NTUC Seeking Fresh Funds for Grant to Get More Workers into Better Jobs

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is calling for a fresh injection of government funds for an existing grant scheme that defrays costs for companies to rework business processes, so more workers can be put in better jobs.

- Tay Hong Yi

More than 85 per cent of the $100 million given to the Company Training Committee (CTC) Grant has been earmarked for approved projects since the scheme was launched in 2022.

At the end of 2024, there were around 480 approved projects from more than 330 companies.

The updates were provided by NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng on Jan 10 at a jobs fair organised by the labour movement.

"We hope that the Government will see the usefulness of the CTC Grant and partner NTUC once more to see how we can bring businesses to new heights and, with better businesses, take care of our workers," he said.

"NTUC needs good employers - employers with vision, employers with good business practices - to succeed so that when their businesses succeed, they can give employment to Singaporeans."

More than 7,400 workers are set to benefit from the funded CTC Grant projects via either an average wage increase of 5 per cent over and above their typical annual increment, or clearer pathways for career progression.

Under the grant scheme, companies can apply to NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to cover up to 70 per cent of the qualifying cost of projects that raise productivity, redesign jobs and upskill workers.