SINGAPORE: Oil giant Shell has partnered with the Singapore Shell Employees’ Union (SSEU) to set up a council to train and upskill about 1,250 workers, in line with the company’s 10-year plan to cut its own carbon emissions in Singapore by about a third.
The Joint Capability Council (JCC), which comprises management representatives from both groups, aims to address training gaps in existing programmes and help equip workers with relevant skills, Shell and SSEU said in a joint release on Monday (Nov 30).
AdvertisementAdvertisement“This initiative, amongst others, will complement Shell’s digitalisation efforts in pivoting its manufacturing business into new, low-carbon value chains,” said the release.
About 1,250 workers from across all businesses in Shell will benefit from the training plans to create a workforce that will remain “resilient” through the company’s transformation, said the release. Shell has more than 3,100 workers in Singapore.
[h=3]READ: Shell Singapore to repurpose core business, downsize Pulau Bukom refinery in low-carbon shift[/h]The company had said earlier this month that its strategic shift towards a low-carbon future will involve reducing headcount in its workforce at the Pulau Bukom refinery site from 1,300 to 800 by the end of 2023.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe announcement comes after parent company Royal Dutch Shell pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050.
On Monday, Shell and SSEU said that under the JCC, they will develop courses for workers in areas such as adaptive skills, digital literacy and data analytics.
The training programmes will be offered to more than 500 process and maintenance technicians in the first phase of the initiative.
Shell and SSEU committed to the move with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which was witnessed by Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who is also an advisor to the union.
Advertisement[h=3]READ: Shell launches major cost-cutting drive to prepare for energy transition[/h]With the JCC, workers can have “a formal structure to enable continuous learning to future proof themselves,” said National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) secretary-general Ng Chee Meng.
Mr Ng added that the council will make a “real difference in enhancing” employees’ job security and help them secure “better work prospects in the medium to long-term”.
“As we repurpose our business to navigate change through the energy transition, Shell is also strengthening the culture of a ‘learner mindset’ across our organisation,” said chairman of Shell Companies in Singapore Aw Kah Peng.
“We had earlier launched the UpSkill ShellSG initiative, and the launch of the JCC today is a step further for our employees, preparing them to be resilient and future-ready,” she added.
SSEU general secretary Munirman Abdul Manaf said: “The JCC is a timely initiative in view of the digitalisation trend and Shell’s transformation plans. With the set up of the JCC, the Union will continue to work closely with the management to drive efforts in training and help our workers to remain gainfully employed.”
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