By Ian Tan Hanhonn

Companies must prioritise training if they want to build up their workforce and enterprise capabilities, said NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Desmond Tan.

He was speaking at the recent Human Capital Singapore-Workforce Singapore (HCS-WSG) Masterclass on ‘Developing a Succession Strategy for Business Sustainability’.

He urged employers to consider forming Company Training Committees (CTCs) with NTUC’s affiliated unions, saying that the initiative supports business transformation, which leads to company-initiated training and skills upgrading for workers.

He said: “Through NTUC’s #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations, we understand that employees are more prepared to go for training if they were initiated by employers, [especially] when training is for the purpose of meeting specific job demands within the company and with better assurance of support and wage outcomes.”

He added that CTCs can help companies co-develop Operation & Technology Roadmaps. This will help accelerate business transformation, create a unified strategy to bring the organisation forward, and support both growth and manpower transformation.

“NTUC is here to support your company and workers in this journey,” he said.

On Ensuring Business Sustainability

Meanwhile, Mr Tan shared that for businesses to remain sustainable, they need to observe how work, workforce and workplaces are evolving.

“We need to pay attention to high-growth areas, such as the digital, care and green economies; the aspirations of our young workers; and the shifts in workplace culture and norms,” he said.

Citing the inaugural SkillsFuture Singapore’s Demand for the Future Economy report, he shared that many existing jobs will require more green and software development skills as companies adopt more sustainable practices and build their IT infrastructure.

He also touched on the need to engage younger workers and for employers to accept that the organisational culture has since evolved with the onset of COVID-19.

“We need to review our manpower strategies and ensure that we are aligned with the in-demand skills of high growth sectors, aspirations of young workers and the new organisational culture,” he said.

On Maintaining a Sustainable Infrastructure

Additionally, Mr Tan also shared that Singapore must move towards being a society that values technical skills.

He elaborated how the pandemic has highlighted the need for the country to have its own pool of skilled local workers such as plumbers, electricians and aircon technicians to ensure that the country's essential services are safeguarded.

He hoped that with the introduction of the Career Progression Model by NTUC, more young people will take an interest in these skilled trades and see them as viable career options.

"We must take this step towards building a society that values not just cognitive skills, but technical skills as well," he said.