The Labour Movement and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will work closely together to build the competencies and capabilities of built environment workers and help transform the sector.
To formalise the partnership, NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), Building Construction and Timber Industries Employees’ Union (BATU), and BCA signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 24 August 2017 at the BCA Academy.It was witnessed by NTUC Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing and BCA Chief Executive Hugh Lim.
As part of the collaboration, the partners will organise training programmes, career fairs and masterclasses to support Singaporeans who wish to pursue a career in the sector.
The partnership also aims to strengthen the sector’s Singaporean core and ensure existing Singaporean workers’ skills are up to date with the changes in technology.
“The industry is fast-moving, and it is crucial for us to equip workers with new capabilities and relevant skill sets while at the same time create good career pathways for those who are keen to pursue a career in the sector,” said e2i CEO Gilbert Tan.
BCA will work with e2i to develop a list of courses at BCA Academy that could potentially benefit at least 1,000 Singaporean built environment workers per year. In the next three years, e2i and BCA will also collaborate to organise at least 10 masterclasses.
Industry Transformation
BCA’s Mr Lim called the partnership a major stepping stone for the sector and added that it is important for workers to be equipped with the latest skills and knowledge to support industry transformation.
One of the emerging areas highlighted by the partners at the MOU signing was workers’ competency in new technologies such as digital engineering, green building technology, and Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA). They added that these technologies would enable growth and raise the competitiveness of the workforce and businesses.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and BATU Executive Secretary Zainal Sapari added that the union will work with unionised companies and NTUC U Associates to identify skills gaps in the industries and encourage union members to upskill.
Earlier this year, the Committee on the Future Economy identified the built environment sector as one of the 23 sectors that will be going through a transformation. The sector’s Industry Transformation Map will be announced in October 2017.
