Some 500 companies nationwide will get a chance to deepen their digital capabilities and stay competitive by the end of 2022 with the new SME Digital Reboot programme.
The programme was launched after an agreement was signed on 9 March 2021 by NTUC LearningHub (LHUB), NTUC U SME, United Overseas Bank’s (UOB) innovation accelerator The FinLab, and Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
The SME Digital Reboot programme is led by LHUB and taps on the strengths of the partners to help companies keep pace with the digitalisation. This will be done through an end-to-end solution covering needs assessment, curated training programmes and workplace learning sessions.
NTUC U SME will leverage their broad network of SMEs and associations to boost outreach efforts; The FinLab will provide companies access to a range of digital resources and tools; LHUB and Ngee Ann Polytechnic will provide training across five tracks such as digital communication, workflow and process automation, and digital marketing.
“NTUC U SME is committed to providing targeted assistance to our partner SMEs, to help their workers upskill and their company transform digitally to adapt in the post-COVID-19 world. SMEs are one of the key pillars of Singapore economy employing a large portion of Singapore’s workforce.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic lecturers, graduates and student will also assist to implement workplace learning.
The programme will focus strongly on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, it is open to companies of all sizes, according to the partners.
SMEs employ than 75 per cent of Singapore’s workforce and contribute an estimated half of Singapore’s GDP.
“Many SMEs think of digital transformation as an exclusive measure only larger companies can afford as they are unaware of the assistance available to drive digital transformation in their own SMEs.
“The SME Digital Reboot programme aims to create a mindset shift for SME employers, push for upskilling of SME employees, and help SMEs create sustainable business tools for them to adapt to changes,” the partners said in a release.
Through a pilot programme, 38 companies have benefitted from the ‘reboot’ by turning digital disruption into opportunities for their businesses.
The Association of Employment Agencies Singapore (AEAS) was a key industry association that benefited from the programme. AEAS members are made up of manpower-lean employment agencies where staff training absenteeism is seen as manpower costs incurred.
As an early adopter of the SME Digital Reboot programme, AEAS signed a memorandum of understanding with NTUC U SME on the same day as the programme’s launch to commit more of its members to come on board.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, who attended the launch, said: “NTUC, LHUB and our unions will continue to partner with our employers to transform their workforce as technology is fast evolving the workplace and business operations. As the road to digitalisation gathers pace, I am confident that with the SME Digital Reboot programme's launch, our SME employers will have a positive mindset shift and gain confidence in investing in their workers, upskill their digital skills to remain relevant and keep pace with the times.
“Simultaneously, we will accelerate our SMEs’ and companies' transformation by building digital competencies which are vital in driving Singapore's transformed business landscape.”
