Model ID: 0305f897-463e-4421-b4f8-c9c2223d334f
Sitecore Context Id: 0305f897-463e-4421-b4f8-c9c2223d334f;
Earlier today, the Healthcare Academy signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the National Healthcare Group (NHG) and Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) respectively. Collectively, the MOUs will stand to benefit more than sixty per cent of the public healthcare sector workforce across a total of 22 institutions, as it looks to help workers upskill and adapt to a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. The MOUs were witnessed by NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Heng Chee How.
Under the MOU, the Healthcare Academy – comprising the Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU), NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and NTUC LearningHub – together with management of NHG and SingHealth will establish Jobs, Skills and Training committees at their respective cluster levels to synergise transformation and learning across and within the various institutions. To do this, HSEU will work with management to identify skills and competencies gaps and develop structured training frameworks, as well as with e2i and LearningHub to facilitate training and learning for workers. These include identifying skills and competencies requirements and gaps; developing relevant training programmes to help workers remain ready and relevant amidst a transformed healthcare environment; implementing and periodically reviewing the efficacy of training programmes, as well as leveraging new adult learning methods such as micro-learning platforms to make training accessible and applicable for workers.
Already, the Healthcare Academy has scaled up training efforts through the set-up of Company Training Committees (CTCs) with Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) in May, as well as the National University Health System and NTUC Health in August this year, impacting some 24,000 workers. Building on this momentum, the two new CTCs will further benefit more than 9,000 workers under NHG and 27,000 workers under SingHealth, who may see their jobs being disrupted or redesigned in the next five to ten years. Job classification of workers that will be impacted include Health Attendants, Hospital Porters, Storekeepers, Pharmacy Assistants, Pharmacy Technicians and Drivers, to name a few.
Making Transformation Real
To effectively take workplace transformation and training efforts beyond the cluster level to the institution level, the MOU will also see representatives from the Healthcare Academy collaborating with management from NHG and SingHealth, through the formation of committee workgroups at the institution and domain level respectively. For a start, these workgroups aim to develop new skills among healthcare workers, facilitate the smooth transition of existing workers and new workers into new and redesigned job roles and enhance skills upgrading initiatives to build a future-ready healthcare workforce that can also enjoy better work prospects, greater job security and meaningful careers. For example, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital worked with HSEU to upskill all 46 of its existing hospital porters to become more involved with direct patient care as healthcare chaperones. As a start, they attended a change management course to prepare them for the changes ahead, subsequently taking on courses provided by Republic Polytechnic on basic patient care, therapy and nutrition skills, as well as general duties. Today, these newly appointed healthcare chaperones understudy healthcare assistants and nurses at the wards.
Ms K. Thanaletchimi, President of HSEU said, “Today’s MOUs underscore the positive labour-management relations HSEU enjoys with our management partners and signifies the whole of the public healthcare sector’s commitment to partner the union, to pre-emptively and proactively help our healthcare workers gain better skills and better work ahead of industry transformation. This is the first step, but an important one, and I look forward to continued and strengthened partnerships with both NHG and SingHealth, to drive innovation and productivity, through translating these changes into real actionables for workers and ensuring that every healthcare worker is equipped with the necessary skills to become Healthcare Worker 4.0, as Singapore’s healthcare system ramps up in demand and complexity.”
“At NHG, we work alongside the Union and the Healthcare Academy to raise productivity and skill-sets of our people, tapping on best practices, innovation and technology to deliver accessible, affordable and reliable care for our population,” said Professor Philip Choo, Group CEO, NHG.
Professor Ivy Ng, Group CEO, SingHealth said, “Technology plays a significant role in the transformation of healthcare for the future. As we leverage technology to improve healthcare delivery, we must ensure that our staff are future-ready and well-equipped to continue contributing to healthcare through existing, redeployed or redesigned roles. SingHealth’s strong partnership with HSEU and the set-up of the Jobs, Skills and Training Committees under today’s MOU will help our workers upskill themselves for career development and progression, so that they can continue having meaningful careers in healthcare.”
###
