Speech SMS Koh Poh Koon at ST Logistics-SCEU Learning Festival

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Good morning. 

1. The logistics sector forms the backbone of our economy and contributes to our quality of life; it is crucial in ensuring that goods move from production and distribution sites to businesses, households, and consumers in a reliable and efficient manner. 

2. Emerging business and technology trends such as big-data, 3D-printing and digitalisation bring about new growth opportunities for companies in the logistics and supply chain management sector. Companies need to be agile to seize these new opportunities, and in turn, there will be improvements to existing jobs, as well as exciting new job opportunities. 

Tripartism in accelerating the transformation of the logistics sector

3. For us to continue to stay ahead, we will need to work together to accelerate the effectiveness, scale and pace of transformation in the logistics sector. Companies will need to embrace innovation, and to do so, it is critical that our workforce are equipped with the right skills to lead in innovating. Businesses will need to work closely with government agencies, Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs), unions, and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). This is a tripartite journey of innovation we shall embark together. 

4. In this regard, I would like to commend ST Logistics for being the first company to endorse and join the Supply Chain Employees’ Union (SCEU) in May last year. ST Logistics has taken one step further and will be signing two MOUs between ST Logistics with NTUC LearningHub and NUS to drive skills upgrading of our workers. Such partnerships will help support companies to develop sustainable long-term programmes that can achieve the progressive and continuous enrichment to our workers’ professional careers. 

Fostering a culture of continual learning

5. I am especially pleased to join you here today at the STL-SCEU Learning Festival, a collaboration between ST Logistics and SCEU. The key to Singapore’s continual success is our people. Developing and growing a pipeline of future-ready talent will be critical in sustaining the success of our logistics sector.

6. I urge ST employees, unionists, and everyone in the logistics sector to visit the education fair and attend the series of Power Talks, which will have information on short courses, degree courses, career guidance programs. Courses being featured are targeted at Professionals, Managers, and Executives (PMEs), and they are also aligned with the Logistics Industry Skills Future framework designed in a collaborative effort by logistics sector stakeholder. 

7. As a part of the Festival, there will also be a learning journey to Toll City to see ST Logistics’ SiTadeL, which is an advanced supply chain control tower and healthcare logistics hub. Such tours are useful to help workers understand how automation and technology adoption, while driving efficiency and reducing latent resources in conventional operations, can also lead to new, skilled jobs and career options.

8. I hope that the Festival, and more of such events in the future, will help to foster a vibrant learning culture amongst our workforce, so that they can shape the future of Singapore’s logistics sector. 

Conclusion

9. In closing, I would like to congratulate ST Logistics and SCEU on the launch of the Learning Festival. Together with national-level efforts to reskill, upgrade and future-proof our workforce, we will reinforce Singapore’s position as a leading logistics hub through operations excellence, innovation and a strong Singaporean core.