Ng Kok Cheong, 47, is one who thinks ahead and cares.
Thanks to this Vice-President (Container Terminals 1) at PSA Singapore, nearly 2,000 employees now have better career paths. For enhancing productivity at his workplace, Mr Ng was given the May Day Model Partnership Award.
At PSA, Container Handling Specialists (CHS) operate container trucks that move containers from the ships to the yard and vice versa. Mr Ng noticed that many who took the job were young. He decided to create a progression path for them to complement PSA’s existing career pathways.
Together with other management partners in his company and leaders of Singapore Port Workers Union (SPWU), Mr Ng redesigned the CHS job. At the basic level, CHS operate container trucks with single stack trailers.
Those who perform well will be selected for skills upgrading to operate container trucks with double stack trailers which are more productive. At this second level, personnel are designated Higher CHS. Those who transport containers between container terminals on public roads are also given the Higher CHS title.
At the highest skill level, Higher CHS who have excelled and have the potential to lead will be trained to be mentors and trainers. They will be designated Senior CHS. Beyond this, they can progress to operating cranes or becoming supervisors.
Original article written by Naseema Banu Maideen, and can be found in NTUC This Week (15 June 2014)
