Skills training for workers who maintain SMRT trains

The memorandum of understanding for the training programme was signed yesterday by (sitting, from left) SMRT Trains chief executive Lee Ling Wee; SkillsFuture Singapore deputy chief executive for industry Michael Fung Jin Lung; and Associate Professo
The memorandum of understanding for the training programme was signed yesterday by (sitting, from left) SMRT Trains chief executive Lee Ling Wee; SkillsFuture Singapore deputy chief executive for industry Michael Fung Jin Lung; and Associate Professor Ivan Lee, vice-president for industry and community at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), at the institute's second Applied Learning Conference held at Marina Bay Sands. The signing was witnessed by (standing, from left) SMRT group chief executive Neo Kian Hong, SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, SkillsFuture Singapore chief executive Ong Tze-Ch'in and SIT president Tan Thiam Soon. PHOTO: SINGAPORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Workers who maintain SMRT trains are to receive skills training under an agreement signed yesterday, in a move that will help improve the reliability of Singapore's rail network.

It is part of a collaboration to raise the skills, over three years, of about 100 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which provide services to SMRT.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) for this pilot programme was signed by SMRT, Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG).

They did so at SIT's second Applied Learning Conference held at Marina Bay Sands and attended by Education Minister Ong Ye Kung.

The MOU will help pave the way for the SMEs to not only help improve rail reliability but also drive innovation and productivity improvements across the land transport sector, said SMRT and SIT in a statement.

SIT and SMRT will co-develop the training curricula, with support from SSG.

SMRT will also help its SME partners to identify skills gaps and recommend appropriate training.

Mr Lee Ling Wee, chief executive of SMRT Trains, said: "With Singapore's rail network set to increase to 360km by 2030, from about 230km currently, there is a need to build a pool of local talent for the growing rail industry."

He added: "This MOU also encourages our partners to train and work with us to continuously deepen operations and maintenance expertise in our rail industry."

SMRT employee Lim Chek Boon said: "Workplace learning has been very helpful as it allowed me to analyse and efficiently solve technical problems.

"The knowledge I acquired helped me to create short videos on maintenance work for my colleagues' e-learning."

Mr Lim, who was in a programme to hone his technical skills last year, added: "This partnership will give our partners and us more opportunities to share know-how and learn from each other."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 31, 2020, with the headline Skills training for workers who maintain SMRT trains. Subscribe