Our Communities & Unions
Our Communities & Unions
With over 100,000 members, the junior membership arm of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) strings together three key pillars in youth engagement and development:
Work-Ready: To equip youths with essential Work-Ready skills to ease their transition to working life and prepare them to be productive workers of tomorrow.
World-Ready: To prepare youths to be highly adaptable to different environments.
Life-Ready: To inculcate resilience and socially competent attitudes in youths.
Over the four years, nEbO has empowered youths to lead initiatives in various fields, such as volunteerism and entrepreneurship. These include signature events such as the Youth Entrepreneurship Symposium (YES), and Ways in Sharing Happiness (W.I.S.H.). nEbO is also proactively engaging youths through various outreach efforts, such as the Headstart Programme which provides them with opportunities to learn more about the careers they are interested in.
nEbO believes in preparing youths to be work-and-world ready workers of tomorrow. At nEbO, they are given various opportunities to gain relevant industry exposure and cultivate skills through a number of initiatives before they join the fabric of society.
One of such would be the Headstart Programme. As the name suggests, this aims to give youths a headstart in their career choices by exposing them to various fields and industries.
In December 2019, nEbO signed a Memorandum-of-Understanding (MOU) with Nanyang Polytechnic's School of Design to provide their students with meaningful internship opportunities to gain exposure in their fields of interest. Students worked on many notable projects with NTUC Club, such as the use of eye-tracker glasses last year, to seek creative solutions to improve overall guest experience in Downtown East.
Leveraging NTUC's union and corporate networks, nEbO works to scale its efforts in providing youths with internships and work attachments opportunities to gain real-work exposure to better prepare them for the future.
Over the years, nEbO's Youth Entrepreneurship Symposium (YES) has expanded regionally and draws over 300 aspiring youths who wish to develop their entrepreneurship skills. They come from polytechnics, junior colleges, Institute of Technical Education (ITE), as well as neighbouring countries such as Indonesia. nEbO has also collaborated with over 150 start-ups, inviting speakers from notable homegrown brands such as Shopee and Love, Bonito to share entrepreneurship tips and advice at keynote sharing sessions.
nEbO's Ways in Sharing Happiness (W.I.S.H.) was initiated by nEbO leaders to encourage youths to give back to the community through volunteerism. They pursue projects they are passionate about to create social impact, and lead in ground-up initiatives to experience a collaborative working environment.
Recognising that volunteerism brings together individuals for a shared purpose, nEbO youths joined hands with active agers of the U Live Community to organise various projects, such as Gorgeous Grandmas and Heritage Snapshots. nEbO and U Live visited senior citizens' homes to give the elderly simple makeovers, and brought them to tour places of interest. Through such inter-community collaborations, nEbO youths successfully scaled up their volunteerism efforts to benefit more beneficiaries, keeping true to the mission of recontributing to the community.
In addition to W.I.S.H. initiatives, nEbO youths also participated in other volunteerism initiatives such as the Together Project. Jointly organised by nEbO, the Migrant Workers' Centre and ITE College Central, our nEbO youths and beneficiaries interacted with migrant workers through games like charades and captain's ball.
nEbO's Interests Groups have proven to be effective for young talents to discover their passions and hone their skills. Developing far beyond just hobby groups, they have given nEbO youths opportunities to put their talents into action.
The music interest group has propelled our talented youths onto national platforms, where they performed at the annual May Day Rally and in the NTUC National Delegates' Conference music video. Corporate events included the Downtown East 30 Celebrations and union charity events. One outstanding example is actress and singer-songwriter, Boon Hui Lu. She began her career through nEbO's music interest group and continues to perform at NTUC Club's events.
Another thriving interest group is nEbO's photography community. Together with U Live members, they are well-known for capturing picture-perfect scenery around Downtown East, and these beautiful photos are proudly featured in D'Resort rooms as part of its nature-inspired theme.
