1 Taking the National Trades Union Congress’ Cheaper Better Faster mission to heart, the Union of Power and Gas Employees (UPAGE), in partnership with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and the Energy Market Authority (EMA), has secured the commitment of its seven unionised companies to roll out WDA’s Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) framework for workers in the energy utilities industry.
2 Thanks to UPAGE’s initiative, some 8000 professionals and technicians in the energy utilities industry are set to benefit from the new framework. The framework, aimed at providing structured training, building new capabilities, creating new learning opportunities and structured progression pathways for the workers, will enhance the productivity and performance of the energy utilities workforce. (Please see Annex A for details on Energy Utilities WSQ).
3 Recognising that better training leads to better productivity, and better productivity is in the best interest of workers and the industry, UPAGE, together with WDA, e2i and EMA, approached its management partners with the idea of the Energy Utilities WSQ in September 2009. The seven unionised companies, who are major players in the industry – Singapore Power Group, City Gas, Senoko Energy, PowerSeraya, Tuas Power, Sembcorp Industries and Keppel Merlimau Cogen – gave their unanimous support.
4 The joint endeavour was sealed with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between UPAGE, the seven companies, WDA, e2i and EMA at the 4th UPAGE Quadrennial Delegates Conference held at Downtown East this morning. NTUC President Mr John De Payva, NTUC Secretary-General Mr Lim Swee Say, UPAGE Advisor Mr Sin Boon Ann, UPAGE President Mr Tay Seng Chye and UPAGE Executive Secretary Mr S. Thiagarajan, witnessed the signing ceremony. The MOU commits the signatories to collaborate in training and upgrading efforts to maintain the skills and competitiveness of the energy utilities workforce.
5 Even as the MOU was being signed, WSQ training for the first batch of 50 workers kicked off this morning at the Singapore Power Training Institute, further demonstrating the commitment of the signatories to get the initiative off to a quick start.
6 Singapore’s energy utilities sector is a competitive, fast-growing and fast-evolving sector. Workers in the industry are predominantly Singaporean, mature workers, who have been with their respective companies for an average of 10 years or more. Training and upgrading through the WSQ framework is a timely move to equip them with nationally benchmarked skill-sets. While previously, training for these workers was typically conducted in a non-structured manner, in-house or through vendor certification, under the WSQ framework, these workers will now be brought up to speed to a common industry standard. This will not only make them more productive and more competitive, it will also go a long way towards enhancing their long-term employability and portability, thus empowering them to move within the industry and reap better prospects.
7 Elaborating on the impetus behind UPAGE’s mooting and driving the idea of a WSQ for energy utilities workers, UPAGE General Secretary Mr Nachiappan Sinniah said, “UPAGE has a long track record of pushing for the training and upgrading of our workers. We did this with our daily-rated workers. We then went on to sign individual MOUs with our management partners to win their buy-in for union-initiated training. Pushing for the WSQ framework is thus a natural progression on this path. UPAGE found that the WSQ framework developed by WDA and the industry, which is competency-based rather than academic-based, would be the most suitable training pathway for our members, many of whom do not have formal academic qualifications but have a wealth of work experience. We thank our management partners for giving their wholehearted backing to this initiative.”
8 Companies recognise that a competitive workforce is the cornerstone for business success. Furthermore, the WSQ framework gives them a structured training roadmap and provides the assurance that when they recruit workers, candidates who are WSQ-trained will have the right skills for the job. All seven unionised companies have thus welcomed this win-win move. (Please see Annex B for endorsements from the companies).
9 “WDA is delighted that UPAGE, EMA and companies in the energy utilities industry have decided to adopt the Workforce Skills Qualification system to raise the skills and productivity of the industry’s workforce. With their active participation, I am confident that we can introduce industry relevant skill standards and training courses that will bring immense benefit to both workers and employers in their industry,” said Mr Chan Heng Kee, Chief Executive of WDA.
10 Also giving the move the thumbs-up was the industry regulator. Mr Lawrence Wong, Chief Executive, Energy Market Authority said, “The Energy Utilities WSQ will help deepen the skills base and enhance the productivity of workers in the energy utilities industry. With growing electricity demand and new power plants coming on stream in the next few years, we will need more skilled workers in the industry. This WSQ is therefore a timely initiative, both to upgrade the skills of existing workers, and to attract new workers for the future.”
