About 1,250 technicians from Shell will benefit from a new council that will help upskill them for future roles.
The Joint Capability Council, launched yesterday, is a partnership between the Singapore Shell Employees' Union and Shell.
This is in line with Shell's plan to repurpose its core business in oil and gas and cut carbon dioxide emissions in Singapore by about a third within a decade, the company said.
The council will identify and equip staff with relevant skills for the future - such as digital literacy, data analytics and adaptive skills.
Shell's Pulau Bukom refinery will pivot from a crude oil, fuels-based product slate towards cleaner energy fuels and solutions. Its workforce will be downsized from 1,300 now to 800 over the next three years, as the refinery is restructured to include digitalisation and automation of its operations.
This is part of parent company Royal Dutch Shell's plan to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.
The first phase will offer training programmes to over 500 process and maintenance technicians.
Shell said in a media release: "(This) will complement Shell's digitalisation efforts in pivoting its manufacturing business into new, low-carbon value chains... helping the workforce stay relevant and resilient through change."
The signing of the partnership was witnessed at Pulau Bukom yesterday by union adviser Vivian Balakrishnan, who also toured the premises with National Trades Union Congress secretary-general Ng Chee Meng.
Calling Covid-19 a catalyst, Dr Balakrishnan, who is also Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the pandemic has led to "an acceleration of pre-existing trends... (like) digitalisation and automation. And this, in fact, will be a source of competitive strength".
He added: "It has also clearly underscored the urgent need for all of us to be lifelong learners and to be open all the time to training and upskilling ourselves."
The new council will be an important enabler in Shell's transformation, pushing workers to take on higher-value jobs and allowing for a holistic discussion around skills upgrading and career progression, Dr Balakrishnan noted.
"We are now at another turning point, and energy sources, transportation, connectivity, communication... are all being transformed.
"And if we don't again position ourselves in the right time and the right place, with the right workforce and right skills, we are going to miss out."
Shell Companies in Singapore chairman Aw Kah Peng said: "As we repurpose our business... Shell is also strengthening the culture of a 'learner mindset'.
"This will help us to innovate and not be afraid to try new things."
Mr Ng added that with this initiative, staff "can have a formal structure to enable continuous learning to future-proof themselves".
"The council will make a real difference in enhancing their job security and securing better work prospects in the medium to long term."
One of the potential beneficiaries of the initiative is technician Lee Xue Ling, 37, a team leader in the utilities production unit. She has moved across several different departments since joining Shell in 2006. Ms Lee completed a part-time diploma programme in chemical engineering at Temasek Polytechnic in 2015, and signed up recently for a Python coding course.
"I was given the opportunity to move around Shell and that keeps my job interesting. When I keep learning, I find that I always have passion and interest in my job.
"Every day is a new learning opportunity for me."