Over the last four years, nEbO has worked with close to 20 unions annually, collectively clocking over 40 membership engagements comprising bursaries awards, learning journeys and other Work-Ready programmes.
By participating in Labour Movement (LM) events, nEbO youths learnt more about the LM and its purpose, and deepened their cross-community engagement with other LM communities.
More than 100 volunteers across our communities have stepped forward during the COVID-19 pandemic to champion and participate in care initiatives, such as the packing of care packs for frontline and healthcare workers. This was done in collaboration with Young NTUC and OTCi Alumni, Healthcare Services Employees' Union (HSEU), as well as National Taxi Association (NTA) and National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) for the distribution of thermometers and hand sanitisers to taxi drivers. In total, more than 20,000 care packs were handed out. Such initiatives continue to reinforce and showcase the LM's spirit of resilience and solidarity even in turbulent times.
Moving forward, nEbO is also ramping up their collaborations with Young NTUC to provide youths with a seamless transition into the workforce. A patchwork of cooperation, this alliance provides guidance as youths take that big step into their new environment.
U Live is the community for active agers 55 years and above. We believe that life should be a continuous thread of aspiring, learning and achieving, and so we empower our senior members to stay active in various ways.
The vibrant community advocates reinforcing connections with family and friends and living an active lifestyle. Through various Work, Live and Play initiatives like re-employment schemes, cause-centric programmes, and age-specific interest groups and privileges, U Live encourages active agers to remain employed, enriched and engaged.
Since 2016, U Live grew from 216,000 members to the current base of 264,000 members, making it one of the fastest growing communities of active agers in Singapore. In the past four years, we managed to bring this community onboard the nation's drive towards technology and digital transformation - some of these active agers may be even more tech-savvy than us as they continually make the effort to stay abreast of new IT trends! Health and mental wellness are other key areas as well.
Advocating continuous learning for seniors, the annual U Live Symposium has been ramping up efforts to equip active agers with digital skills. In line with Singapore's shift towards a smart nation, U Live collaborated with the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) to hold the first of three "Smart Nation & U" events in 2019.
This national event attracted 30,000 attendees and featured over 70 interactive and experiential booths from technology solution providers and government agencies. It is the largest local technology event of its kind with over 700 U Live and Smart Nation ambassadors facilitating digital workshops and activities.
An MOU was signed between SNDGO and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) on:
Today, we have grown our base of tech-savvy U Live members and groomed almost 400 U Live Ambassadors to level up as U Live Cyber Guides. These key leaders are trained to facilitate tech talks and workshops as well as to mentor and positively influence their peers to adopt technology into their daily lives.
Tariam (second from left), a U
Live Cyber Guide, at the Smart Nation & U event in 2019.
With these concerted efforts to empower seniors through technology, U Live is able to digitally connect with close to half of its community base, increasing from just 20% in 2009. Digital engagement continues via monthly e-newsletters, social media, and most recently, Telegram.
U Live recognises the importance of physical and mental well-being, particularly for seniors. U Live's trendy wellness programmes have proven to be popular with members looking forward to them every year.
Walk for Wellness is another of U Live's anchor events to encourage seniors to take steps towards living an active and healthy lifestyle. Attracting close to 1,000 active-agers yearly, Walk for Wellness Fun Walk brings participants on a fun-filled and engaging walk around Pasir Ris Park. The 2019 rendition of the event saw the incorporation of augmented reality to keep up with the times, whilst encouraging active agers to have fun with technologies.
Beyond providing opportunities for cross-community and Labour Movement (LM) interactions, the bustling U Live Interest Groups are working towards self-sustainability through knowledge sharing and contribution of expertise.
Golden Eye, the photography-based interest group, frequently organises workshops that cater to both their members and enthusiasts from other age-groups and LM communities, such as nEbO. Through a shared love for photography, members of Golden Eye are frequently engaged to capture special moments, such as during the Community Month at Downtown East, and other union events.
