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MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS AND SINGAPORE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
Home Team Training Programmes to be Accredited and Nationally Recognised under the
Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA)’s Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications
(WSQ) System
Mr Ng Cher Pong and Mr T. Raja Kumar concluding the signing of the MOU
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency
(WDA) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 9 March 2016. This MOU facilitates
WDA’s accreditation of the training institutions under the Home Team as in-house Singapore
Workforce Skills Qualifications1 (WSQ) Approved Training Organisations2 (ATOs).
1
The Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) is a national credentialing system. It trains, develops, assesses and recognises
individuals for the key competencies that companies look for in potential employees.
2
A training organisation that has met the accreditation criteria established by WDA would be approved for WSQ training and assessments
and is considered an Approved Training Organisation (ATO).
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2
The MOU was signed by Mr T. Raja Kumar, Deputy Secretary (International), Ministry of
Home Affairs, concurrently Chief Executive of the Home Team Academy (HTA), and Mr Ng Cher
Pong, Chief Executive of WDA.
3
Under this collaboration, Home Team courses will be accredited under the WSQ system,
ensuring that the quality of its training programmes is maintained at a high standard. Home Team
trainers will also be trained under the Training and Adult Education (TAE)3 WSQ framework. This
follows the earlier accreditation of the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s Civil Defence Academy in
2014. With this MOU, the Home Team Academy, Singapore Prison Service Training School and
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority Training School will be accredited and join CDA as in-house
WSQ ATOs. With ATO certification, Home Team officers who complete these WSQ-accredited
training programmes will be issued nationally-recognised WSQ Statements of Attainment4 (SOAs)
and qualifications.
4
The collaboration will see about 1,000 Home Team trainers certified as Adult Educators over
the next three years. The WSQ SOAs and qualifications will benefit Home Team officers, including
Full-time National Service personnel (NSFs), as they give recognition to HT officers of their
professional standing in the industry and provide opportunities for networking, collaboration,
learning and continuous professional development. The WSQ SOAs and qualifications will benefit
NSFs when they enter the workforce later.
5
WDA is at the forefront of strengthening the skills of the Singapore workforce and driving
enterprise-centric productivity growth through lifelong learning and skills deepening. The WSQ
system is a national credential system developed in collaboration with industry stakeholders. It
allows individuals to take charge of their own skills needs and career advancement as well as enables
employers to identify, train and maintain a skilled workforce to enhance their businesses’
competitive edge.
6
Entrusted with the responsibility of keeping Singapore safe and secure, the Home Team
training institutions’ adoption of the WSQ system will help the Home Team to benchmark its training
institutions’ training quality against national standards.
3
The TAE WSQ framework was also developed to improve the capabilities and professionalism of Continuing Education and Training (CET)
Professionals, in areas such as adult education and training management.
4
A Statement of Attainment (SOA) is a modular certificate awarded to trainees who have been assessed to be competent after completing
a WSQ modular course. Trainees who have completed a stipulated number of SOAs will qualify for the award of a full WSQ qualification.
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“As the Home Team further invests to transform the training and learning landscape and enhance the
quality of training and learning for Home Team officers, it is important that we benchmark the Home
Team’s training capabilities against national standards. Through this partnership with WDA, the Home
Team will ensure that the standards of our training programmes are benchmarked against the national
level and that the quality of our training allows our officers to achieve operational effectiveness and
meet current and future challenges. Importantly, Home Team officers – including National Servicemen will benefit from the national recognition that their Home Team training courses carry.”
T. Raja Kumar
Deputy Secretary (International), Ministry of Home Affairs
And concurrently
Chief Executive, Home Team Academy
“The nationally-recognised WSQ system provides individuals with industry-validated training to acquire
skills and competencies that are in line with employers’ workplace needs. Through this MOU, WDA will
continue to support MHA in enhancing and professionalising the training that MHA officers are already
undertaking, and to provide greater recognition of MHA officers’ capabilities as they serve to safeguard
Singapore’s security.”
Mr Ng Cher Pong
Chief Executive
Singapore Workforce Development Agency
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Jointly Issued by:
Home Team Academy, Ministry of Home Affairs
and
Singapore Workforce Development Agency
Media Contacts:
Mr Amir Hamzah
Home Team Academy
64653753
Mr Steven Ng
Singapore Workforce Development Agency
Principal Manager, Corporate Marketing Communications Division
65121241
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