Singapore Government Press Release
Media Relations Division, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
MITA Building, 140 Hill Street, 2nd Storey, Singapore 179369
Tel: 6837-9666
FORMATION OF SINGAPORE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Effective 1 September 2003, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) will function as a new statutory board under the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
The WDA will lead and drive workforce development in Singapore. Its mission is to enhance the employability and competitiveness of employees and jobseekers, thereby building a workforce that meets the changing needs of Singapore’s economy. WDA will have two main arms, an Industry Network as well as a Learning Network. Its Industry Network will provide employment facilitation for jobseekers and work closely with industry to identify skills needs of the workforce and develop industry-focused continuing education and training (CET) programmes for both workers in employment, as well as jobseekers, to meet these needs. Its Learning Network will build new CET capabilities, including skills and curriculum development, research in adult learning and teaching methods, raise standards of training providers and develop national training programmes to raise the employability of the workforce, including workers vulnerable to unemployment.
The former Human Capital Development Division comprising the Skills Development Fund Secretariat as well as the Labour Market Development Division under the Ministry of Manpower, and the Critical Enabling Skills Training (CREST) Secretariat and the National Skills Recognition System (NSRS) Centre under SPRING Singapore, will come under WDA.
Heading the WDA board as Chairman will be Ms Yong Ying-I, Permanent Secretary of MOM. The CEO of WDA will be Mr Leo Yip, concurrently Deputy Secretary (Policy & Development), MOM.
WDA's corporate headquarters will be located at No. 2 Havelock Road, #04-12/13 Apollo Centre, Singapore 059763. Public services for assistance in job facilitation will be provided from its office at CareerLink@WDA, #01-01 MOM Building, Singapore 059764 while skills incentives, curriculum development and skills certification (formerly under the National Skills Centre, SPRING) will be serviced at its office located at SPRING Singapore. Detailed addresses are listed at Annex A.
The WDA will be officially launched on 17 September 2003 by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.
MINISTRY OF MANPOWER
1 SEPTEMBER 2003
ANNEX A
WDA Offices
Main Office
No 2 Havelock Road
#04-12/13 Apollo Centre
Singapore 059763
Tel: (65) 6223 0012
Fax: (65) 6236 4989
Internet website: http://www.wda.gov.sg
Email: wda_enquiry@wda.gov.sg
Skills and Curriculum Development Division