The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) hosted a panel discussion on 30 June 2015, Tuesday that addressed the issue of future-readiness in our professionals, managers and executives (PMEs). The panel featured Mr Liak Teng Lit, Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alexandra Health System; Mr Darius Cheung, CEO, 99.co; Mr Patrick Tay, Assistant Secretary General, NTUC; and Mr Vivek Kumar, Director of NTUC U Associate and Future Leaders Programme, who is also Honorary Chairman, Asia-Pacific Advisory Board of the global Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council.
According to the Global Talent Index Report 2015 by the Economist Intelligence Unit, many countries in the world, even in developed economies, see a serious shortage of workers possessing the critical soft skills companies require and the ability to adapt and deal with evolving situations. Recognising the importance to prepare our PME workforce to anticipate changes and be prepared for it, the panellists examined the importance of grooming PMEs, and the qualities future-ready leaders should possess. These include helping PMEs build up their personal branding, strengthen their resilience to adversity and change, and to become change-makers themselves with a challenger mindset.
The panel discussion was a preview in anticipation of the Future Leaders Summit 2015, which returns for the third time on 24 July 2015, Friday, at the NTUC Centre Auditorium. Organised by NTUC, this year’s summit focuses on the theme of “Future-Ready Leadership” and features keynote speeches by leaders and innovators who will share their thoughts on the challenges and trends that shape tomorrow’s workforce. The Future Leaders Summit approaches the theme not as a prescription, but a gathering of diverse viewpoints for discourse from a variety of leaders, some of whom are industry veterans, and others new to the different industries who can provide a fresh perspective.
The Future Leaders Summit is an integral part of NTUC’s Future Leaders Programme, which is a three-tier learning initiative developed to grow the capabilities of our PMEs. Together with the Future Leaders Series – smaller-scale in-depth dialogue sessions which are industry specific – and the Future Leaders Mentorship sessions, where industry leaders conduct interactive sessions in a small group setting behind closed doors to facilitate more open and honest sharing, the Future Leaders Programme supports and equips PMEs with the necessary soft skills to thrive and grow to become leaders in their own right.
This complements NTUC’s U Associate Programme, which partners industry associations to support PMEs in their professional growth through the upgrading of expertise and the technical skills required in their respective fields. Together, they form a comprehensive framework to ensure Singapore’s PME workforce remains relevant and prepared for future challenges in the workplace.
“The Future Leaders Programme is emerging as a catalyst of progression for over 15,000 PMEs since 2013. The three-tier programme strives to prime them as future-ready leaders who will be able to thrive in a rapidly changing digital age and economy,” said Mr Vivek Kumar, Director of the NTUC’s U Associate and Future Leaders Programme. “In fact, the Future Leaders Programme is part of a larger blueprint that we have mapped out for PMEs in Singapore, which involves all key stakeholders, including industry associations, employers and key industry leaders. This blueprint will serve to cultivate a dynamic environment for our PMEs to learn and grow.”
The afternoon segment of this year’s Summit has been divided into three tracks to empower participants to tailor their learning experiences based on their interests. Each track focuses on a particular facet of leadership in tomorrow’s workplace, and features a diverse line-up of noteworthy speakers.
In addition to the tracks, the Summit will also feature industry heavyweights such as Ms Chua Sock Koong, Group CEO of Singapore Telecommunications Limited; Mr Piyush Gupta, Group CEO of DBS Bank Limited; Mr Adam Khoo, Executive Chairman and Master Trainer at Adam Khoo Learning Technologies Group Private Limited; Mrs Mildred Tan, Managing Director of Ernst & Young Advisory Private Limited; Mr Liak Teng Lit, Group CEO of Alexandra Health System; and Mr Robert Gilby, Managing Director of The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia).
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