$2m for SME Training Scheme > Forum Main> August Week 1 > $2m for SME Training Scheme

The Government has committed $2 million to a training programme that aims to improve productivity in SMEs in the manufacturing sector.

Managers who undergo the SME Manufacturing Excellence Programme will be trained to develop initiatives to help their companies become more efficient through the use of technology and various management techniques. "This new programme aims to groom a pool of change agents within SMEs to spearhead operational reviews within their companies, propose changes for productivity enhancements and implement continuous improvement initiatives." says Minister of State for MTI, Lee Yi Shyan.

Comments:

An important internal dimension supporting such initiatives rests with the capacity and capability of the people managers. The nitty-gritty of realising such initiatives boils down to one important decision and that is to train people managers in their people management skills. What kind of programmes and where can people managers of SMEs seek practical training?

What people managers in SMEs look for is really practise-based training and not academic stuff. They need to bring back tools to implement immediately in their workplace. Competency-based training is the answer to equipping these people managers with the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours to influence performance for the right outcomes.

At HCS, we have a suite of 94 people management competencies for people managers to select and enrol for a 2 to 3 day practical training. The HCS Way of learning imparts sharing and learning from one another through the Communities of Practice (CoP) methodology. Participants are hands-on and learn the realities of challenges in the workplace. Our continuous education and training track allows for ongoing engagement with participants even after they have completed their training. The HCS Way value-adds by supporting a continuous improvement and review process with participants. When participants train with HCS, they start a life-long journey of learning with HCS.

The people management competency-based modules at HCS are subsidised under SPUR and are eligible for absentee payroll. Our various tracks of accreditation would allow participants to continue to enjoy the 90% subsidy so long as registration and class commencement starts before 1st December 2010. The popular programmes that would address SMEs' productivity drive include:

Recruitment and Selection: Hiring the right people is key to retention, which in turn is key to improving productivity. High attrition and frequent change of job incumbents only lead to loss of productivity.

Performance Management: To build capability and capacity, we need to retain and develop talents. Understanding how to manage the performance of talents in an organisation is key to creating value for the company.

Talent Management: To support the expansion and growth of the company, management must build its talent pool and have in place the right programmes for grooming potential talents to fill new positions to support a growing business and at the same time to groom high potentials for succession planning.

Employee Relations: Whether it is unionised or non-unionised, it is important for the company to understand industrial relations or employee relations, the Employment Act and other regulations as well as the approach to grievance handling and disputes. Trust and harmonious relations do not happen overnight. HCS is priviledged to have a team headed by Dr. Richard Magnus, former IAC Deputy President and District Judge, and now Chairman of Temasek Foundation charting the employee relations programme in HCS. Other team members include trade unionists, industrial relations specialists and HR Professionals as well as academia specialised in employement relations.

Managing Diversity: The workplace today is made up of a spectrum of employees, of different generations, X, Y and Millennium; different nationalities, different ethnic groups and different religions. How do we gel a mix of these different groups of employees working side by side? Dr. Christopher Fong, a well-known clinical psychologist and practitioner heads the training of this module.  

Visit HCS website, www.hcs.com.sg, to find out more of how our programs can benefit you and address your needs immediately.