Other interest groups have also thrived in the past years, with members of Eco Club now managing the blossoming Eco-Garden at D'Resort, the U Live Cyber Guides at the forefront of the smart-nation push, and the U Live Health & Wellness group conducting Zumba classes for U Live members. U Live Nature Guides, who started with conducting mangrove tours near Downtown East, have also expanded their tours to include islands such as Pulau Ubin.
U Live also continuously supports unions' efforts to engage their senior members. The community has over 80 union leaders represented in the 40 unions. U Live taps into this union network to groom U Live Ambassadors as advocates, to positively influence their own peers and self-perpetuate U Live's mission and work.
The sporting community of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), U Sports, is one of the threads that binds the union community. NTUC members can strengthen bonds and camaraderie through programmes such as workouts, tournaments and interest groups.
The annual U Games remains popular among NTUC members and has expanded to include a "Corporate Category". U Sports continues to engage sports enthusiasts all-year-round through its interest groups and updated sports packages.
"Working better through sports" - let us see how the U Sports Community has achieved this over the years.
U Games continues to engage
NTUC members through its sports competitions which includes both indoor and outdoor
sports.
Held annually from August to May, U Games celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2017. It is the community's iconic multi-sports competition that seeks to promote sportsmanship among affiliate unions and foster camaraderie among its members. With 20,000 participants from 50 unions, corporates and the public from the past four years, this yearly affair includes beach games such as volleyball and frisbee, basketball, bowling, swimming, and other popular sports.
In 2017, U Games introduced the "Corporate Category" across all the 10 sporting events. This move allowed more sportspeople from the extended NTUC family to participate for the first time, including members from U Associate, Small and Medium Enterprises (USME) and the Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit (U FSE). More than 50 companies signed up for the Corporate events that year and bonded with NTUC members.
U Sports intensifies bonding between NTUC members through interest groups such as bowling, cycling, running, dragon boating and golfing. These sessions are led and championed by U Sports leaders, inviting enthusiasts and casual sportsmen to lead a healthy lifestyle together. Our sports leaders also take on the role of planning training programmes to ensure sessions are engaging for all. One popular interest group is the Monthly Night Golf held at Orchid Country Club, where the leaders act as emcees during the gatherings to engage golfers in an informal setting.
The U Run All Access (URAA), which started in 2011, is the ultimate running pass for avid runners to enter races of their choice at a one-off affordable price. Subsequently, the Fun Package was introduced for children and beginner runners in 2017 to encourage more participation from members and their families. In 2020, the package has been expanded to include fitness classes at Orchid Country Club and rebranded as U Run Get Fit.
The popular U Golf Tri-Nations golf tournament was started by U Sports, involving partners from Johor, Batam, and Singapore. In 2017, U Sports and U Live organised the U Golf Tri-Nations Series in Palm Springs Golf & Beach Resort in Batam, Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club in Johor, and Warren Golf Club in Singapore. This event brought together more than 300 golfers from the golfing community and the various NTUC entities for a 3-leg series where selected winners had the opportunity to represent NTUC in the Singapore Amateur and Senior Amateur Open.
Keeping active is made easy with U Sports with their various affordable programmes.
Taking the lead in exploring new possibilities, eXplorerkid engages children and families through fun and exciting signature programmes and activities such as the Baby & Junior Race (BBJR) and Children's Day celebrations. In 2018, the family-friendly membership club shifted from being facility-based to a programme-based one. Collaborating with partners such as Tayo Station has brought about more exciting activities for children and their families.
The Baby & Junior Race is eXplorerkid's annual signature event for kids aged eight months to six years old. In 2019, the Nursery Rhymes Rock 'n' Roll themed edition brought together more than 2,000 children and their families to Downtown East for exciting workshops, music performances, and daily lucky draws. Child participants were also entitled to a complimentary Wild Wild Wet Day Pass to keep the fun times going.
eXplorerkid events such as the Baby &
Junior Race fosters parent-child bonding and creates lasting memories.
