This is a contribution piece by NTUC LearningHub. Any quotes should be attributed back to the author. 27 February 2019.
What do a supermarket group, an aerospace entity, a government statutory board, and a telecommunications company have in common?
Well for starters - none of them have been spared from the digital and technological disruption, a trend that poses both challenges and opportunities to their businesses.
But that’s not all they have in common – with incredible union support and outreach, all four of these organisations – ST Aerospace, Dairy Farm Group, Public Utilities Board (PUB), and Singtel – have boldly taken the first step with their employees to embrace and leverage digital disruption with the SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace (SFDW) programme.
Led by SkillsFuture Singapore and launched by Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung in October 2017, this national initiative aims to equip Singaporeans with basic digital skills required at the future workplace and in their daily lives, as well as cultivate a positive mindset towards change.
Aimed at benefiting 100,000 Singaporeans over three years, NTUC LearningHub was one of the first seven appointed training partners to deliver this programme, and has since rolled it out to over 100 companies of all sizes.
During the programme’s pilot phase, the Labour Movement network was a keen supporter, and NTUC LearningHub partnered the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute to encourage union leaders to attend the programme.
Over 50 union branch leaders came forward to form classes on their own and their positive feedback translated into tremendous union support for the programme. Amongst the many unions who lent their support were the likes of Singapore Industrial and Services Employees’ Union (SISEU) and Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU), who recognised the benefits of the programme and encouraged unionised companies like Dairy Farm Group, ST Aerospace and Singapore Power, amongst many others, to embark on this digital journey with their employees.
With strong support from the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees’ Union (SISEU), NTUC LearningHub worked with ST Aerospace to customise the SFDW programme in alignment with the Aerospace Industry Transformation Map (ITM). The ITM is an industry roadmap conceived by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) to drive transformation in the Aerospace sector.
The customised programme also exposed learners to the latest technologies that ST Aerospace will be adopting in their business transformation. Six initial pilot classes took place in 2018, and a further 23 classes will roll out in 2019, equipping over 400 ST Aerospace employees with a future-ready mindset to tackle the upcoming digital changes in the aerospace industry.
The Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) was another strong supporter of digital transformation in our work with Dairy Farm Group. Over 600 employees from Giant, Cold Storage, 7-11, and Guardian will be undergoing a customised programme focused on aligning employees with the company’s adoption of new technologies aimed at enhancing business outcomes.
In consultation with Dairy Farm’s Learning & Development team, NTUC LearningHub customised the programme to teach learners how to use the company’s mobile application for staff discounts, make e-claims, as well as navigate the company’s e-learning portal for self-learning and development.
Response to this customised programme was so positive that FDAWU proposed to NTUC LearningHub to further customise a version targeting older workers to address their most pressing needs, including healthy aging, re-employment and retirement planning.
Together with FDAWU, NTUC LearningHub customised the SFDW Evergreen programme to help older workers keep pace with technological changes in both their work and daily lives.
Yet another union that lent their support was the Public Utilities Board Employees’ Union (PUBEU), which encouraged PUB to embark on SFDW with approximately 2,700 employees. With the slew of digital technologies that PUB will be adopting in the coming years, the programme was customised to develop employees’ confidence in working with new technologies such as robots and drones.
A company we just cannot leave out is Singtel, the first company to launch customised SFDW programmes for their employees. Being at the forefront of digital transformation, Singtel also makes it a priority to ensure that their employees are not left behind on this digital journey.
In consultation with Singtel’s Learning & Development team, NTUC LearningHub launched two customised SFDW programmes targeting employees with varying levels of digital capabilities and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to keep up with Singtel’s digital transformation journey.
In addition to the two customised programmes, employees can also choose from a suite of electives to learn about other trending technologies such as blockchain, coding and data analytics.
Over 13,000 individuals have undergone the SFDW programme with NTUC LearningHub. Approximately half of them were sent by their companies, and the other half registered for the programme on their own.
Individuals who register for our public classes can expect to learn about emerging technology trends such as cybersecurity, data analytics and innovation, as well as go on a field trip to learn how an organisation has stood the test of time and kept up with digital changes to remain at the cutting edge.
Past participants have thoroughly enjoyed the experiential and hands-on nature of the programme. Finally, you can expect to leave the class with a digitally-empowered mindset and future-ready confidence in an ever-changing workplace!
If you are wondering how your future workplace, or even just how Singapore as a Smart Nation in the future will look like, approach your HR about the SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace (SFDW) programme, leave us an enquiry or call us at 6336 5482, or look out for our upcoming SFDW Mega Roadshow to speak personally with our friendly course consultants! Our SFDW Mega Roadshow will be held at Toa Payoh Hub from 4 – 10 March, with free class previews and opportunities for you to try out different new technologies. There will also be a chance to win a luxury cruise holiday!
Join the thousands before you and take your first step towards your digital future awaiting you!
