COVID-19 has greatly disrupted most activities, however it did not deter young union leaders from taking part in the annual Young NTUC (YNTUC) workplan seminar on 20th March 2021 across two locations – NTUC Centre and Downtown East.
Young SMOU (YSMOU) representatives Brother Dominic Yong, Brother Jeremy Jones and Brother Syafiq joined 50 other young union leaders from other industries in the yearly workplan seminar. The objective of the seminar was to encourage youth leaders from the YNTUC Committee to build consensus and alignment towards the 2021 workplan for young working adults.
Participants were split into small groups to brainstorm on ideas to increase youth membership and leadership, as regular engagement sessions have been more difficult with COVID-19 restrictions in place.
Other than in depth discussions and formulating programmes targeted at young adults, youth leaders also had to keep up with the latest technology trends. One initiative involves creating relevant social content on popular social media platform ‘TikTok’ to reach out to youths.
YSMOU representatives enjoyed the ideation session, particularly Brother Syafiq, who is an active seafarer and was attending the YNTUC workplan seminar for the first time.
He shared with his groupmates about his experiences out at sea and the ongoing challenges seafarers face, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The other members gained more understanding on the life of seafarers and their important role in international trade. In exchange for his sharing, Brother Syafiq also learned more about the Labour Movement and how young union leaders are able to contribute towards the movement.
It was indeed a fruitful session of learning and exchanging of meaningful ideas.
“For someone who spends plenty of time out at sea, I am privileged to have this opportunity to listen to fellow Singapore youths from the other sectors, understanding the aspects of their job scope and how youths can contribute as a union leader. This seminar has also greatly helped me understand the Labour Movement better, and how NTUC and its respective unions have helped the workers during these challenging times” – Brother Syafiq, Young SMOU Committee Member
