“Make yourself necessary to somebody,” said poet and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882). And this is so true for two employees of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), both of whom enjoy a rewarding career as they reach out to workers and help them attain a better life.

By Ruth Wong

“Before joining NTUC, I thought it was a place with lots of politics and bureaucracy. But since working here, I realise it’s an organisation with lots of passion for the workers!” says Christine Neo, 26, an Employability Coach with the Employability Enhancement Department. She has been with NTUC for five years now...

Her colleague, Raven Lee, agrees. The 29-year-old Senior Industrial Relations Officer (IRO) says, “In NTUC, we’re basically a phone call away from one another. If I need help, I can just call someone. For example, if I am running an event, I can call a colleague from the Corporate Communications Department to help with the publicity. And it is very fast! You don’t have to go through a lot of red tape such that by the time the paperwork gets done, the event is over.”

“And this is our culture,” he adds. “It’s because every employee knows that our objective is to be a Union that helps workers. So if you’re working on something to help workers or jobseekers, everyone is ready to chip in.”

While it may sound cliché, you soon realise that they are sincere.

Enhancing workers’ value
The Employability Enhancement Department comprises Employability Coaches and Job Re-creators.

“Our main job is to offer employability assistance and work opportunities for jobseekers who are retrenched, under-employed or are in career transition,” explains Christine.

They help workers to be job-mobile by either moving across industries or positions or moving upwards to a higher level. This is done through skills upgrading or re-skilling. They also work with employers to re-employ older or retired workers and employ women who want to return to the workforce.

In her role, Christine offers one-to-one coaching to job seekers to assess their skills gap and job readiness, and equips them with generic soft skills training before they go for job interviews. She works with two main groups of jobseekers—the PMETs (Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians) and rank and file workers.

She says that Employability Coaches don’t specialise in an industry or work with a specific category of jobseekers. “So that at any one time, workers can approach any of us and get the help they need,” says the affable coach.

The workers’ voice
While Christine and her colleagues work with jobseekers to enhance their value and employability in the job market, Raven acts as the voice of the workers to employers.

Articulate and confident, Raven has been working in NTUC since 2005. He is currently the Senior IRO for the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers’ Union (FDAWU) and is based at the FDAWU’s office.

“As a Senior IRO, I listen to workers’ concerns and issues and bring them to the management and find suitable solutions,” says Raven.

Besides working with union leaders, Raven also makes the effort to get to know the workers themselves. “The union leaders no doubt represent union members and workers. But if you build a personal relationship with the workers, you can get a better understanding of why they are facing certain issues. Through walking the ground, you get to find out issues first-hand,” he points out.

On the other hand, he may sometimes be the bearer of “bad news” to the workers. “While a policy made at the national level is meant to create a better future, it could be bitter pills for the workers. They may not understand why certain things have to be carried out at the national level. So it’s my job to bridge that gap and make big picture ideas comprehensible to workers,” says Raven.

A rewarding career
While this is Raven’s second job, it is the first for Christine, who graduated with a Diploma in Information Studies from Temasek Polytechnic. Raven holds a Diploma in Business Administration in Public Relations and Advertising from Singapore Polytechnic. Both have gone on to attain degrees.

What made them stay in their jobs, given the job-hopping trend of young working adults?

“NTUC is dynamic and like a big family. We work and play together and I find that my work is different compared to what I see outside,” shares Christine, who joined NTUC at the recommendation of a friend.

One who enjoys working with people, she feels rewarded whenever workers call to thank her for helping them. She gets a great sense of satisfaction in knowing that she has made a difference to the workers’ and their family members’ lives.

Raven feels the same way. “I joined NTUC because there is a social cause to it. If I’m working in an MNC, I’m probably pushing numbers and at the end of the day, it’s a matter of chasing the bottom line. But in NTUC, I know that my actions would have impact on people, and it’s not about one worker but the workers and their families.”

In addition, as a Senior IRO, he gets to work in different unions across various industries.

“By working in different industries, you never get tired of the job because the learning curve is always there! The issues that every union deals with can be very different,” he says.

“Other than horizontal movement, the vertical progression is also there. Because according to your strengths, you can go towards management or handling the operations,” he adds.

Beyond qualifications
“The organisation believes that anyone who comes in with a passion and relevant skills would be able to excel. Even if you are fresh out of a polytechnic, you will receive all the training you need and when you work, the whole machinery (comprising the different departments) will be there to help and support you. Here, we also do not differentiate career progression paths between graduates and non-graduates. It is our performance that counts,” he enthuses.

NTUC’s mission of helping “working people to earn a better living and to live a better life” certainly rings true in Christine and Raven’s careers, where they have both received the training and support they need to help them thrive and excel at their jobs.

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