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New bus captains will now receive their foundational core training at the Singapore Bus Academy (SGBA).
Located at Devan Nair Institute of Employment and Employability and officially opened on 17 October 2016, the SGBA will kick off with the Enhanced Vocational Licence Training Programme at the end of the month with an initial batch of 30 trainees.
The five-day programme, which is a requirement of the Omnibus Drivers’ Vocational Licence (ODVL), comprises six modules conducted by trainers from SGBA, SMRT, SBS Transit and the
National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU), with
NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability) acting as the academy’s programme manager.
The six modules are: Overview of public transport industry; ODVL and regulations; sectoral tripartism; overview of bus ticketing system and common fleet management systems; service literacy; and safe driving techniques.
As per the union’s feedback, part of the programme will be conducted in Mandarin.
Speaking at the launch, Senior Minister of State (SMS) for Transport Josephine Teo said: “This programme will cover essential proficiency requirements and will complement the in-house training efforts of individual operators that are more tailored to suit their own operating practices.
SMS Teo also said that 6,000 bus captains are expected to benefit from the programme over the next three years, with the Land Transport Authority and e2i providing training grants to cover 70 per cent of the course fees for local bus captains.
Deepening Capabilities
The SGBA will also be looking to offer courses that will deepen capabilities of bus captains. These courses, which will address technological advancements and competency gaps, will be part of the academy’s second phase and will be announced at a later date.
There also plans to offer refresher courses, advanced-level modules and training opportunities to other professionals such as technicians in the industry.
Beyond a training centre, the academy will also serve as a career resource centre, where the public will be able to find information they need should they wish to explore joining the industry as a career option.
e2i CEO Gilbert Tan said: “Individuals seeking a career in the bus industry will have access to career guidance advisory on career prospects and pathways, as well as be job-matched with hiring employers. Bus professionals will enjoy continuous and structured skills training, and upgrading opportunities to be more competent and perform their jobs better.”
Being Future-Ready
The SGBA is part of the public bus industry manpower map that was announced earlier this year on 6 May in an effort to raise professionalism of the industry and build a strong Singaporean core through attracting, retaining and upskilling the workforce.
“Investing in hardware alone is of course not enough. We depend on a high quality, professional workforce to translate these investments into better commuter experiences on the ground. This is why developing our human resource must be a key pillar of our overall efforts,” said SMS Teo.
NTWU Executive Secretary Melvin Yong added that the public bus industry is fast changing and expanding rapidly. Bus professionals need to be updated of the changing work environment and learn new and relevant skills so that they can stay prepared, be equipped and be future-ready for new, changing jobs in the industry.
The Singapore Bus Academy
Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability
80 Jurong East Street 21
Level 6
For enquiries, email lta_sgba@lta.gov.sg.
Source: NTUC This Week
