Singtel will invest $20 million a year and create a new learning academy to enhance training efforts for its employees.
The company announced this on 25 August 2022 when it renewed an agreement on a Company Training Committee (CTC) with the Union of Telecoms Employees of Singapore (UTES).
Singtel will continually design and enhance its development programmes.
Some examples of programmes include inculcating the right mindset to drive innovation and pivot to address disruption, building an inclusive workplace culture, and developing leadership excellence.
Through its learning academy at Singtel@8George, employees can learn at their preferred time and on their terms, in person or virtually.
Singtel is committing to support the new CTC in the long run. However, unlike most CTC agreements, which last for three years, the new deal has no definite term.
The agreement will see Singtel and UTES work closely together to identify skills gaps, create relevant training programmes and encourage employees to take up these opportunities.
These efforts will also enable Singtel’s workforce to remain relevant and prepared to meet future demands.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, who witnessed the agreement signing, said the renewal reaffirms the belief in the effectiveness of NTUC’s CTC programmes.
He added: “When workers can grow in tandem with business transformation, we can ensure that businesses continue to flourish, and workers can continue to earn good wages and enjoy better work prospects and welfare.”
Since the first agreement in 2019, Singtel has invested $45 million to develop new training programmes to train its people on emerging technologies.
Between 2019 and 2022, more than 2,500 Singtel employees have benefited from these training efforts, which drove an annual 15 per cent increase in monthly unique learners and learning hours.
Singtel has sponsored more than 60 employees for part-time courses. The company also launched its Professional Conversion Accelerator (PCA) programme, which has equipped almost 1,500 employees with 5G technology and other in-demand tech skills.
Employees who went through the PCA programme have gone on to successfully take up new roles such as data analyst and 5G product development manager.
Singtel Group Chief Executive Officer Yuen Kuan Moon said the company wants to empower its employees to achieve their full potential in the digital economy.
He added: “We will spare no effort to achieve this for our people, through our sustained investment training programmes and working closely with the union to encourage all their members to participate in those programmes.”
UTES General Secretary Thuvinder Singh saw first-hand Singtel’s commitment in the last three years to partnering with the union to train and develop a more digital and tech-savvy workforce, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
He added that he looks forward to the continued partnership to equip all employees with the digital skills to tap into the digital economy’s opportunities.
