Speech at Lifelong Learner Awards Presentation Ceremony 2008
Mr Gan Kim Yong, Acting Minister for Manpower, Meritus Mandarin Hotel
Mr Philip Koh, Managing Director, Mediacorp Pte Ltd,
Mr Wee Siew Kim, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC,
Distinguished guests,
Award Winners,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good evening.
Introduction
1. I am pleased to join you tonight at the Lifelong Learner Awards Presentation Ceremony. We are here to recognise workers and companies who embody the spirit of Lifelong Learning.
The Importance of Lifelong Learning
2. We are now into the seventh year of the Lifelong Learner Awards. Since its inception, we have recognised over a hundred individuals and employers for their achievements in the pursuit of lifelong learning.
3. This year's award comes at a challenging time for Singapore, as we begin to feel the impact of a global downturn. Employers have become more cautious. Some companies are freezing their recruitment or employing only to replace attrition. Some are downsizing. Faced with such an uncertain economic climate, how can workers stay employable?
4. For the individual worker, his employability is related to his skills, his ability to do his job, and to do it better than others. The best insurance a worker has is for him to constantly upgrade his skills and gain new knowledge, to keep abreast of changing technology and business know-how, and to take on new challenges to stay relevant in the workplace. If every worker continuously strives to upgrade himself, our workforce will become more productive and companies will become more competitive. This will keep Singapore attractive to investors. Our economy will become more robust, and our workers more resilient to economic downturns.
5. The benefits of skills upgrading and lifelong learning are aptly illustrated by all our individual winners tonight. It does not matter whether you are young or old. Our youngest winner tonight is 24 years old and the most mature is 58 years old. It does not matter how much education you already have, because learning does not end when one finishes schooling – in fact it is just the beginning. It also does not matter what kind of job you have – whether you are a crane operator, technical support officer, a professional or a company director. Lifelong learning advances you in your life and career, and is key to sustaining employability. The award winners tonight are testament to that, and I will highlight the experiences of a few of them.
6. Mr Chinnu Palanivelu first came to Singapore in 1995 to work as a general worker with a construction company. He upgraded himself through construction training to become a safety supervisor. After he was retrenched during the Asian financial crisis in 1998, he managed to secure another job as a safety supervisor. However, he decided to make a career switch to accounting and auditing, an interest he had since high school. He completed two diplomas – one in business administration and another in accounting. Mr Chinnu is now a senior auditor at BDO Raffles, a business consultancy. He is also sharing his passion for learning and his knowledge with younger people as a mentor for a degree programme in FTC Kaplan Financial Training Institute Singapore.
7. Ms Betty Loh is another example. With only Secondary 3 qualifications, she previously worked in a variety of jobs – factory worker, parking attendant, sales girl and general clerk. When she was rejected for an administrative course because she did not have an O level qualification, she set her mind that she would pursue her O levels. So at the age of 41, she did just that. Ms Loh's learning journey was not an easy one. As she was Chinese educated, she had to work harder to understand the course materials which were in English. She also juggled night classes, work and family at the same time. In addition, she knew that she also needed to learn a vocational skill in order to secure a job, so she attended courses on infocomm technology and eventually obtained a job with ST Logistics. Ms Loh's perseverance and passion for learning through continual education and training paid off. She was recognised by her employer and was promoted to Senior Administrative Assistant this year.
8. For employers, upgrading the skills of their workers enhances their competitive edge. One good example is Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore. They are a strong advocate of the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System and the Certified Service Professional (CSP) courses. After the hotel sent 14 staff for the WSQ Work Safety course, the hotel observed a dip in the accident rate. This was due to the higher awareness about working smart and preventing accidents. When the hotel sent 21 staff from the front-line to the WSQ Service Excellence: Provide GEMS Service course, it saw an improvement in its Hotel IQ score. This is an audit of a hotel's operational service standards and customer satisfaction score used internationally for the hospitality industry.
9. Interplex Singapore, a one-stop Precision Engineering (PE) solution provider, is another example of a company that understands the value of training. Not only does it encourage workers to undertake different types of training such as academic skills, technical skills and computer skills, it also cross-trains its workers in multiple skills and does job rotation. For example, stamping operators are exposed to tool maintenance and machining, while toolmakers learn wire-cutting and machining skills. This minimizes mistakes in designs and cut down the lead time to design and fabricate a tool from seven weeks to three. The company can now accept jobs with a shorter lead time, at a lower cost and with better quality than its regional competitors. Employees also enjoy better career progression. Over the years, stamping operators have progressed to be technicians, toolmakers, quality supervisors and so on. This shows how training is really a win-win situation for both employer and employees.
Bringing Lifelong Learning To Life
10. Companies and workers equipped with new and relevant skills are more likely to weather the economic downturn and succeed in the longer term. However, they must know what the relevant skills are and the level at which these skills need to be attained. Through the Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) framework, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) has put in place a strong national Continuing Education and Training (CET) system that offers direct access to quality skills training recognised by employers. There are also numerous CET centres located island-wide for workers to sign up for courses and enjoy directly subsidised training.
11. During this period of economic slowdown, we will intensify our efforts to help companies and workers upgrade their skills. This is not just to manage the downturn but also to prepare them for the opportunities when the economy eventually recovers. We will reach out to workers to show them how they can benefit from training.
12. WDA has commissioned a TV reality programme that will show the value of skills in helping workers land the job they want. Called "Find Me A New Boss" ("职场大哥大"), the programme will be aired on Channel 8 next month and follow 13 job-seekers in the pursuit of their ‘dream job'. They have the help of a highly resourceful job specialist, the “大哥大' who constantly monitors the job market, understands the needs of employers, and is ever ready to match job-seekers to the right jobs. The sectors the programme will be looking at will be those that still have job opportunities during this economic downturn. This includes the tourism, retail, childcare, community services and marine sectors. We are bringing learning opportunities right into the living rooms of Singaporeans, who will also get tips about job-searching and interview techniques.
13. These outreach efforts will complement the programme that the tripartite partners are rolling out to help companies and workers manage the downturn – the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience, or SPUR in short. My Ministry will announce more details of SPUR in a few days' time.
Conclusion
14. In conclusion, I would like to congratulate all the winners tonight and I'm confident your learning journey will continue to be a fruitful one. I would also like to thank the judging panel led by Dr Amy Khor, Mayor of South West District, Senior Parliamentary Secretary of Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, for taking up the challenging task of identifying these deserving winners.
15. I hope the Lifelong Learner Award will encourage more Singaporeans and companies to embark on lifelong learning so that we can have a national mindset of lifelong learning and a strong desire to constantly upgrade our skills. This is even more important as our economy slows down. Through CET, we can advance with skills for better jobs and better business.
16. I wish all of you a pleasant evening.
Thank you.