70 SICC and Singapore Business Federation (SBF) members attended a joint event on the topic of talent development on 8 October. This event was a collaboration between SICC, Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and SBF.

Mr Chew Hwee Yong, Deputy Director, Southeast Asia Division, Enterprise Singapore, presented the market outlook for Southeast Asia and spoke about the macro socio-political and economic trends affecting this region. He also highlighted sectors which moves the economy and talked about how Singapore companies can capture value within this regional development.

This was followed by in-depth presentations on the suite of SEA Talent Development Programmes that Enterprise Singapore offers. Ms Lindy Sim, Senior Development Partner, Human Capital Division, Enterprise Singapore, spoke about the Young Talent Programme which prepares students for international job roles through work opportunities in overseas markets with Singapore based companies; Mr Jeffrey Kong, Manager, SBF Business Institute shared the Professional Conversion Programme, which helps companies in acquiring mid-careerists through funding support and preparatory training; lastly, Mr Paul Wu, Clients & Networks, Human Capital Leadership Institute, elaborated on the ASEAN Leadership Programme, which is designed to help business leaders better understand Southeast Asian markets.

It was a good opportunity for member companies to connect directly with the speakers and find out how their companies can benefit from these programmes. It also provided a platform for members of the SICC and SBF communities to network and exchange contacts.