As part of an all-inclusive Labour Movement for all collars, ages, and nationalities, NTUC Club also extends our engagement to various groups, including homemakers and others. Through activities such as financial literacy workshops and interest groups, individuals are able to make new friends, upgrade their skills and stay up-to-date with the local work scene in preparation for a smooth transition back to the workforce.
The annual U Care Fund Education Awards sees about 400 recipients receiving grants to defray the cost of their children's school expenses for the new school year. The scholarship is intended to acknowledge good academic results whilst encouraging the continuous strive for improvement.
U Club supports the U Care Fund Education
Awards, which comprise a bursary and scholarship for NTUC members and their
families.
July 2019 saw the first-ever Community Month as nEbO, U Sports and U Live came together to organise large-scale activities aimed at promoting positivity and volunteerism. Like a rich embroidery of colors and textures, our communities came together to unite the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) members from different backgrounds and generations.
Kickstarting the Community Month was the Community Open House which attracted over 1,200 participants and successfully set the Singapore Book of Records for Largest Wall of Plants in Handpainted Pots! Over 500 pots of plants were decorated by members of the public, and subsequently put up on display in Downtown East as a symbolic gesture of our communities' growth over the years.
D'Dash participants
celebrating their completion of the Amazing Race-style competition around
Downtown East.
The Community Open House included booths to showcase the extensive offerings our communities. Members also bonded over a friendly team challenge, D'Dash, where 280 participants grouped into teams of four to five, raced to discover clues and solve trivia at our facilities.
Originally known as the U Sports Awards Night, the event transformed to become NTUC Club's very first Community Awards Night. The ceremony brought together fellow unions and community members of nEbO, U Sports and U Live - to celebrate their growth. It also served to recognise their contributions and achievements over the years. This special night honours NTUC members and unions who have made a great impact on the communities' development.
Community leaders at the Community Awards
Night 2019, which recognises the outstanding contributions and achievements of unions and
community leaders.
NTUC Club's Family Fun Fiesta (F3) is one of the ways we fulfil our social purpose to ensure no one is excluded from enjoying quality recreational experiences. Held several times a year, F3 provides lower-income members of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and their families with complimentary experiential fun at our facilities. Over the past four years, NTUC Club has contributed some $6 million to organise F3 which has benefited more than 30,000 members.
To keep up with technology, 2019's F3 Goes Digital saw the inclusion of virtual-reality carnival games. Attendees were also encouraged to redeem their e-vouchers via the myNTUC app.
As part of the Labour Movement to care for the working people in Singapore, NTUC Club organises events to engage over 4,000 migrant workers. One key example would be the annual Migrant Workers' Celebrations and ongoing recreational programmes at the Migrant Workers' Centre, to thank them for their contributions towards Singapore. Our migrant workers can look forward to events and activities, relieving them from work stress and building new friendships!
Our migrant workers enjoying a day
off to let loose to the beats of music and dance performances on stage.
As the recreation and leisure arm of the Labour Movement, NTUC Club has close ties with the 59 affiliated unions and five affiliated associations in Singapore. These closely-knit connections allow us to connect with the ground and ensure our programmes and offerings remain relevant to the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) members.
NTUC Club is committed to expanding our union engagement with the union community. Union engagement at Club's facilities has grown from just 63 union events held in 2016, to a whopping 127 union events held in 2019! The popularity of our facilities also saw Club disbursing close to $700,000 in total as part of the Union Support Scheme (USS), which has helped facilitate bonding among NTUC members. A suite of benefits from NTUC Club was introduced to leaders under the Labour Leadership Lighthouse (L3) to aid them to build bonds and perpetuate engagements with NTUC members. This was launched at Switch by Timbre X, with attendance by over 50 union leaders from 28 unions.
