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Sitecore Context Id: 10774fd3-4f5f-4f4b-b5ba-23b9c9c02db9;
• NTUC signed SCA as its newest U Associate, aiming to support the development and professional growth of PMETs in the logistics and supply chain sector
• Tripartite MOU objectives are aligned with Singapore Government’s Logistics Sectoral Manpower Plan for companies to adopt a manpower-lean strategy and to build a stronger Singaporean Core
• SCA also launches Singapore’s inaugural Young Logistics Leadership Programme (YL2P) and the first Supply Chain Hackathon to reach out to students, start-ups, institutions and corporations
• 60 PMETs are expected to benefit from the first run of YL2P
Singapore, 19 May, 2016 – Supply Chain Asia (SCA) signed two MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding) today – with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA). SCA is a professional body that connects and trains logistics and supply chain industry professionals.
The ceremony, witnessed by NTUC Secretary-General, Mr Chan Chun Sing, and held at the Harley-Davidson Distribution Centre, was attended by about 60 guests including supply chain industry leaders, top government officers and representatives from local tertiary institutions.
Tripartite MOU to Launch YL2P: Creating Strong Singaporean Core and Higher Value Jobs
SCA, WDA and NTUC signed their first tripartite MOU to:
• build a pipeline of future industry leaders for the logistics industry; and
• enable companies to tap on innovation and manpower-lean strategies to stay competitive.
Under the MOU, the three parties will promote manpower-lean practices and advanced supply chain technologies, as well as develop specialist leadership skills aligned to the Logistics Sectoral Manpower Plan. These will be done through conferences, capability transfer masterclasses and workshops over a one-year period.
The tripartite MOU was signed today by Mr Paul Lim, founder and president of SCA; Mr Vivek Kumar, Director, U Associate and U Future Leaders, NTUC; and Ms Julia Ng, Senior Director, Enterprise Development Group, WDA.
Ms Julia Ng, Senior Director, Enterprise Development Group, WDA said: “As a global logistics hub, Singapore requires a pool of local talent with deep specialist skills to capitalise on growth opportunities brought about by e-commerce, with high-value jobs available for solution designers, automation specialists and information system specialists. Through the MOU, WDA will collaborate with SCA and NTUC to equip the workforce with technical and leadership skills to enhance their career progression. This will also help to build a highly-skilled logistics workforce with a strong Singaporean core.”
Singapore’s Young Logistics Leadership Programme (YL2P) will be the first initiative under the MOU to be launched. The programme, to be spearheaded by SCA later this year, will be co-developed by the three parties to attract and develop young talent in the logistics industry to meet future manpower demand. About 60 PMETs in the logistics sector will benefit from first run of the YL2P.
SCA Joins U Associate Ecosystem to Become the 32nd U Associate
SCA also signed its first MOU with NTUC today, becoming the 32nd U Associate of the Labour Movement.
Through this maiden partnership with SCA, NTUC U Associate can extend its reach to further connect with employees and personnel from the sector. In addition to joint outreach programmes like the YL2P, the collaboration aims to provide logistics and supply chain professionals with professional development, training and networking opportunities with both industry practitioners as well as non-logistics practitioners. The ecosystem of 32 U Associates across 21 sectors will add a unique value to the manpower and training efforts.
The supply chain industry forms the backbone of many sectors in the economy, which contributed to almost half of the nation’s GDP last year: transportation and storage (7.4% of GDP), manufacturing (19.8%) and wholesale/retail (15.6%). The industry accounts for 150,000 to 180,000 jobs locally.
These numbers are expected to grow significantly in upcoming years as the logistics sector, which is one of the global economy’s bright spots, rides on the back of explosive growth in e-commerce and m-commerce in Asia. For instance, retail e-commerce sales alone in the Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at about 30% annually for the next two years.
“With the rise of e-commerce, the logistics and supply chain sector is expected to see further growth. NTUC, as an unusual Labour Movement, will partner with Supply Chain Asia, our latest U Associate, to engage, develop and groom Singaporean talent and leaders to meet the demands of the logistics and supply chain sector,” said Mr Vivek Kumar.
Driving Innovation: Singapore’s first Supply Chain Hackathon
To further attract young talents and inspire new tech concepts in the logistics sector, SCA will launch Singapore’s first Supply Chain Hackathon aimed at fostering an innovation-driven culture and encouraging the development of tech solutions to meet today’s industry needs. The hackathon was launched with support from WDA, DHL, NTUC, EDB (Singapore Economic Development Board), SPRING and IncuVest.
Themed “Improving Productivity through Optimisation of Manpower”, the hackathon challenges participants to develop innovative solutions to address real world problems.
Teams from tertiary students, start-ups and commercial organisations stand a chance to win total prize money of S$10,000 sponsored by DHL.
Ms Pang Mei Yee, Vice President, Innovation, Solution Delivery & Service Management, Asia Pacific, DHL said, “The logistics industry is undergoing a profound transformation. Customer- centric innovation is key to future proof our relevance. We are excited to learn from the local innovation community through this inaugural hackathon.”
SCA’s Founding Chairman, Dr Robert Yap, said: “This inaugural partnership with NTUC and WDA marks a watershed in the supply chain industry. Logistics is in fact one of the first sectors in the implementation of the Singapore Government’s Industry Transformation Programme and SCA is well-positioned to play a strategic role in the industry’s transformation through manpower training and professional development.”
Since its inception in 2005, SCA, which is a non-profit body, has been linking people from various sectors of the industry, creating opportunities for collaborations through various networking and annual events. In addition to a growing membership of more than 1,000 corporate and individual members, SCA also provides logistics and supply chain management (SCM) training courses to equip participants with relevant skills to meet the ever-changing demands of the industry.
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