Opening address by SPS Low Yen Ling at the SkillsFuture SME Mentors Seminar

OPENING ADDRESS BY MS LOW YEN LING, SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY & MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AT THE SKILLSFUTURE SME MENTORS SEMINAR ON THURSDAY, 25 MAY 2017 AT 0915 HRS, REGENT SINGAPORE

SME Leaders

SkillsFuture SME Mentors

Ladies and Gentlemen

1.     Good morning. It is my pleasure to join you today as we celebrate the early fruits of the SkillsFuture SME Mentors Programme.  

2.     To the Mentors, thank you for stepping forward to work closely with our SMEs. I am encouraged by your passion and commitment to embark on this nine-month mentorship journey.

3.     To the SMEs who have come on board, thank you for being the first movers. Your willingness to experiment and open your doors to “outside-in” perspectives is a model for other employers seeking to upgrade their learning and development capabilities. We look forward to hearing about your experiences in the panel session later.

Investing in capabilities to seize growth opportunities and anchor good jobs

4.     SMEs account for about half of Singapore’s GDP, 99% of our enterprises and 70% of our workforce. They are the heart of our economy. In this next phase of our economic journey, the winds of change are turning faster than before. We can expect the pace of innovation and technology adoption to accelerate. Our SMEs must be poised to capitalise on these trends, and take Singapore – and our workforce – into the future.

5.     A 2017 Global Human Capital Trends Study by Deloitte showed that among the younger generation, the “ability to learn and progress” is now the main driver of a company’s employment brand. This means that for SMEs, who employ the bulk of our workforce, investing in HR capabilities is not only a “good-to-have” but a matter of survival. Companies that place a premium on people development will have an edge above the rest in attracting and anchoring talent that is critical for business growth.

Strengthening the foundation for people development through the SkillsFuture SME Mentors Programme

6.     The SkillsFuture SME Mentors programme was launched about a year ago to help SMEs strengthen their foundations for people development. To date, SPRING has gathered 116 Mentors with extensive HR and business experience in different industries. Many of you are here today, and I thank all of you for your contributions.

7.     I am also delighted to congratulate the pioneer group of 50 SMEs who were early adopters of the programme. I read many of your quotes and stories as I walked through the “Hall of Fame” earlier. Well done! I understand it can be challenging to set aside nine months to invest in people development during times of economic uncertainty. A big thank you to 50 pioneers who have stepped up to show your commitment.

8.     One such pioneer is Han’s F&B Pte Ltd. Han’s partnered Mr Goh Khon Chong, a SkillsFuture SME Mentor, to conduct a training needs analysis and review of its on-the-job blueprints. Mr Goh, who has over 30 years of F&B and HR experience, coached the operations, learning & development supervisors. They learnt how to better assess learning needs, train staff in an effective manner and deepened their own managerial skills in the process.

9.     Since the start of the mentorship programme, Han’s has reduced its staff on-boarding time from one month to three weeks across all outlets, as new employees gained more structured and effective on-the-job training. Han’s now plans to apply what it has learnt to improve training for existing staff at the back-of-house operations, as well as at the company’s central kitchen. With more structured on-the-job training and better-trained supervisors, Han’s is well positioned to attract and retain talent. The company is also working with Republic Polytechnic to strengthen its talent pipeline by bringing in SkillsFuture Earn-and-Learn Programme students.

10.  Han’s journey, like yours, is one we hope will inspire other SMEs to take the leap to make real improvements in employee development through this mentorship programme. I understand that another 55 companies have since applied to come on board and I look forward to hearing more success stories.

The Government continues to support SMEs in various ways to build capabilities, including being better employers and developing our people for success

11.  Beyond this mentorship programme, the government is committed to providing strong support to SMEs that strive to improve their HR practices, enhance their training capabilities and deepen the skill sets of their employees. 

12.  Last year, in 2016, SPRING supported more than 1,000 HR capability-building projects for more than 950 SMEs. Common themes included performance management, compensation and benefits, and recruitment and selection. SMEs who embarked on this journey with SPRING shared that they have seen improvements in employee satisfaction and staff retention.

13.  One example is Shing Leck Engineering Services, an engineering services contracting company with more than 250 employees. Shing Leck has done well and seen its revenue double in recent years. Mr Lawrence Nah, the General Manager, felt strongly that the right people management systems are needed to sustain this growth. So the company tapped on SPRING’s Capability Development Grant to overhaul its HR policies. The improvements introduced by Mr Nah included the implementation of structured talent management and career pathways, an in-house internship programme, and a more transparent performance management system. The company also automated its HR system to increase efficiency. As a result, Shing Leck has raised staff morale and productivity, and generated significant business savings.

14.  Alongside SPRING, government agencies such as SkillsFuture Singapore, Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Ministry of Manpower have also introduced initiatives to support SMEs’ manpower development efforts. For example, SMEs can benefit from employment support programmes under WSG’s Adapt & Grow initiative to attract more employees. One of these is the Career Support Programme, which provides up to 18 months of salary support to help companies offer more competitive salaries to experienced PMETs. To alleviate hiring challenges, SMEs can also participate in the Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs), through which local jobseekers can acquire new skills.  We currently have over 50 PCPs across more than 20 sectors, and I understand that WSG is working with industry partners to roll out more new PCPs in demand sectors.

Concluding remarks

15.  To conclude, let me reiterate my warmest appreciation to all those who have played a part in the SkillsFuture SME Mentors programme: from individual mentors, to SME employers, to the Institutes of Higher Learning who have helped to connect employers with mentors, interns, graduates and also mid-career hires. People development is not a “one-off” effort but a long-term investment and a continuous learning journey, in which all of us have a stake.

16.  Just as SMEs are the heart of our economy, people are the heart of our SMEs. So I hope we will learn together, and grow together, towards a national movement for people development. I wish all of you an enriching seminar ahead. Thank you.

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