at Young NTUC’s annual signature symposium, LIT DISCOvery 2023. At the event, NTUC also launched the new NTUC Starter Membership, priced at $36 annually for youths between 18 and 25 years old. This comes after the conclusion of the Youth Taskforce’s (YTF) engagements with 10,568 youths. Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong was the Guest-of-Honour at the event, held at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.
NTUC partners ITE to help youths with their careers
In his speech, NTUC Secretary-General (SG) Ng Chee Meng shared how the MOU signing with ITE would benefit more than 1,500 youths annually through career and employment opportunities. NTUC SG Ng said, “This experience hopefully will build towards a larger space beyond our Career Starter Lab. We have more students and youths coming into this programme, partnering educators and the companies that we are reaching out to. And very importantly, the pre-employment workshops will really be quite fun.”
NTUC’s collaboration with ITE is a step to strengthen partnerships with Institutes of Higher Learning and complement the post-IHL graduate employment support that is provided. The MOU signing ceremony was held ahead of the closure of the Youth Taskforce at LIT DISCOvery 2023. YTF released its key findings and recommendations in the report, titled, “The New Gen Worker Report 2023”. For more details of the report, please visit https://bit.ly/ytfreport2023. The report, released on 13 July 2023, detailed recommendations on providing youths with greater accessibility to mentorship; providing short-term work trials with workplace mentorship for freshly graduated youths through NTUC Career Starter Lab pilot; more training of mental well-being peer supporters in the workplace; offering a new NTUC Starter Membership; and advocating for employers to provide higher quality internship experiences. Reflecting on his experience engaging with the youths over the year through the YTF, SG Ng added that he had learnt about youths who want a more connected, diverse, and inclusive workplace. He added that youths hope that the management of companies can understand them better and accommodate their desires.
NTUC Starter Membership to help kickstart the careers of youths
At the event, DPM Lawrence Wong, NTUC President Mary Liew, Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng and Assistant Secretary-General Desmond Choo, along with four youths who participated in YTF’s engagements, launched the new NTUC Starter Membership. The membership will provide an integrated and holistic product with features to address and fulfil the career, lifestyle, and transitory needs of youths between 18 and 25 years old. The NTUC Starter Membership’s perks are curated after many rounds of consultations with youths. The NTUC Starter membership aims to reach its target of 2,500 by the end of this year. Applicants can register for membership at https://bit.ly/3ObvQci. For more details of the membership, please see Annex A.
NTUC to continue engaging youths and understanding their needs and concerns as society evolves
DPM Lawrence Wong also toured the revamped Youth Hub exhibition. One of the key components of the NTUC Youth Taskforce was the Youth Hub, a roving exhibition which was launched at LIT DISCOvery 2022. The exhibition which aimed to engage youths through a series of activities where they can share their aspirations and concerns; take a career profiling test; and learn new tips on starting their new job or internship right for career success, had roved to many school campuses and other spaces intended for youths. The revamped Youth Hub at LIT DISCOvery 2023 will showcase the key findings from the YTF and new initiatives that NTUC will embark on. Youths are also invited to continue sharing their perspectives, concerns, challenges, worries and desires in their future workplace.
LIT DISCOvery is an aggregated career discovery resource platform organised by Young NTUC, supported by the National Youth Council. LIT DISCOvery aims to encourage youths to take charge and design their own careers, as well as continuously upskill to stay relevant and competitive.
# # #
