SMRT uplifts workers’ competencies and reliability of rail network with progressive career scheme

SMRT Corporation introduced a new progressive competency-based career scheme for its Trains group today, underscoring its continued commitment to the professional development of its workforce. With this scheme, SMRT aims to strengthen the operational and engineering capability of its workforce, and position it robustly to meet the service, safety and reliability of the MRT network, in a rapidly expanding network set to double by 2030.

The Company’s new ‘SMRT Trains Career Scheme’ is the result of extensive collaboration between SMRT and the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) over the past year. It was launched today at SMRT headquarters, at an event witnessed by NTUC Secretary-General Mr Lim Swee Say, with senior SMRT staff and union leaders in attendance. The event also saw the signing of the Collective Agreement between SMRT Management and NTWU.

The SMRT Trains Career Scheme is in line with the Labour Movement’s Progressive Wage Model concept which advocates four key thrusts of career progression, skills upgrading, productivity and wages. It guides the career development for staff from Train Operations, who operate passenger trains and stations; and Systems and Engineering, who maintain rolling stock and supporting infrastructure such as railway tracks, power and signaling systems. Impacting about 4,000 of SMRT’s workforce, the new scheme is a significant enhancement over the existing career structure, and builds on the success of the progressive wage model introduced in 2013 for all SMRT Bus Captains.

Mr Desmond Kuek, President and Group CEO of SMRT Corporation said:“SMRT is strengthening our workforce capability to contribute to Singapore's expanding mass rapid transit network. With the new Trains Career Scheme in place, we aim to construct a career road map that enables our operational and technical staff to be professionally trained and nurtured in the skills and competencies required to meet the demands of an increasingly complex system, and with the highest quality of commuter service.”

“The scheme also addresses the aspirations of our staff through a well-defined career progression ladder based on each individual's demonstrated ability and potential for higher responsibilities, with promotions and incentives that are aligned to recognise and reward exemplary performance.  We are investing in the timely and progressive training of all our staff, to achieve higher productivity and effectiveness, as they grow through the ranks and with higher job grades.”

New Specialist Grades for SMRT Trains Staff

Among the highlights is the introduction of a Specialist track in the various domains of rail operations and engineering: such as Train and Station operations, and distinct engineering areas of Tracks, Rolling Stock, Signaling, and Power systems. By deepening the specialization of our workers in these key areas, we will improve the safety and reliability of the rail system. In addition, the new grades will help our workers keep abreast of new technology that is being implemented to improve the system resilience and reliability. Importantly, there are new avenues for specialist progression for technical and operational staff who may not move up along the supervisory or managerial tracks.

New Grades and Posts with Job Enlargement and Empowerment

New job roles have been created for personnel who have many years of experience and have undergone rigorous training and qualifications on the job. These subject matter experts can helm more challenging tasks, mentor younger staff, train new recruits, and conduct safety checks. For example, Senior Assistant Station managers can be deployed to larger stations that have a more demanding pace of operations, and also mentor and train junior staff. Technical Officers who perform key engineering maintenance tasks can now also progress to be subject matter experts in their respective engineering fields as Senior Technical Officers. They will be trained to perform more complex diagnostic and onsite trouble shooting-tasks across a wider scope of work areas, and also train and mentor junior staff. If they do well and pass the qualification training, they can progress to become Assistant Engineers who lead a team of technical officers in an engineering domain.

Such job enlargement and empowerment aims to also improve the productivity of the workforce, which allows our workers to look forward to higher pay levels when they are promoted to these enhanced job grades.

Of significance is that the additional tiers of Supervisory grades serve as progression pathways that point promising supervisory staff to managerial roles. This change recognizes that non-graduate staff who join SMRT at entry-level positions, perform well and acquire the relevant competencies and skills through SMRT’s structured training programmes through the years, can look forward to being promoted to be executives and managers.

New job titles

New Job titles will also be introduced to recognise staff at different levels of competency and experience. For example, Train Captains who operate SMRT trains will move up the improved career ladder from Train Captain I to III, to Senior Train Captain. This better recognises their seniority, higher skills sets and wider duties as they move up their career path.

Investing in Training

Core to this scheme is SMRT’s investment in Training. Significant investments are also being made in professional training. SMRT Institute, the only professional rail operations and engineering training agency in Singapore, is accrediting its capabilities to be comparable with the best global operators in the world today. Professional development programmes include rail operations, engineering, leadership and supervisory skills, and Service Excellence modules, which have been developed and certified to Workforce Skills Qualification standards.

To commuters, having deep subject matter domain experts in SMRT will better ensure a high level of safety and reliability even as new and more sophisticated systems and technologies come on line.

Commenting on the new Trains Career Scheme, NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say said:“I am glad to see that SMRT is one of the pioneers in Singapore to truly embrace the progressive wage model for the benefit of the workers. With both bus and train workers with SMRT benefiting from the new schemes, we hope they become Better Workers through enhanced career pathways coupled with productivity, skills and wage improvement.”

Also welcoming the career road map, Rosmani Bin Juraini, President, National Transport Workers Union, said: “In partnership with the management, NTWU and the Union branch committees are pleased to achieve a better career progression scheme for our workers.

“As a Train Captain myself for many years, I look forward to this enhanced scheme because it creates greater career and development opportunities. The scheme paves the way for Train Captains - from the new joiners to more seasoned ones – to grow their careers with SMRT. They can also look forward to better wages as they climb the career ladder. I’m also glad that similar schemes have also been put in place for other jobs in the company so that more workers can benefit from it.  This scheme has to continue to stay relevant, sustainable and scalable for it to benefit workers and the company. I look forward to working with Management as this scheme is rolled out.”