<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>SMEs frustrated by initiative to save jobs
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WE APPLAUD the recent announcement of various initiatives by the Government to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) survive this crisis and save jobs. However, SMEs often experience significant frustration accessing such well-intended measures.
For example, the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur), intended to save jobs, was announced recently, and employers are encouraged to send their workers for training during this economic downturn. Our company is fully supportive of the Government's call. On Thursday morning at 8.30am, we checked the website of the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) on the Spur initiative but could not find any training programmes relevant to our business.
We then called the WDA. First, we were told that if our industry does not fall under any of the listed programmes, there are no programmes for our employees and we would have to follow the usual Skills Development Fund (SDF) channel. This surprised us as the government announcement gave the impression that Spur is for all companies.
We asked if we could meet the head of the WDA to discuss development of programmes relevant to our sector but after 15 minutes, it became apparent that the WDA had no solution for us and we were asked repeatedly to go to the SDF website.
We decided to make a final attempt by sending feedback via the WDA website, but when we clicked on contact information, the response was 'the page cannot be found'. By then, another half hour had been wasted with no outcome.
This is a classic case of 'disintegrated' process flow and common frustrations faced by SMEs, so many simply give up or do not even want to try. If the intention is to get employers to save jobs, more has to be done to get things going.
As an HR firm, we already have insights of SMEs and more companies planning retrenchments and wage cuts next year. If we do not take real action, we cannot blame more companies if they follow the swift measures taken by DBS Bank as our experience shows that going to government agencies in a crisis means prolonged agony and being sent round in circles. And time and resource luxury are exactly what SMEs do not have.
Aileen Ng (Ms)
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WE APPLAUD the recent announcement of various initiatives by the Government to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) survive this crisis and save jobs. However, SMEs often experience significant frustration accessing such well-intended measures.
For example, the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur), intended to save jobs, was announced recently, and employers are encouraged to send their workers for training during this economic downturn. Our company is fully supportive of the Government's call. On Thursday morning at 8.30am, we checked the website of the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) on the Spur initiative but could not find any training programmes relevant to our business.
We then called the WDA. First, we were told that if our industry does not fall under any of the listed programmes, there are no programmes for our employees and we would have to follow the usual Skills Development Fund (SDF) channel. This surprised us as the government announcement gave the impression that Spur is for all companies.
We asked if we could meet the head of the WDA to discuss development of programmes relevant to our sector but after 15 minutes, it became apparent that the WDA had no solution for us and we were asked repeatedly to go to the SDF website.
We decided to make a final attempt by sending feedback via the WDA website, but when we clicked on contact information, the response was 'the page cannot be found'. By then, another half hour had been wasted with no outcome.
This is a classic case of 'disintegrated' process flow and common frustrations faced by SMEs, so many simply give up or do not even want to try. If the intention is to get employers to save jobs, more has to be done to get things going.
As an HR firm, we already have insights of SMEs and more companies planning retrenchments and wage cuts next year. If we do not take real action, we cannot blame more companies if they follow the swift measures taken by DBS Bank as our experience shows that going to government agencies in a crisis means prolonged agony and being sent round in circles. And time and resource luxury are exactly what SMEs do not have.
Aileen Ng (Ms)
