NTUC reaches out to Professionals, Managers and Executives

through U Associate Programme

NTUC-IEA Partnership Agreement

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Institute of Estate Agents (IEA), Singapore signed a Partnership Agreement today as part of the Labour Movement’s efforts to reach out and serve more professionals, managers and executives (PMEs). Mr Patrick Tay, Director (PMEs & Legal Services), NTUC and MP for Nee Soon GRC, was the Guest-of-Honor at the signing ceremony.

The agreement, signed by Mr Herman Yeo, Chairperson (Membership) of IEA and Mr Vivek Kumar, Director (Membership) of NTUC, and witnessed by NTUC Secretary General Lim Swee Say, marks the beginning of a close partnership between the Labour Movement and the IEA. Close to 1800 IEA members can now enjoy the convenience of dual privileges offered by the Labour Movement and IEA under this program, with just one membership!

U Associate Programme

The U Associate programme was launched in March 2011 to extend the Labour Movement’s reach to PMEs through existing industry associations, alumni clubs, etc. U Associate program is designed to help our partner associations grow.

The first U Associate partner was Nanyang Technological University Alumni Club (NTU AC). Today, over 3,000 NTU Alumni Club members are enjoying the U Advantage of NTUC Membership under the U Associate Programme. Under the U Associate Programme, members can also look forward to special engagement activities specially crafted to meet their lifestyle needs. For example, NTUC & NTU Alumni Club co-hosted a U Family Night Out event on 15 July 2011 for U Associate members to enjoy an evening of plays, skits, and pure family fun!

Upcoming U Privileges for IEA Members

Vivek Kumar noted, “Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) now requires Real Estate professionals to continually up-skill themselves. NTUC-IEA U Associate members can now tap into UTAP (Union Training Assistance Program), a training subsidy of $250 offered by NTUC to all its members for identified courses on co-sharing basis. We are pleased to announce that UTAP has been extended to three IEA training programmes, namely the RES (Real Estate Salesperson Course), REA (Real Estate Agency Course) and CPD Activities (Continuing Professional Development) are compulsory courses that IEA members and all registered practitioners have to attend annually to ensure skills competency and professionalism across the real estate agency industry. Completing these courses are a requirement for renewal of registration or licensing by CEA.”

Mr Mohamed Ismail said, “With 30,000 estate agents in the industry, IEA and NTUC believe it is important to reach out to them through a holistic framework that includes supporting them not only in life and at play, but with their career development too.”

PMEs Outreach

Speaking on the occasion, Guest-of-Honor Mr Patrick Tay said, “The number of PMEs is expected to rise in the near future as better educated and younger residents join the workforce. We wish to build a community for PMEs where they can enjoy the privileges relevant to them, and more importantly, voice their opinions and concerns as part of the community. We will raise these at relevant forums so they can get a career mobility that would make them feel enriched, and a lifestyle they’d like to enjoy. IEA and NTU Alumni Club members would form a critical part of this PME Community.”

Conclusion

U Associate program is a new way for NTUC to intensify its outreach to PMEs through existing professional associations & clubs. NTUC will strive to work towards achieving sustainable growth for a stronger economy and inclusive growth for an inclusive workforce, so as to help working people of all collars, ages and nationalities live a better life through better skills, better jobs and better pay.