The Labour Movement marked the start of the electronics and precision and machinery engineering (EPME) month at a United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries (UWEEI) dinner and dance event on 4 August 2017. The initiative is part of its efforts to address challenges such as disruption and digitalisation in the manufacturing industry, especially in the EPME sectors.
Spearheaded by the NTUC’s EPME Cluster and NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), the initiative aims to equip some 1,000 working professionals and technicians from the EMPE sectors with the right skill sets for the jobs of tomorrow.
Key activities in the month-long event include a career fair at ITE College Central near the end of August, 30 EPME-related training courses and a one-day seminar at Singapore Polytechnic.
Working Together
Themed “A journey towards industry 4.0”, the EPME month was kicked off with a signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between NTUC’s EPME Cluster, e2i, and several tertiary institutions and companies.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who chairs the UWEEI council of advisors, Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, who is a member of the UWEEI council of advisors, and UWEEI President Fahmi Abu Bakar witnessed the signing of the MOU.
"We must constantly adapt ourselves to the new environment and embrace lifelong learning. In doing so, we will be able to seize new opportunities to find good jobs and improve our livelihood," urged Mdm Halimah in her speech at the event.
In a media release, NTUC said that the manufacturing industry is not spared from the pressures of disruption and digitalisation despite being one of the major pillars of growth of Singapore's economy.
“While some companies have been forced to shift their lower-value added manufacturing overseas, there are still opportunities for growth and development. Working people from the manufacturing industry will also need to develop a set of deep technical skills to work with digital technology and pick up soft skills for cross-industry partnerships,” said NTUC.
NTUC’s EPME Cluster consists of five unions that include UWEEI, the Metal Industries Workers’ Union, NatSteel Employees’ Union, The Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers' Union and Singapore Technologies Electronics Employees' Union.
The manufacturing industry accounts for 20 to 25 per cent of Singapore’s gross domestic product, with key industry clusters in electronics, transport engineering, chemicals, biomedical sciences and logistics.
For more information on the EPME month, visit e2i.com.sg/EPMEmonth.