11 That union, management and government have come together to develop and roll out the WSQ framework for an industry as diverse as the energy utilities industry is commendable. It is testimony to the strong tripartite partnership that defines Singapore’s economic landscape.
12 For UPAGE, the WSQ initiative is yet another landmark in the good labour-management relations it has forged with its unionized companies, such that the companies readily embraced the proposal put forth by the union. Indeed, how to remain a strong and effective partner at the negotiating table will be one of the key themes that UPAGE leaders will be mulling over as the union charts its strategic directions moving forward at its 4th UPAGE Quadrennial Delegates Conference.
Annex A
(A) About the Energy Utilities Industry
Overview
The electricity and gas industries in Singapore have been restructured and a competitive market framework has been put in place. This enables competition among the companies operating in the industry while ensuring the reliable and secure supply of electricity and gas to consumers.
Singapore’s energy sector sees many exciting opportunities, from gas import to electricity generation to renewable energy as demand for energy increases in tandem with economic growth.
Electricity Industry
The Singapore electricity industry had traditionally been vertically integrated and Government-owned. Tremendous progress has been made since 1995 to liberalise the electricity industry for greater efficiency and innovation. The electricity generation and retail business was separated from the natural monopoly of electricity transmission at the ownership level in 2001. The National Electricity Market of Singapore (NEMS) commenced operation on 1 Jan 2003. In the NEMS, which is a real-time electricity trading pool, generation companies compete to sell electricity every half-hour. In addition to electricity, trading of operating reserves to maintain system security and reliability also takes place in the NEMS on a half-hourly basis. Electricity retailers buy electricity from the NEMS and offer packages to sell electricity to contestable consumers. The electricity sales revenue for 2009 is about SGD 7 billion.
Gas Industry
With natural gas becoming the dominant fuel for electricity generation in Singapore, the gas industry has been restructured with a competitive market framework to support the reform of the electricity industry. The new gas industry structure has been put in place since September 2008. As part of the restructuring, the gas transport business has been separated from the competitive business of gas import and retail.
Currently, the gas system in Singapore consists of two separate gas pipeline networks namely, the town gas pipeline network and the natural gas pipeline network. The town gas pipeline network serves about 50% of the households in Singapore. Town gas, which is used mainly for cooking and heating by domestic and commercial customers, is manufactured and retailed by City Gas Pte Ltd. Natural gas is imported into Singapore from Malaysia and Indonesia via four offshore pipelines. Singapore has decided on the import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to diversify her sources of natural gas. Construction for the Singapore’s first LNG receiving terminal is underway. The terminal will be Asia’s first open-access multi-user terminal, capable of importing and re-exporting LNG from multiple suppliers. The new gas industry structure is shown below.
Facts and Figures
In Singapore, 10,000 large industrial and commercial consumers have become contestable, ie they can choose to buy electricity from their selected retailers. These contestable consumers account for 75% of total electricity sales. The non-contestable consumers comprising mainly small businesses and households represent 25% of the total electricity sales in Singapore.
(B) Energy Utilities Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ)
To provide a structured training and skills upgrade framework for the Energy Utilities Industry, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), UPAGE - the industry union of power and gas employees, and all the HR and training leads from the industry came together to develop a WSQ framework for the employees. Despite the competitive nature of the industry, the major players namely,
came together and jointly developed the Energy Utilities WSQ framework with support from Energy Market Authority (EMA), the regulatory authority for this industry. The development of this framework further affirmed the strong tripartite commitment towards enhancing the employability and productivity of our workforce.
Employees in these companies are overwhelmingly Singaporean and mature workers who have been with the companies for an average of 10 years and more. In addition, with projected expansion in the industry, training and upgrading through a WSQ framework is a timely move to equip the workers with nationally recognised skill-sets.
Prior to the roll-out of the Energy Utilities WSQ, training was typically conducted in non-structured ad-hoc manner. For workers, they can now obtain nationally recognised qualifications instead of in-house or vendor certification. Credentials recognised at the national level will enhance their portability when the workers move within the industry. The WSQ certification not only provides the companies a structured training roadmap as part of their Human Resource Development (HRD) practices for their employees, it also gives companies the assurance that when they recruit new workers, candidates who are WSQ trained will have the right skills for the job.
