With the precision engineering sector poised for growth amidst a stronger-than-expected recovery in semiconductor sales locally and globally, workers in the field have a unique opportunity to advance their careers.
The momentum is now further bolstered by a first-of-a-kind tripartite partnership announced on 13 January 2025 at the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability, aimed at enhancing workers’ skills and wages.
Around 1,000 precision engineering workers can expect a skills boost in the next two years as ST Engineering integrates NTUC’s Company Training Committee (CTC) initiative with its existing SkillsFuture Queen Bee programme.
Under the partnership between the firm, NTUC and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), the ST Engineering Land Systems business unit will be appointed the latest SkillsFuture Queen Bee company to propel the precision engineering sector forward.
The SkillsFuture Queen Bee initiative, introduced in 2020, supports companies’ skills and talent development to steer growth and transformation.
Queen Bee companies are typically industry leaders with strong sectoral expertise, industry standing, and the ability to influence companies, particularly SMEs.
With ST Engineering Land Systems on board, 37 Queen Bee companies can now be found across various sectors, including logistics, manufacturing, and retail.
Through the collaboration, ST Engineering Land Systems will partner with SSG and NTUC to enhance the skills of its key suppliers’ workforce, primarily engaged in precision engineering.
“In the Land Systems business, we partner with more than 100 suppliers, many of whom are small and medium enterprises. By collaborating with NTUC and SSG, we are doubling down on our efforts to upskill these suppliers, building a robust ecosystem that offers both breadth and depth in technology and engineering capabilities.
“This ensures the continued development of our products and solutions while upholding standards of excellence that drive mutual success,” said ST Engineering Group Financial Officer Cedric Foo, who oversees the group’s procurement function.
For starters, these same 1,000 workers from at least 40 suppliers in the Land Systems unit will be trained in new skills to seize the benefits of the fast-growing sector.
The initiative will be rolled out to other ST Engineering business unit suppliers later.
A skills manager will be appointed to assess these suppliers’ training needs and provide tailored guidance on relevant training programmes and SkillsFuture initiatives.
The skills manager will also organise training activities geared towards in-demand areas, such as precision engineering, artificial intelligence, and data analytics. These skills will significantly enhance the capabilities of the suppliers’ workforce, ensuring they keep pace with industry demands.
NTUC will further enhance its efforts through the CTC and CTC Grant initiatives. The NTUC CTC programme, launched in 2019, involves union leaders and management partners forming a dedicated team to drive the upskilling needs of a company’s workforce.
Under the NTUC CTC initiative, participating suppliers can leverage the NTUC Operation and Technology Roadmap to identify opportunities for growth and transformation.
Additionally, they can access the CTC Grant to fund projects that drive their development, leading to salary and career growth for workers. The Grant, administered by NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), subsidises up to 70 per cent of a project’s costs, including the training required.
Suppliers can be confident in the Grant's effectiveness, as it has successfully improved wages and careers.
More than 7,400 workers across 330 companies have benefited, with an average salary increase of 5 per cent above the usual annual increment. These workers also benefited from a structured career development plan.
NTUC will also facilitate suppliers and their workers with other upskilling initiatives, such as workshops, training needs analysis, and advisory and solutions efforts.
“We want to continue working with public and private sectors through our Company Training Committees to drive business and workforce transformations.
“This will enable our workers to gain higher-value jobs, better wages and work prospects while companies thrive in an increasingly competitive and evolving market,” said NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng.
The partnership is not the first time ST Engineering has collaborated with NTUC to uplift workers.
Since setting up its CTC in 2021 with the ST Engineering Staff Union, the group has implemented 26 CTC projects across its various units, including Land Systems. Collectively, these projects have improved the lives of over 300 ST Engineering employees.
At the recent NTUC Career Festival, Mr Ng also updated that over 85 per cent of the $100 million CTC Grant has been allocated to projects since its launch in 2022.
By the end of 2024, around 480 projects had been approved from over 330 companies.
Calling for more funds to help workers, he said: “We hope that the Government will see the usefulness of the CTC Grant and partner NTUC once more to see how we can bring businesses to new heights and, with better businesses, take care of our workers.”