More SMEs to benefit from employment support and skills upgrading to move enterprises towards Industry 4.0 transformation through greater collaboration between e2i and Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI)
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- Singapore, 3 November 2017 – e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI) are strengthening ties to help SMEs upskill workers to align with the national SkillsFuture movement and to help enterprises across the 23 sectors in operationalising the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) to move towards Industry 4.0 transformation that is brought about by disruptive technologies. This collaboration was affirmed today at a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony between e2i and SCCCI at the first of its kind career fair jointly organised by both parties which saw more than 1,000 job vacancies and 18 Trade Associations (TAs) with 65 SMEs participating.
- Step-up Industry 4.0 Programme (SIP) @ SCCCI to help SMEs move towards Industry 4.0
Part of the MOU includes reaching out to business owners on e2i’s Step-up Industry 4.0 Programme (SIP) to accelerate their growth and capabilities through deep-skilling workers and acquiring new technologies. Soft-launched in April 2017, SIP has helped more than 50 SMEs in these 3 aspects – Robotics & Automation, Process Optimisation and Data Mining & Tracking – connecting enterprises with technology enablers and training providers to provide a holistic approach to enhance their businesses. One such SME is Dynamold Precision Pte Ltd, which tapped on the smart storage and quality inspection systems to enhance its operational productivity under SIP.
- Up-skill and deep-skill workers as part of SkillsFuture
e2i has been collaborating with SCCCI for many years. From 2016 till now, the partnership has impacted more than 750 workers and 550 companies through skills upgrading and professional development courses ranging from Business Management, Digital Info-communications and Human Capital. With this MOU, e2i and SCCCI would engage companies towards the national SkillsFuture movement to up-skill and deep-skill workers and prepare them as ITMs are rolled out across the 23 sectors. There are plans to reach out to 2,000 workers and 1,500 SMEs with courses related to Industry 4.0, Digital Skills & Technologies and Productivity.
- Mr Gilbert Tan, Chief Executive Officer of e2i, said, “SMEs are a major source of employment for our workers. It is important we reach out and partner them as disruptive technologies impact and transform industries so that they are able to stay relevant and sustainable amidst the changes. Through SCCCI, we can connect to the various trade associations and reach out to more SME businesses. SIP is one very useful enterprise support scheme for SMEs to help them tie up with technology and training partners to accelerate towards Industry 4.0.”
- Mr Roland Ng, President of SCCCI, said “From SCCCI’s recent Annual Business Survey, attracting and retaining staff, and finding workers with the right skills, are the top manpower challenges faced by businesses. In collaboration with e2i and 18 TAs, SCCCI organises the first ever industry career fair in TA Hub so as to provide an opportune platform for businesses to tackle the tight labour market, opening up opportunities for people seeking employment, particularly the PMETS.”
- Industry Career Fair by SCCCI & Trade Association Members
Today’s “Industry Career Fair by SCCCI & Trade Association Members” is a first of its kind career fair specially put together with the combined efforts of SCCCI, e2i and 18 Trade Associations mobilising 65 SMEs across various sectors and hiring over 1000 positions. More than half of the vacancies are for Professional, Managers, Executives and Technician (PMET) level such as Construction Manager, Senior Process Engineer, Healthcare Operations Executive and Hydraulic Technician.
- Helping workers find good jobs with SMEs
One such company that has benefitted from a recent partnership between e2i and SFIC Institute, a subsidiary of the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC). Together, we have been assisting the talent-challenged furniture and furnishing industry to train and find workers and groom workers to enter the industry. Ms Lim Seow Ling, 43 years old, who was previously a Senior Quantity Surveyor from the construction industry went through relevant training for her mid-career switch to a Sales & Marketing Manager at Cheng Meng Furniture Group.Another company that has benefitted is Woodlands Transport Holdings Pte Ltd. Bobby Chiew, Head of Human Resources said, “Woodlands Transport leverages on our collaboration with e2i all these years to find good Singaporean workers especially in the placement of heavy vehicle drivers and operation staff by participating in job fairs and connecting to e2i’s wide network of partners. We are also happy to work with them and receive support in implementing IT innovation to improve our company’s productivity and train our workers.”