'Starter kit' to help firms train staff for jobs of tomorrow

Mr Ng Chee Meng, NTUC secretary-general, says new technology will help bring about business transformation.
Mr Ng Chee Meng, NTUC secretary-general, says new technology will help bring about business transformation.

Companies that have set up training committees under a labour movement initiative will soon receive more help in curating training for workers.

NTUC LearningHub is piloting a starter kit of five courses covering data literacy, design thinking, process automation, digital technology and streamlining of work processes.

These are some of the skills that will prepare workers for the jobs of tomorrow and help them transform into "Worker 4.0".

Once a company has firmed up its workers' training needs and programmes, the training will be conducted by NTUC LearningHub.

At NTUC LearningHub's 15th anniversary appreciation lunch at InterContinental Singapore yesterday, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng said: "This is not the be-all and end-all, but is an easy-to-implement starter package so companies can gather quick momentum and overcome the initial inertia. This can be the first step to start making transformation real for both companies and workers."

"Business can only transform at the pace of a worker in the workforce," he said, adding that capitalising on new technology would bring competitive advantages and make transformation possible.

NTUC LearningHub is expected to roll out the kit in the next two to three months. More details will be announced later, it said.

The kit will support NTUC's Company Training Committee (CTC) initiative, which aims to take training beyond broad national strategies to the company level.

More than 60 companies have set up CTCs since February. NTUC aims to have 1,000 CTCs over the next three years and help around 330,000 workers.

NTUC LearningHub chief executive Kwek Kok Kwong said: "This starter kit is intended to help companies and workers gain quick wins, momentum and confidence in transforming."

Since 2004, NTUC LearningHub has worked with more than 21,000 organisations, providing training in areas such as infocommunication technology, healthcare, human resources and business.

It has partnered companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, The John Maxwell Company, Kotter International and Wiley to provide workers with relevant and affordable training.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 30, 2019, with the headline 'Starter kit' to help firms train staff for jobs of tomorrow. Subscribe