Former Labour Chief and Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say will take over Eugene Wong as NTUC LearningHub (LHUB) chairman.
LHUB announced the appointment in a media release on 3 June 2022.
As a strong advocate for workers’ training and skills upgrading, Mr Lim has always applied his mind wholeheartedly in search of ways to help workers stay employable, said LHUB.
Mr Lim is currently a trustee and advisor of NTUC and chairman of the NTUC-Administration and Research Unit Board of Trustees. He continues to be an advisor to NTUC Enterprise Co-operative Ltd and the deputy chairman of the Singapore Labour Foundation.
“Firstly, I would like to show my utmost appreciation and respect to Brother Eugene Wong for his critical leadership in helming NTUC LHUB in the last two years. Having been part of the Labour Movement since 1996, I strongly believe that helping workers acquire better skills, secure better jobs and pursue better careers is a journey with no end.
“I look forward to working and innovating with the LHUB team, led by our recently appointed CEO Jeremy Ong, as well as our tripartite partners to achieve the best possible and most sustainable outcomes for our workers,” said Mr Lim.
While at NTUC, Mr Lim initiated the Skills Redevelopment Programme in 1996, to equip workers with skills to transit into new jobs and sectors, and the establishment of NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employable Institute) in 2008 to help workers upgrade their skills and secure jobs amid the Global Financial Crisis.
Mr Lim also drove the NTUC-initiated Progressive Wage Model in 2012, to help lower-wage workers progress the skills, career, and productivity and wage ladders.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said: “As a former labour chief, Swee Say has paved the way for championing our workers’ needs and interests through his contributions over the years. With a heart for our workers, he also brings with him a wealth of experience, leadership prowess and an impeccable track record during his time in the Labour Movement and public service. There is no better appointment right now to strengthen our workers’ compact through upskilling initiatives for every segment of our workforce.”
Mr Wong’s contributions as LHUB’s chairman were especially essential during the period of leadership transition, after the sudden passing of the late-Kwek Kok Kwong, LHUB’s former CEO, in 2020.
Under his leadership and guidance, Mr Wong helped LHUB achieve a record of over 520,000 training places in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic to help workers tide through this challenging period. He also led NTUC LHUB most notably in augmenting the company’s training capabilities to support the Enhanced Training Support Package (ETSP) and SGUnited Skills (SGUS) programme.
Mr Wong will continue to serve NTUC LHUB in his new appointment as Deputy Chairman.
