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To help workers stay relevant and tap on opportunities brought about by digitalisation, The Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers’ Union (SMMWU) has been reaching out to various companies to form Company Training Committees (CTC) that will support workforce upskilling efforts. In this vein, SMMWU will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with EM Services that will support the transformation and training plans for half of the company’s workforce from its township business segment, which currently manages more than 60% of Singapore’s townships.
As part of the MOU, SMMWU and EM Services commit to form a CTC that will benefit some 1,100 rank-and-file employees, of which, 65% are aged 40 and above.Job classification of employees impacted by the CTC include those working in Property Management (32%), Technicians and Supervisors (32%), Admin Support (29%), Horticulture Management, Project Management and Operations Support (7%).
Making transformation real for facilities management workers
Under this MOU, SMMWU and EM Services will prepare their employees in meeting current and future needs of the facilities management sector, with a focus on building up their adaptive, technology and technical skills. SMMWU will build on EM Services’ existing training plans, which have seen employees being trained in Building Information Modelling (BIM) and the use of GOfm – its integrated system that digitalises the company’s work processes, allowing individual town councils to conduct active monitoring, knowledge building and crisis management through the use of big data.Over the next three to five years, the union will also support the company’s foray into new training areas such as drone operations and data interpretation and analysis.
SMMWU will leverage its ground network to help workers understand how their jobs may evolve in tandem with digitalisation and technological advancement.Together with NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and NTUC LearningHub, SMMWU will also rally workers to keep a positive mindset towards changes and mobilise them for training opportunities to ensure they stay relevant and resilient with the necessary skills in line with future growth of the sector.
The MOU will be formally inked at SMMWU’s 60th Anniversary Dinner at Mandarin Orchard Hotel on Friday, 29 November 2019, witnessed by Guest-of-Honour Mr Ng Chee Meng, Secretary-General of NTUC. At the event, training MOUs will also be signed with five other companies, pledging to set up CTCs prioritising upskilling initiatives that will benefit more than 5,300 workers collectively. The companies (and approximate number of workers reached) are BHG Singapore (150), Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital (300), Orchid Country Club & Aranda Country Club (50), Parkway Pantai (3,800) and ST Engineering Land Systems (1,000).
Mr David Yeo, Secretary-General of SMMWU, said, “Industry 4.0 has brought about new opportunities and challenges for workers in every sector. SMMWU is committed to help our workers upskill and build their capabilities so they feel confident, competitive and relevant amidst this rapidly changing workscape. We look forward to partnering these six companies to achieve ‘win-win’ outcomes for both the businesses and workers.”
Mr Tony Khoo, CEO of EM Services, said, “To survive in today’s rapidly changing world where technologies disrupt everything and challenge existing business models, we have to adapt quickly. In a service industry like facility management, where human resource is our greatest asset, to adapt means to continuously upskill to be relevant to our customers. EM Services has been training its people all this while, and with the formation of the Company Training Committee with SMMWU, the effort of training and learning will be further emphasised and intensified.”
Mr Ng Chee Meng, Secretary-General of NTUC, said, “I’m encouraged that these companies have agreed to partner SMMWU in upskilling their employees. Business transformation must go hand-in-hand with workers’ training. Higher skilled workers improve company productivity and profits, and workers also benefit in the long run with improved work prospects and wages. The Labour Movement remains committed to form more Company Training Committees so as to equip Singapore’s workforce with adaptive, technical and technology skills that are necessary for jobs of the future.”
Mr Gilbert Tan, CEO of NTUC’s e2i, said, “e2i is heartened to be a part of this CTC along with EM Services, Parkway Hospitals Singapore, Singapore Technologies Land Systems Ltd, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, BHG Singapore Pte Ltd and Orchid Country Club & Aranda Country Club. In the fast-digitalizing employment landscape, it is imperative for workers to understand how technology will affect their jobs and change the way they work. The formation of this CTC thus comes at a timely moment to future-proof the workforce as e2i partners them in upskilling efforts. NTUC’s e2i stays committed to partner companies in various placement and training initiatives in order to help workers move in tandem with the sector’s transformations.”
Mr Kwek Kok Kwong, CEO of NTUC LearningHub, said, “Facilities management is changing rapidly due to technological innovations in building management, space requirement and infrastructure. These changes have resulted in a renewed job scope for facility managers, transforming their day-to-day duties as we look into the future. NTUC LearningHub is glad to partner with EM Services, BHG Singapore, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, Orchid Country Club & Aranda Country Club, Parkway Pantai and ST Engineering Land Systems, SMMWU and e2i to help workers take advantage of these emerging trends and stay ready, relevant and resilient. The first step will be a pilot class for the SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace programme, which is a SkillsFuture initiative that equips Singaporeans with foundational digital skills and a mindset for digital transformation. But this is only the first step and together, we will continue to walk this journey with the workers as their lifelong partner in learning.”
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