Upgrading with LIUP - Improvements in Safety and Productivity
In January 1994 Pan-United Corporation signed up with the EconomicDevelopment Board (EDB) to participate in an industrywide scheme aimed at upgrading the quality of local marine subcontractors.
The scheme, called the Local Industry Upgrading Programme (LIUP), is to help develop a pool of reliable and efficient subcontractors. The EDB provides infrastructural support in the form of financial assistance for upgrading and development projects.
Pan-United is consolidating resources with four other major shipyards Jurong, Keppel, Sembawang and Hitachi Zosen to help subcontractors better utilise their manpower resources. The focus is to improve subcontractors' skills in the areas of technology, operations and management. Another area is in joint product process R&D.
Since then, LIUP has benefitted Pan-United and its resident subcontractors involved in the programme. Mr Lum Kim Wah, Pan-United Shipyard's Assistant General Manager (Special Project), said, "Improvements have been made particularly in safety and productivity. For Example, the value added per subcontract worker has risen from $26,000 in 1993 to $31,000 in 1994."
Our subcontractors have also made a greater commitment to training their manpower, sending them for courses such as welding, quality programmes and computer knowledge compared with nothing before," added Mr Lum. He has been seconded to the EDB as the LIUP Manager for Pan-United.
"In 1995, LIUP would be extended to industry wide projects," continued Mr Lum. "The participating shipyards and the Association of Singapore Marine Industries are working with the Ngee Ann Polytechnic to develop training courses for critical technical skills such as mould lofting, heatline fairing and PC-CAD- /CAM training. The shipyards are also working with a consultancy company to develop multimedia training programmes on safety and work procedures."
The LIUP participants would be working with the EDB and the Institute of Technical Education to promote the MIG process and its acceptance as a public trade test to qualify for lower foreign worker levies.
"Our long-term aim is to have a pool of trained and capable subcontractors who can grow with the yard and provide higher value-added services to enhance the overall competitiveness of Singapore's marine industry." said Mr Lum.
