By HANNAH OOI

CHIN Heng Garments Factory has closed its production lines and laid off more than 600 workers.

But those who have lost their jobs have been given substantial retrenchment packages - plus help in finding new jobs through an NTUC initiative organised by the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i).

e2i is a skills training institute that aims to maintain employability. And e2i officers are now updating the former Chin Heng workers on the employment market and job possibilities in other industries.

The Singapore Industrial and Services Employees' Union (SISEU) has partnered e2i to help the workers, 45 of whom are now attending a six-day Employability Camp Plus (EC Plus) tailored to their needs. About 90 retrenched staff have signed up for the training. A second camp will start later this month.

To cater to the significant number of Chinese- speaking job seekers, EC Plus is being conducted in Mandarin. But the importance of improving English- language skills to help job prospects will be stressed.

NTUC assistant secretary-general and SISEU executive secretary Josephine Teo said the aim of EC Plus is to help retrenched workers make a new start, possibly in unfamiliar industries.

She said in Mandarin: 'These workers, apart from their experience in manufacturing, have not had experience in other industries for many years. Therefore, we are helping them re- learn and expand relevant work skills.'

The aim is to quickly equip workers with skills so that they do not stay unemployed for long. e2i training is free for all Singaporeans. Participants can also receive further training.

To sceptics who say training may not guarantee employment, Mrs Teo said: 'Some hope is better than no hope. The job situation is not hopeless.'

There are plenty of job vacancies for people with the right skills, she said. Skills and expectations gaps can be bridged through training and a willingness to take up different job opportunities.

NTUC's training courses are backed by the Ministry of Manpower and the Singapore National Employers Federation.

NTUC is focusing on maintaining a positive approach in today's trying economic circumstances. The ultimate aim is to provide workers with jobs with clear development prospects.

Even after re-employment, e2i participants are encouraged to return to e2i for continuous learning.

This article was first published in The Business Times on February 03, 2009.