How Training Services Provided by SMRT Improve Staff Performance

1. How Training Services Provided by SMRT Improve Staff Performance Training programmes for employees help them to improve their skills, knowledge, and performance. Companies that provide training programmes to their staff show higher engagement and retention rates. Such organizations have more productive workplaces. SMRT, Singapore’s leading rail transport operator, knows the value of good training. It is committed to developing a future-ready workforce through continuous learning and work culture transformation. SMRT Institute, the training arm of SMRT, is responsible for upskilling and reskilling of its train operators, maintenance teams, drivers, bus captains, staff, and partners. Here are the different training programmes developed by SMRT and how they are improving staff performance: 1. The Ab-Initio Training team oversees the on-boarding of new hires. The team develops relevant professional programmes to help new staff members of SMRT Trains to understand organisation’s strategic goals, build technical skill competencies, and improve their service excellence. 2. SMRT encourages its rail maintenance and operations teams to undertake training and improve their performance. For that, the company introduced a Rail Excellence Team-based Award (RETA) in January 2018. This award helps to drive excellence in rail reliability as well as enhance teams’ performance through training. 3. SMRT recently ordered training simulators, instructor stations, control consoles, control centre stations, replica cabs, an observation station, and laptop computers from Spanish supplier Lander Simulation. Operations Control Centre (OCC) controllers and drivers will be trained together using Lander’s equipment. Another reason for buying simulation equipment is to merge conventional training tools with simulation tools and help more staff to learn simultaneously. 4. In January 2020, SMRT, Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop training curricula. Workers maintaining SMRT trains will receive skills training under this agreement. 5. SMRT had launched the SkillsFuture Digital Workplace Programme in 2019 in partnership with the National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU) to enable digital transformation in the workplace. Under this training programme, workers will be trained in using applications for administrative and job functions. 6. SMRT’s Multi-Track Career Scheme helps workers of SMRT Roads to learn how to manage operations so that they can support the maintenance of future Autonomous Vehicle. For staff members of SMRT Buses, the company has developed the Singapore Bus Training and Evaluation Centre. 7. SMRT and the University of Birmingham jointly developed the SMRT Train Engineer Professionalisation (STEP) programme and the Postgraduate Certificate in Urban Railway Engineering. 8. SMRT Buses received the Most Innovative/Effective Safety Programme by a Public Transport Operator” award for developing the Professional Learning and Training Management System

2. (PROLEARN). Under the programme, the performance of bus captains is monitored through analytics and telematics. 9. SMRT employed the methodology of Kaizen (which means “change for the better”) to make continuous improvements in workflows, operations, and employee skills. SMRT partnered with the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) of A*Star to provide training on the Kaizen system. Since the implementation of this methodology, employees have developed a greater sense of ownership and achieved higher productivity. 10. SMRT works with Land Transport Authority (LTA), top global and local academic institutions, and industry leaders to build, enhance, and improve training programmes and employee performance. In SMRT’s 2019-20 Annual Report, SMRT CEO, Mr. Neo Kian Hong stated, “People are our edge. To strengthen the technical skills and competencies of our rail workforce, SMRT and our union partners have introduced many training and upgrading programmes for our workers. We will continue to strengthen our culture of leadership, learning organisation and organisation excellence.” SMRT wants its people to grow through life-long learning. SMRT Chairman, Mr. Seah Moon Ming has the same vision and stated, “We will continue to invest in People and Technology. Kaizen and continuous improvement efforts will also be deepened at the individual, system, and company levels.” Conclusion SMRT provides a number of training opportunities for its staff and partners. It also encourages self- directed and collaborative learning. The above-mentioned steps taken by SMRT show that the public transport operator is at forefront of providing workforce training services, top-quality transit services, and innovative transport solutions.