About 5,200 companies have benefited from a government programme to help firms reduce their reliance on foreign labour, adopt manpower-lean initiatives, create better-paying jobs and drive productivity and growth through technology.

The update released yesterday comes two years after the Lean Enterprise Development (LED) programme was introduced in October 2015.

Nearly 1,000 companies supported by the LED scheme this year have adopted more than 40 government pre-approved ready-to-go solutions designed for various industries and business functions, said a joint statement by the Ministry of Manpower, Spring Singapore and Workforce Singapore.

The LED initiatives range from optimisation of technology and automation to the adoption of progressive human resource practices. These efforts can be undertaken by individual firms or at the level of clusters.

Cluster projects offer benefits through economies of scale, helping companies access technology and solutions without having to expressly invest in hardware and resources. Companies can pilot smaller-scale projects that they can then translate into larger-scale and long-term transformations.

They were also encouraged yesterday to access a new scheme to source trainers locally and from overseas to help workers pick up skills and knowledge that may be lacking in Singapore.

The event was organised by the LED Taskforce and led by Spring Singapore, Workforce Singapore, the National Trades Union Congress and tripartite partners, in collaboration with the Singapore National Employers Federation.