The Energy Utilities WSQ is currently targeted to provide upgrading and training opportunities for workers within the industry. Companies will enjoy absentee payroll and training subsidy funding for every Singaporean/PR worker trained. In addition, companies with new hires will benefit from a structured training framework for their workers.
(C) Certification available in the Energy Utilities WSQ
The Energy Utilities WSQ offers 3 levels of certification across 4 specialisation tracks. The certification levels are:
WSQ Certified Energy Utilities Professional
(i) To attain the “WSQ Certified Energy Utilities Professional” certification, a trainee has to attain 9 Statement of Attainments (SOAs) which includes:
02 x Industry Core Competency Units
01 x Sector Core Competency Unit
The Sector Core Competency Unit stipulated in the corresponding specialisation track.
06 x Sector Specialisation Electives Competency Units
Trainee can choose from a list of electives which are deemed to be useful for their current job-scope, future work challenges or based on recommendations from their company’s individual training roadmap.
(ii) To attain the “WSQ Certified Energy Utilities Technical Supervisor” certification, a trainee has to attain 8 Statement of Attainments (SOAs) which includes:
03 x Industry Core Competency Units
01 x Sector Core Competency Unit
The Sector Core Competency Unit stipulated in the corresponding specialisation track.
04 x Sector Specialisation Electives Competency Units
Trainee can choose from a list of electives which are deemed to be useful for their current job-scope, future work challenges or based on recommendations from their company’s individual training roadmap.
(iii) To attain the “WSQ Certified Energy Utilities Technician” certification, a trainee has to attain 6 Statement of Attainments (SOAs) which includes:
02 x Industry Core Competency Units
01 x Sector Core Competency Unit
The Sector Core Competency Unit stipulated in the corresponding specialisation track.
03 x Sector Specialisation Electives Competency Units
Trainee can choose from a list of electives which are deemed to be useful for their current job-scope, future work challenges or based on recommendations from their company’s individual training roadmap.
The WSQ Energy Utilities certifications can be obtained via the Training and Assessment Pathway or Assessment-Only-Pathway (AOP). For the Assessment-Only-Pathway, trainees undertake assessment without going through training. This helps to save time and resources if trainees already have the necessary prior experience and skills and just need to certify their skills.
Annex B
Endorsements by Companies
"We, in PowerSeraya, are truly pleased with having a part in contributing towards the development of the Energy Utilities WSQ Programme. Not only does this mark a significant achievement towards continuous life-long learning in the energy industry, we also see the EU WSQ as a recognized platform to raise the competency standards to support Singapore’s effort to become a smart energy economy. Our workforce in PowerSeraya can now leverage on the EU WSQ programmes to update their industry skills to meet future challenges." - Mr John Ng, CEO, PowerSeraya Ltd
“A Workforce Skills Qualifications framework will provide a systematic approach to development of workers in the Energy Utilities Industry. This will tap on the rich industry experience to strengthen the worker’s competencies. In turn, it will help to attract and retain talents as well as provide an avenue for more people from different industries to join us.” – Mr Lim Kong Puay, President & CEO, Tuas Power Generation Pte Ltd
"To enhance workers' employability, the WSQ for Energy Utilities Industry reflects the collective commitment of the industry, union and WDA to raise the skill levels of our workers. The competency-based WSQ ensures one standard across the industry and improves the resources mobility within the industry. It provides our workers with alternate pathway for career development and progression." – Mr Sim Kwong Mian, Managing Director, SP PowerGrid Ltd
"Senoko Energy is proud to support WDA's Energy Utilities WSQ initiative. A common skills framework ensures that the skills level in the industry is maintained, and the WSQ framework provides our staff a clear skills upgrading roadmap." - Mr Brendan Wauters, President & CEO, Senoko Energy Pte Ltd
“City Gas has always believed in equipping our staff with the required skills, and the initiative of this WSQ certification for our industry is a positive move towards recognising this continuous need of self-upgrading which will benefit everyone in general.” – Mr Ng Yong Hwee, President & CEO, City Gas Pte Ltd (as Trustee)
