Companies in Singapore go all out for workforce transformation

Learning from the best, leveraging support schemes, and building capabilities — Kuok Singapore and Flex Singapore are transforming their workforce for a digital-first economy.

13 Aug 2021 5 min read

Companies in Singapore go all for workforce transformation Masthead

Upskilling, reskilling, and new skilling workers are more urgent than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought industries to a standstill, adversely impacted businesses, and made digital transformation essential. In recognition of this, the Singapore government is helping companies level up their workforces for the new economy.

How are companies in Singapore keeping up? We speak to Kuok Singapore and Flex Singapore to find out, and have curated some tips and support schemes to help companies with their workforce transformation journeys.

Bringing in new workforce insights and skills

For Kuok Singapore, transformation solutions do not always lie within. This family business looks outwards to move forward.

“Even before COVID-19 hit, we had started a five-year plan in 2016 to upgrade, upskill, and renew our workforce to stay agile.”

Ms Melissa Kee

Chief Human Resources Officer

Kuok Singapore

The company is in the midst of a S$25-million workforce transformation push, bringing in diverse global talent and collaborating with industry partners to nurture next-generation leadership.

Through these efforts, Kuok Group aims to strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit across its businesses. This is no mean feat as the conglomerate’s operations span six continents across digital infrastructure, maritime, real estate, and agrisolutions sectors.

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5 Key Principles of Workforce Transformation

From its corporate headquarters and talent hub in Singapore, Kuok Singapore collaborates with leading institutions and industry partners on leadership development, innovation, digital transformation, corporate ventures, and sustainability. Public and private partners include the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Enterprise Singapore, the Singapore Economic Development Board, IBM, Microsoft, and INSEAD.

Kuok Singapore also leverages government schemes to strengthen its core workforce. Through Workforce Singapore’s SGUnited Jobs Package and Professional Conversion Programme, Kuok Singapore recruits from a range of industries to expand its multidisciplinary team.

The company achieved a 90 per cent sustainable engagement score in its 2020 employee engagement survey. This is two per cent higher than the global average for high-performing companies, explains Ms Kee, validating the company’s inclusive transformation approach. “Our results are very encouraging, considering ongoing pandemic-related disruptions to operations and work arrangements as well as workforce health risks,” she adds.

Expanding capabilities internally through on-the-job training

As the pandemic underscores the value of agility, global supply chain and manufacturing company Flex is training its workforce to stay nimble. Flex has introduced manufacturing digitalisation and automation to its Industry 4.0 transformation journey. Employees, including mature workers, are being upskilled to handle integrated systems in warehouse management, manufacturing execution, product data management, and enterprise resource planning.

“Workforce transformation is integral to our competitiveness, productivity and efficiency strategy. It helps us optimise operations and yield long-term cost savings.”

Mr Daniel Tan

Vice President of Operations

Flex Singapore

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Upskilling, Reskilling and New Skilling: What's the Difference?

On-the-job training and career development programmes are available to all 1,500 Singapore-based Flex employees. This provides workers opportunities to deepen their expertise and acquire multiple skillsets, allowing for flexible deployment.

Hard skills offered include Lean Kaizen, Six Sigma, and Industry 4.0 engineering training, while soft skills include leadership development, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability management. Flex Singapore also partners with the Institute of Technical Education on Work-Study Diploma courses which help employees work and learn at the same time.

These programmes have been a shot in the arm for Flex Singapore. “Our 2021 productivity levels increased 10 per cent from 2020’s, while our employee retention rates are in the high 90 per cent range,” Mr Tan shares.

Get support to transform your workforce for a digital-first economy

The Singapore government offers initiatives tailored to companies’ workforce transformation goals. Whether to boost headcount, develop capabilities or bring in skills, here are some of the workforce support initiatives available.

Grow your team	Expand capabilities and retain talent	Acquire specialist skills
Tap the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package to expand headcount. Employ locals and get up to 25-50% in salary support. Take in recent graduates and receive up to 80% co-funding of training allowance. Leverage the Professional Conversion Programmes (PCP) to recruit mid-career employees. Hire Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians to take on new roles and get 50-90% in co-funding of salary and training costs.	Train staff in industry-relevant skills through the SGUnited Skills Programme. Access SkillsFuture credits that subsidise courses, immersions, and industry projects. Redesign jobs through the Redeployment/Job Redesign Reskilling PCP. Get up to 70-90% in co-funding of salaries and course fees. Retain talent through the Wage Credit Scheme. Get 15% in co-funding in wage raises for Singaporean employees.	Learn the value of people management and job redesign through the Industry 4.0 Human Capital Initiative for Industry 4.0 (I4.) transformation. Enjoy up to 90% in funding support. Speed up the transfer of global capabilities into Singapore with the Capability Transfer Programme. Enjoy up to 90% in funding support to bring in global specialists to train locals, facilitate remote training, or send locals overseas for attachments.

Grow your team

Expand capabilities and retain talent

Acquire specialist skills

Tap the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package to expand headcount.

Employ locals and get up to 25-50% in salary support.
Take in recent graduates and receive up to 80% co-funding of training allowance.

Leverage the Professional Conversion Programmes (PCP) to recruit mid-career employees.

Hire Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians to take on new roles and get 50-90% in co-funding of salary and training costs.

Train staff in industry-relevant skills through the SGUnited Skills Programme.

Access SkillsFuture credits that subsidise courses, immersions, and industry projects.

Redesign jobs through the Redeployment/Job Redesign Reskilling PCP.

Get up to 70-90% in co-funding of salaries and course fees.

Retain talent through the Wage Credit Scheme.

Get 15% in co-funding in wage raises for Singaporean employees.

Learn the value of people management and job redesign through the Industry 4.0 Human Capital Initiative for Industry 4.0 (I4.) transformation.

Enjoy up to 90% in funding support.

Speed up the transfer of global capabilities into Singapore with the Capability Transfer Programme.

Enjoy up to 90% in funding support to bring in global specialists to train locals, facilitate remote training, or send locals overseas for attachments.

Explore hiring and talent trends in Singapore and the region, and connect with recruitment and human resource partners through EDB’s Connections Concierge.