350 firms partner ITE to boost on-the-job training programmes

Tapping the Institute of Technical Education's (ITE) expertise in on-the-job training helped Initia Group improve its sales by 30 per cent and its customer retention rate by 50 per cent.

Initia, which has businesses in both the food and beverage and beauty industries, was trying to expand its hair salon arm, but was having trouble finding and training talent.

Chief executive officer Luke Yi told The Straits Times: "We were looking at doing internal training but we weren't experienced in running any sort of academy, so we decided to start working with ITE last December."

Mr Yi said working with ITE's certified on-the-job training centre gave the company a framework for training and helped its staff become better trainers. "The certification ITE offers also helps with credibility, making it easier to recruit people," he added.

Initia is among 350 companies which have partnered ITE to improve their on-the-job training, said Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan at the opening of the ITE Industry Partnership Forum yesterday.

ITE also announced improvements to its on-the-job training scheme.

It will now support companies in developing blueprints for their in-house training, providing a streamlined view of work processes and listing the tasks required for various roles.

It will also place more emphasis on equipping company trainers with teaching skills through its Train The Trainer programme, which draws more than 1,200 participants annually. Participating companies will also give certificates to employees for completing their on-the-job training.

Mr Tan said the Covid-19 pandemic has shown how important it is for Singapore's workforce to be agile and resilient to remain globally competitive.

"ITE has helped companies build their in-house training capabilities, recognise skills that their workers have picked up on the job, and introduce new ideas to increase their productivity. These initiatives can help our businesses be more agile and sustainable," he said.

ITE also signed memorandums of understanding with six companies in the aerospace, logistics and energy sectors: GlobalFoundries Singapore, Katoen Natie Singapore, Micron Semiconductor, Omron Electronics, Sunseap Group and Volocopter Asia.

ITE said the new partnerships will help its students gain relevant skills, and keep its staff and training up to date.