NTUC and KPMG aim to create better jobs as AI transforms Singapore’s workforce

Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and KPMG in Singapore have launched a workforce transformation programme aimed at helping businesses turn artificial intelligence (AI) adoption into productivity gains, better jobs and improved career prospects for workers.

The initiative will support companies with workforce planning, job redesign, employee training and technology adoption, with a focus on ensuring workers benefit from AI-driven business transformation.

According to a joint release by the two organisations, the partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on 22 October 2026. 

The programme will also allow eligible companies to tap the NTUC Company Training Committee (CTC) Grant and the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package (EWTP) at different stages of their transformation journey.

Better jobs at the centre of AI adoption

NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, who attended the signing as guest of honour, said the Labour Movement wants workers to adapt to AI-driven changes while benefiting from the opportunities they create.

“As AI reshapes jobs and workplaces, NTUC wants to ensure that workers can adapt and benefit from new opportunities,” he said.

Under the agreement, KPMG will become NTUC’s latest Lead Multiplier and knowledge partner, bringing its expertise in business and workforce transformation to companies across sectors.

The collaboration is also the first NTUC Lead Multiplier partnership that allows companies to access both the CTC Grant and EWTP at different stages of their transformation.

Beyond improving individual productivity, the initiative aims to help businesses explore new operating models, redesign existing roles and create opportunities for employees to move into higher-value work.

Ng said the partnership could help companies move beyond incremental improvements and explore new ways of doing business.

“In time, we hope to completely change mindsets into new business possibilities and business paradigms,” he said.

The initiative also supports wider efforts under the Tripartite Jobs Council to help businesses and workers navigate the impact of AI on employment and skills.

Grants to support workforce transformation

As an approved EWTP consultant, KPMG will work with companies to assess workforce and skills gaps, develop transformation roadmaps and implement solutions involving training, job redesign and technology adoption.

The programme will help employers anticipate future manpower needs and identify how AI and automation could change existing tasks and responsibilities. 

Companies will then be supported in redesigning jobs around higher-value work and reskilling or redeploying employees into new or expanded roles.

The intended outcomes include improved business productivity, better jobs, higher wages and stronger career prospects for workers.

Ng said bringing the CTC Grant and EWTP together could help businesses move their transformation efforts “from planning to implementation”.

Eligible companies can access the CTC Grant, which co-funds up to 70% of qualifying costs for transformation projects or training linked to those projects. 

The initiatives must support productivity improvements, job redesign and better employment prospects for workers.

Under the EWTP, the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant (Job Redesign+), or WDG(JR+), co-funds up to 70% of qualifying costs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 50% for non-SMEs, capped at S$150,000 per enterprise. 

The support covers workforce consultancy, capability building and workforce technology solutions.

KPMG in Singapore Managing Partner Lee Sze Yeng said companies must focus on preparing their employees to use AI effectively rather than simply investing in the technology.

“Any company can buy AI. What it cannot buy is a workforce that knows how to get the most out of it,” she said.

She added that the partnership would help businesses identify future skills requirements, redesign roles and prepare leaders to manage workforce transitions.

Six courses to build AI transformation capabilities

The partnership will also focus on developing leadership capabilities and strengthening AI-related skills. 

NTUC LearningHub and KPMG in Singapore will collaborate on six courses covering AI transformation, AI in sustainability and AI in finance.

Two one-day AI transformation courses have been developed to give business leaders practical skills for adopting AI across their organisations.

The courses will cover identifying opportunities for AI-driven value creation, assessing organisational readiness, understanding governance and risk considerations, and translating AI opportunities into projects aligned with business needs.

More than 20 senior leaders and decision-makers from the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) and business events sector have already participated in a pilot of the Leading AI Transformation course. 

The participants were brought together by the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS).

NTUC LearningHub Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Ong said successful AI adoption requires leaders to look beyond understanding the technology and focus on how it can create value while bringing employees along through the transition.

“Leaders must be able to identify opportunities where AI can create value, exercise human intelligence and sound judgement, and bring their people along on the transformation journey,” he said.

The collaboration aims to equip business leaders with the practical capabilities to turn AI opportunities into sustainable business outcomes while preparing workers for changing roles and skill requirements.