Newsletter - September 2017

Updates to Singapore Labour Environment

New Work Pass Card and SGWorkPass Mobile App

In September, Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced the introduction of a new Work Pass (WP) card with a QR code and a free mobile application called the SGWorkPass. The app enables employers, pass holders and any other stakeholders to check the status of work passes with their smartphones. This is more reliable as the date of expiry printed on a work pass may not reflect the most up to date status for various reasons, e.g. cancellation due to resignation or restructuring.

The new WP Card will be rolled out in phases, starting with the Marine Shipyard and Construction sector. Existing WP cards remain valid and pass holders will receive new cards when they renew their work passes. The new cards will not contain variable information such as date of expiry.

For more information, please visit www.mom.gov.sg/sgworkpass.

Launch of Electronics Industry Transformation Map (ITM)

The Electronics ITM was developed by a multi-agency team with industry partners, unions and trade associations and is expected to grow the electronics sector by creating 2,000 PMET jobs and to have a manufacturing value-add of S$22.2 billion by 2020.

It sets out a two-pronged strategy to grow the industry - diversify into new growth opportunities in the electronics sector and transform the current base of electronics manufacturing and attract new investments in high-value components. Agencies such as Enterprise Singapore and EDB will organize multi-party innovation platforms to bring together MNCs, SMEs, research institutions and institutes of higher learning, to collaborate and develop new solutions.

The Skills Framework for Electronics sets out the following:

Career pathways, the technical and engineering track and the management track, for individuals to explore career development.
58 skills and competencies and the respective training programmes, including emerging skills and competencies in areas such as Robotics and Automation, Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics.
Key initiatives to support the above - SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme, Enhanced Internship, Singapore Industry Scholarships and Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs). In addition, two new PCPs were launched - the PCP for Electronics Engineer and the PCP for Electronics Assistant Engineer.

For more information, please click here.

News & Articles

Closing the Skills Gap - Develop a Skilled and Competent Workforce so Your Organisation Remains Agile

by Rachel Sahajwalla, Comaea International

How should managers think about keeping their employees skilled at what matters when ‘what matters’ is constantly changing given that we live in a day and age in which disruption is the norm.

Technical skills valued at the start of the digital revolution may not be as important as social, creative and critical thinking skills. According to the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report, by 2020, over a third of the desired core skill sets of most occupations will comprise skills that are not yet considered crucial to the jobs of today.

Do employers understand the capabilities of their people? Can they see where the gaps are and where more training or experience is required? A skilled and competent workforce that can adapt to change will be the critical factor that enables organisations to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace while others are left behind.

Many organisations are finding the solution in competence management systems to capture, develop and retain top talent.

Comaea Competency Management Software will enable you to:

Quickly and easily understand your organisations capabilities and gaps through simple assessment and mapping
Obtain Real-Time People Analytics to make informed choices about your business strategy
Conduct skills mapping for the future workforce to take advantage of current opportunities and create new ones
Provide Agile Performance Management
Adopt readily available competency frameworks which can evolve with your needs
Hire and retain the right people so you become the employer of choice

For more information, visit www.comaea.com/ap

Quick Tips

Pointers to be an Effective Leader

Sunnie Giles in the Harvard Business Review article - The Most Important Leadership Competencies, According to Leaders Around the World provides us with some insights on what makes an effective leader after studying 195 leaders in 15 countries over 30 global organizations. Five major themes emerged:

Strong Ethics and Safety – Behave in a way that is consistent with your values, acknowledge and neutralise feared results and consequences.
Self-Organising – Provide clear direction but allow employees to organise their own time and work.
Efficient Learning – Demonstrate openness to new ideas and flexibility in changing opinions.
Nurtures Growth – Advocate for your team.
Connection & Belonging – Communicate often and openly, create a feeling of succeeding and failing as a pack.

InsightsKC EngOctober 25, 2017Comment