The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU) and Agency for Logistics and Procurement Services (ALPS) Pte Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to appoint ALPS as the first Queen Bee in the healthcare sector.
As Singapore’s integrated procurement and supply chain agency for the public healthcare sector, ALPS will serve as a Queen Bee to strengthen workforce capabilities, accelerate business transformation and advance sustainability across the sector. Through this partnership, ALPS aims to extend the NTUC Company Training Committee (CTC) initiative to more than 100 SMEs in the public healthcare supply chain, with approximately 2,500 workers expected to benefit from upskilling and job redesign opportunities.
The MOU signing ceremony was witnessed by NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng and ALPS Chairman Ong Kim Pong. The agreement was signed by NTUC and HSEU President K Thanaletchimi, HSEU Executive Secretary Steven Goh, and ALPS Chief Executive Officer Yong Hwee Yee.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said, “As the first Queen Bee in the healthcare sector, ALPS is well-positioned to work with NTUC and HSEU to bring businesses across the healthcare supply chain together to tackle shared challenges and seize new opportunities. This partnership enables workforce and business transformation at scale, across the ecosystem. At the same time, through CTC Grant projects, we ensure both blue- and white- collar workers in the sector benefit through better jobs, stronger career opportunities and continued employability.”
Building a future-ready and sustainable healthcare supply chain
The healthcare sector is advancing its sustainability goals, and growing efforts to reduce its environmental footprint. Globally, the sector accounts for approximately 5 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, with around 70 per cent arising from supply chain and procurement activities. As organisations adopt more sustainable practices, businesses and workers across the healthcare supply chain will need to adapt and build new capabilities to support this transition.
With its extensive network of vendors and partners, ALPS is well-placed to drive green initiatives and support businesses and workers as they navigate this transition. Through the Queen Bee partnership, NTUC, HSEU and ALPS will work closely with companies in the healthcare procurement and supply chain to identify common workforce and business challenges, particularly in sustainability, and co-develop practical solutions to address them.
These solutions can include skills upgrading, technology adoption, mentorship and workforce initiatives that equip workers with future-ready skills and help businesses operate more sustainably.
To support these efforts, eligible companies can tap on the NTUC CTC Grant to implement transformation projects that enhance both worker and business outcomes. The grant co-funds up to 70 per cent of qualifying cost for transformation projects or training tied to the transformation project to raise productivity, redesign jobs, and improve work prospects.
ALPS Chief Executive Officer Yong Hwee Yee said, "ALPS is proud to support this Queen Bee partnership as a meaningful step towards Singapore’s national sustainability progress and a more resilient, future-ready healthcare ecosystem. Together with NTUC, HSEU, our vendors and SME partners, we will strengthen sustainability capabilities, equip workers with green skills, and help businesses embed more sustainable practices. By moving forward as one ecosystem, we can translate shared purpose into practical outcomes by creating lasting value for our partners, better opportunities for vendors and SME partners, and a greener, more sustainable healthcare ecosystem for Singapore."
Equipping healthcare workers for a sustainable future
NTUC and HSEU President K Thanaletchimi said, “Healthcare workers are at the heart of the sector's transformation and sustainability journey. Building on the strong partnership between HSEU and ALPS, this collaboration will extend opportunities to workers across the entire healthcare supply chain, providing them with the support to upskill in emerging areas such as sustainability and AI, while improving their wages and work prospects, and building a more sustainable healthcare ecosystem.”
The Queen Bee collaboration marks the next phase of the partnership between the two organisations, advancing sustainability and workforce capability development across the wider healthcare supply chain ecosystem.
This partnership complements HSEU's ongoing efforts to champion sustainability in healthcare. Since 2024, HSEU has trained around 70 union leaders through its Environmental Steward Programme, which includes engagements with sustainability leaders across the public healthcare sector.
HSEU has also partnered the Centre for Healthcare Innovation and NTUC LearningHub to develop a Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) sustainability course that equips healthcare workers with practical skills to integrate sustainable practices into their daily work. To date, a further 35 union leaders have completed the WSQ course, bringing the total number of union leaders trained through HSEU's sustainability initiatives to 105 since 2024 — representing about one-third of HSEU's Branch Officials.
