share on
Beyond the festive celebrations, the visit highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen Singapore’s aviation workforce, such as attracting and upskilling workers to sustain the growth of the Changi Air Hub.
Singapore's Prime Minister (PM) Lawrence Wong joined Labour Movement leaders on Lunar New Year (LNY) Eve (28 January) at Changi Airport Terminal 3 to express their appreciation for workers’ dedication, especially during the festive period.
Accompanied by NTUC President K Thanaletchimi and NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, PM Wong visited airport workers, distributing LNY gift bags containing a pair of mandarin oranges, a red packet from NTUC, and a small gift from himself.
Joining the visit were:
- Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat
- Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Amy Khor
- Tripartite partners, including:
- Union and association leaders from the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation (A&A) cluster
- National Taxi Association (NTA)
- National Private Hire Vehicle Association (NPHVA)
During the celebrations, PM Wong engaged with workers across various roles, including ground handling agents, customer service officers, taxi drivers, and private hire vehicle drivers at the airport’s departure and arrival areas. The visit was hosted by Changi Airport Group (CAG) Chief Executive Officer Yam Kum Weng and his team.
Strengthening the aviation workforce with NTUC partnerships
Beyond the festive celebrations, the visit highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen Singapore’s aviation workforce. With global passenger traffic expected to double in the next two decades, attracting and upskilling workers will be crucial to sustaining the growth of the Changi Air Hub.
To support this demand, the OneAviation Careers Hub (OACH) – a tripartite initiative involving NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and CAAS – seeks to attract more workers to the sector through end-to-end job facilitation, career and training guidance, and recruitment support for employers.
In a statement, NTUC shared: “Since October 2022, OACH has assisted 3,800 locals for their career and training needs to date, and more than 1,400 jobseekers have successfully found employment in the A&A sector.
"Aircraft engineers and technicians, customer service agents and equipment operators are among the job roles that are most actively hiring on the OACH job portal, and are expected to remain in great demand as the Changi Air Hub develops further."
Workforce development initiatives also focus on job redesign to provide clear career progression and skills development pathways. For instance, SATS has partnered with NTUC and SATS Workers’ Union (SATSWU) to leverage the CTC Grant to redesign the Customer Service Agent (CSA) role and enhance career progression opportunities.
Commitment to workers’ growth and wellbeing
Recognising the dedication of airport workers who keep Changi Air Hub running even during the festive season, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng shared:
"Lunar New Year is a time for family, and while many of us gather with our loved ones, our airport workers, taxi drivers and private hire vehicle drivers are working hard to keep our Changi Air Hub running. We are grateful for their dedication and passion, as they work tirelessly throughout this festive season."
He added that global passenger traffic is expected to double over the next two decades, thus creating good job opportunities for our aviation workers. "NTUC is working closely with our tripartite partners, including CAAS, Changi Airport Group and companies in the aviation sector, to attract more workers to join the sector.
“We will support our workers in their training and upskilling, so that they can secure good jobs within the sector, amidst these momentous developments.”
Photo: Provided by NTUC
share on
