1 In an effort to strengthen the “software” of the Aljunied GRC, over 80 hawkers and hawker assistants in Paya Lebar Kovan attended a half-day skills training course organised by Paya Lebar Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC) this morning.
2 Many of these hawkers and hawker assistants would not have much opportunity to go for training to upgrade their skills in the past, other than the mandatory food hygiene training, which is a hawker licensing requirement. But with help from Mdm Cynthia Phua, Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC and Adviser to the Paya Lebar CCC, and support from the North-East Community Development Council, these hawkers and hawker assistants can now go for training and upgrading to enhance their skills, which in turn, would help to raise their earning capabilities.
3 The skills training course, “Customer Service is for Everybody”, held at the Paya Lebar Kovan Community Club, is the first course that has been identified and customised to cater to the training needs and operational constraints, like long working hours, of the hawkers and hawker assistants. This course aims to create a greater awareness of customer service among them, but more importantly, it serves as a first step for them towards continuous learning and training.
4 The Paya Lebar CCC has worked closely with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the NTUC LearningHub to identify a suitable training provider to customise the course content and training approach – lowering any barriers to learning and training – for the hawkers and hawker assistants. The main objective of our skills training efforts is to equip the hawkers and hawker assistants with better skills so that they are able to achieve higher earning capabilities, and therefore make a better living. Following this course, we will explore other areas of training that would help enhance their skills further.
5 At the end of the skills training course today, Mdm Cynthia Phua presented the hawkers and hawker assistants with certificates of participation to recognise their enthusiasm and willingness to go for training.
6 Mdm Cynthia Phua said, “I am very encouraged by and proud of their efforts in attending this morning’s skills training course. I have long wanted to help this group of hawkers and hawker assistants from my constituency. While workers in other industries and sectors are generally able to find training opportunities, these hawkers and hawker assistants lack the chance to go for skills upgrading. But now, with the skills training courses that my CCC and NTUC have planned for them, there will be more opportunities for them to upgrade themselves and earn a better living.”
Dr Tan Kow Wah
Chairman
Enterprise Committee
Paya Lebar Citizens’ Consultative Committee
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