E-commerce platform Shopee recently announced their partnership with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) to help SMEs increase their digital skills and expand into the e-commerce space as well.
Like Shopee, there are other industry leaders who are part of the SkillsFuture Queen Bee Programme. With guidance from these industry giants, or “Queen Bees”, your business can leverage on industry-leading skills and expertise to speed up the learning process.
What Constitutes A SkillsFuture Queen Bee?
A SkillsFuture Queen Bee refer to industry leaders that attract and influence other companies (in particular SMEs), to scale up employer-initiated skills development efforts and help extend the reach of the SkillsFuture movement. SSG will partner such companies to leverage their best practices, expertise and network to co-create training solutions that will help SMEs increase their skills capability.
Since July 2019, more than 400 companies have benefitted from the skills development programmes delivered by the SkillsFuture Queen Bee companies, of which 93% are SMEs. SSG also has plans to partner up to 40 Queen Bee companies to benefit 4,000 SMEs by 2025. To-date, SkillsFuture is working with 20 Queen Been companies, and have benefitted more than 400 companies.
Which Companies Are The SkillsFuture Queen Bees?
There are currently a total of 20 SkillsFuture Queen Bees which include Microsoft, IBM, Bosch, Google, SP Group, SMRT among other industry leaders. Being at the forefront of their industry, these companies are typically also trying to train and educate their own employees. While doing so, if they can upskill the entire industry or value chain they work within, it can be beneficial for more.
Here are 4 companies who were appointed as the first Queen Bees in their respective industries.
#1 Shopee
Shopee was the first e-commerce company to be appointed as a SkillsFuture Queen Bee in April 2021. The e-commerce giant has plans to engage 30 SMEs to identify their needs and draw out a training plan for them to ease their transition into the e-commerce space. Shopee will also be creating a skills support ecosystem for SMEs to pick up the necessary skillsets to thrive in the competitive e-commerce landscape.
#2 Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital (KWSH)
Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital was appointed as the first Queen Bee in Singapore’s community care sector in November 2020. Through its Community Training Institute, the hospital has plans to reach out to about 100 Community Care Organisations (CCOs) to enhance their skills and improve the standard of care. KWSH will also be conducting workshops and masterclasses that cover topics such as digitalisation, change management, agile thinking and digital transformation, to help professionals within the CCOs strengthen their service delivery model.
#3 Prudential
Prudential was the first insurer to be appointed as a SkillsFuture Queen Bee in November 2020. The insurer will support SMEs by identifying their skills development needs to help them meet immediate and longer-term business objectives through the SME Skills Accelerator (SSA) programme.
The 12-month programme was designed to be flexible to provide participating SMEs with the choice of taking on training programmes that are most relevant to them while receiving the full-year skills advisory support.
Prudential will also be building a digital training course booking platform with reminders and course recommendations to help SMEs sustain their workforce development needs.
#4 Tribal Worldwide
Tribal Worldwide – a subsidiary of DDB Group Singapore – was the first SkillsFuture Queen Bee appointed in the design sector in January 2021. To better help design SMEs respond to the rising demand for quality experience design and innovation, Tribal Worldwide will be engaging with the participating SMEs to understand their skills gap and develop a holistic plan to deepen design excellence within the industry.
The global network of interactive agencies aims to support at least 30 SMEs on their learning journey over the course of 12 months.
How Much Support Will My Company Receive If We Enrolled In Courses By The Queen Bees?
SMEs will receive up to 90% of funding support by the government when they enrol in training programmes that are curated by SkillsFuture Queen Bees. Non-SMEs can receive up to 70% funding support.
Read Also: Guide To Understanding The Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG)
How Can My Company Apply To Be A SkillsFuture Queen Bee?
Companies cannot apply to be a SkillsFuture Queen Bee. They can, however, be selected based on criteria such as their industry standing, industry expertise and extensiveness of their industry networks.
Queen Bee companies receive different forms of support in playing their role to upskill SMEs in their industry. Companies like Bosch and IBM are funded to deliver training of emerging and in-demand skills in their sectors, while companies like Prudential and Kwong Wai Shiu are funded to hire skills managers to formulate solutions for SMEs in their value chains.
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