NTUC and the Singapore Institution of Safety Officers (SISO) have launched a Community of Practice (CoP) to bring together unions, safety experts and industry leaders to strengthen Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) standards across the Hospitality and Consumer Business (HCB) sector.
The initiative was revealed at the inaugural HCB symposium on 11 November 2024 by NTUC HCB Cluster Chairman Andy Lim and SISO President Bernard Lew.
The new CoP by NTUC and SISO will curate workplace safety sessions and content for workers in the hotel, cleaning, and building sectors.
The sessions will focus on key industry-specific safety issues, such as slip, trip, and fall hazards, and working at height risks, guided by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the WSH Council's advice.
The CoP will also promote the use of innovative safety technologies to reduce the need for workers to engage in dangerous tasks, enhance their situational awareness, and minimise workplace accidents.
Additionally, the partnership will support knowledge-sharing through learning journeys, fireside chats, and networking sessions to strengthen safety culture in the HCB sector and equip companies and workers with critical safety skills.
Mr Andy Lim said: “The Community of Practice is a proactive, hands-on approach to addressing safety in the Hospitality and Consumer Business sector. By working together on practical areas like risk assessment and adopting safety solutions, we are equipping workers and companies with a robust foundation for safe practices.”
Partnerships to create jobs and upskill Workers
Meanwhile, three other partnerships aimed at creating jobs and supporting worker upskilling were also signed at the symposium.
A partnership between NTUC LearningHub (NTUC LHUB) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) ensure hospitality and tourism sector workers are equipped with sustainable tourism training.
NTUC LHUB and GSTC will co-develop new programmes that will provide essential knowledge in sustainability for tourism professionals.
They will upskill workers, including those in the HCB sector, with specialised training in sustainable practices.
With the partnership, NTUC LHUB will offer Singapore-focused programmes to boost tourism and events management skills.
NTUC LHUB and GSTC will develop new courses, like the GSTC Sustainable Attractions Course and Sustainability 101, to provide essential sustainability knowledge for tourism professionals.
This collaboration will improve workers’ employability and job prospects in local and international companies in Singapore, helping businesses meet market demands with a more skilled workforce.
NTUC also partnered with international tea beverage brand CHAGEE, and Artificial Intelligence Singapore (AISG) to create 1,000 new jobs by 2025 and train workers to leverage artificial intelligence.
NTUC and CHAGEE aim to improve the wages, welfare, and career paths of CHAGEE employees through NTUC’s Company Training Committee and Training and Placement Ecosystem.
The partnership will address CHAGEE’s business and training needs by creating tailored programmes aligned with industry standards.
The 1,000 jobs by 2025 that CHAGEE plans to create will supported by NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute).
Meanwhile, the partnership between NTUC and AISG aims to educate companies with NTUC CTCs on Generative AI through advisory workshops like AISG’s AI Ready Clinics for Leaders.
AISG will also provide an AI Readiness Index (AIRI) assessment tool to help evaluate companies' AI maturity.
As businesses adopt AI, workers will gain opportunities to upskill and adapt to new AI tools, allowing them to meet workplace needs and boost productivity in AI-driven environments.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, who was guest of honour at the symposium, said that memoranda of understanding acts as a stepping stone for NTUC to build relationships with those unfamiliar with the congress or the work it does.
He said: “Putting our signatures to documents will allow trajectories of collaborations that would otherwise have not been possible.”
Mr Ng also urged 300 attendees at the symposium to work with NTUC to transform the businesses with NTUC’s Company Training Committee (CTC) initiative.
“Let us all upskill ourselves as partners, upgrade our relationships, and more strategically, uphold tripartism,” he said.
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