ON THE JOB : TECH SAVVY
“ While we can adopt the latest and greatest technologies , we recognize that the linchpin to our success is our people . That ’ s why we prioritize upskilling and reskilling initiatives .”
— Albert Chan , HP ’ s Global Head of Inkjet and Ink Supplies Operations
to address skill gaps , while 39 % expressed concern that they were not given sufficient training in digital and technological skills . This may be attributed to factors such as limited awareness , access to resources , mismatched skills , and socioeconomic barriers .
However , the pandemic propelled the need to have a pipeline of up-andcoming local talent at the ready . HP puts that focus front and center with a two-pronged approach to developing a future-ready workforce : providing opportunities for skill building internally through learning and development programming , or facilitating it via institutions of higher education .
From top : Sudhar Neelakantan , principal trainer at the Learning Academy at the Tuas plant ; Neelakantan holding the charge roller of the HP Indigo 12000 Digital Press ; the group gathers around for closer instruction .
Future-ready and predictive HP ’ s workforce plan aligns with Singapore ’ s vision to increase manufacturing value-adds such as electronics , precision engineering , and biomedical sciences by 50 % by 2030 , while HP ’ s expertise in advanced manufacturing technologies , digital transformation , and sustainability aligns with Singapore ’ s manufacturing goals .
The company launched the Smart Manufacturing Applications and Research Centre ( SMARC ) at its ISIO facility in 2017 to help its employees keep up with technological advances .
“ We cannot take for granted that we know the latest and greatest ,” says Richard SK Ng , manager at HP SMARC . “ We have a wide knowledge base and skill range within the organization — from fresh graduates to those with expertise in a certain field — so
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