SkillsFuture Council members announced (Amended)

MEMBERS of the new SkillsFuture Council, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, were announced on Wednesday, after the group's first meeting.

The 25-member group "will develop an integrated system of education, training and career progression for all Singaporeans, promote industry support for individuals to advance based on skills, and foster a culture of lifelong learning", according to a SkillsFuture Council statement.

The council comprises representatives from the government, industry, unions and employers, and educational and training institutions.

Apart from various ministers - including Lim Hng Kiang, Heng Swee Keat, Chan Chun Sing, and Tan Chuan-Jin - members of the inaugural team include business leaders like Teo Siong Seng, chairman, Singapore Business Federation; George Quek, chairman, BreadTalk Group; and Robert Yap; president, Singapore National Employers Federation.

The first batch of members has been appointed for a two-year term. The SkillsFuture Council was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at this year's National Day Rally.

Said Mr Tharman after the first meeting: "Our future must be about mastery of skills, in every job, and enabling every Singaporean to develop themselves to the fullest. We're going to put full effort into this, and it involves everyone - Government, employers, unions and all of us as individuals."

An earlier version of this article attributed the SkillsFuture Council statement to the Singapore Workforce Development Agency. The article above has been revised to reflect this.