The Union of Power and Gas Employees (UPAGE) and SP Group (SP) in Singapore have formed a Company Training Committee (CTC), which will upskill 3,600 employees, according to a release.

The training committee aims to prepare employees for the energy sector’s rapid transformation, which comprises digitalization and rising customer expectations.

SP has committed S$35 million over the next three years until 2022 to further develop competencies in the areas of customer service, cybersecurity, data analytics, safety and skills for a digital workplace.

In January 2018, SP in collaboration with UPAGE, launched Project FUSION which stands for “Future Skills for Everyone”. Project FUSION has benefitted about 80 percent of SP’s staff strength in the past two years, and it is in the process of upgrading more than 200 job roles.

UPAGE General Secretary Abdul Samad bin Abdul Wahab says, “Some of our workers are anxious with changes coming their way, as there is the fear that technology will be taking over jobs. Through this CTC, we hope to allay this fear by explaining and showcasing how upskilling and taking on higher-value jobs will lead to better wages and work prospects. As union leaders, we want to lead by example, too, and be the first to attend training courses so we can encourage others to sign up.”

Wong Kim Yin, Group CEO of SP Group, added: “The energy industry is transforming, with the advent of new technology. We want to help our people adapt and prepare ahead of this potentially disruptive transformation.”