U Leap Community for SME bosses launched to enable business leaders to acquire bite-sized and real-time continuous learning

1. 13 March 2019, Wednesday – The shift of global economic weight to Asia is taking place at a time where ASEAN economies are well-positioned to capitalise on market opportunities. By 2030, the size of the middle class in ASEAN is projected to double. In a competitive landscape filled with growth markets, how can Singapore prepare our workers and companies, especially the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to sustain and to thrive in the future economy?

2. To support different community groups to acquire new knowledge and deepen their skills, bring about greater collaborations, and speed up training, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) launched the U Leap (Learning Enabled through Active Participation) Community for SME bosses today. This new pillar within the U Leap ecosystem serves to address a need for community groups with common interests to access customised learning content and network with their peers.

3. Many SMEs operate with a lean workforce and the business owners often have to take on multi-hatted leadership roles while focusing on day-to-day operations and paying close attention to the bottom-line of their business. Training is often relegated as a low or non-priority. To support the SME bosses in addressing their needs for learning, the Labour Movement partners Human Capital Singapore (HCS) to launch the first U Leap Community for SME bosses.

4. Mr Ng Chee Meng, NTUC Secretary-General and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office announced the launch of U Leap Communities and its first modules at a Conference on Industry 4.0, Artificial Intelligence, Digitalisation and Technology co-organised by e2i and HCS today.

U Leap Community for SME bosses

5. Through this community, SME bosses can acquire bite-sized knowledge and skills on topics geared towards leadership thinking, organisational development, internationalisation and best in class practices. The e-learning modules, curated in collaboration with HCS, aim to boost the SME bosses’ leadership and human capital skills to drive change, stay on top of trending developments, and bring their workers and company to the next level.

6. Learners upon completion of relevant bite-sized modules will obtain an e-certification of completion (e-COC) that can be further stacked with industry-recognised classroom-based workshops for higher certification. NTUC’s e2i will be working with training providers such as HCS to bring more bite-sized modules onto the U Leap learning platform that contributes towards industry recognized certifications.

7. Mr Gilbert Tan, CEO of e2i said, “It is critical to equip the SME business leaders with relevant skills and knowledge to help them transform their business and to stay ahead of the game. The U Leap Community for SME bosses will help time-strapped leaders to gain easy access to bite-sized learning, engage in discussions with peers, and learn at their own pace. By unlocking certifiable routes on U Leap, SME bosses can also look forward to more mobile learning that allows them to earn credits for professional certifications.”

8. “For Singapore, grooming digital-savvy workers is a priority, as it pushes towards a Smart Nation. HCS is determined to be the leading high-tech and high-touch digital HR Hub amidst the fast changes of today’s world. We greatly value the support of e2i as we embark on this journey. The launch of the HCS-e2i-SME bosses U Leap Community is a step in the right direction to prepare a future-ready workforce,” said Madam Ho Geok Choo, CEO of HCS.

9. “The Fourth Industrial Revolution is having an unparalleled impact on the Singapore economy and day-to-day operations of local businesses. I applaud HCS and e2i for taking the initiative to organise this conference. The national drive towards digitalisation cannot occur if not for an investment in training and education to upgrade the knowledge and skills of individuals and organisations,” added Mr Richard Magnus, Chairman of HCS Management Board.