Gan Hua Koon
Managing director
Netbizz Office Supplies

THERE is no better time than now to upgrade workers' skills and maximise their potential. For companies unable to outsource for retraining programmes due to cost constraints, why not consider in-house training? Apart from retraining, what we do at Netbizz is also inter-departmental training, where our staff undergo cross learning of departmental operations and services. This strategy is more cost-effective and, more importantly, it enables our staff to work closely together and help the business to grow through cross-selling of our products and services to our customers. In the long run, a flexible and mobile workforce can be created and be deployed efficiently whenever there is a shortage of manpower.

John Koh
Managing director
WMRC

THE current economic climate is an excellent time for retraining. After running on full steam during the last few years of booming growth rates, companies are now able to take some time off to re-evaluate their strategies and think about the areas where they would want to focus over the near- to medium-term. With new strategic initiatives comes the need to acquire the relevant skills and human resources for implementation, and retraining hence becomes necessary to ensure staff are equipped with the right skills to do the work. Retraining in this current climate also allows companies to switch their minds to a different mode - one that is anticipatory of the future, rather than reactively to current problems. This is by no means escaping from reality, but really looking at problem solving from a higher, macro-level perspective.

Dr Wilson Goh
Managing director
GPA Holdings

PEOPLE are not going to stop eating, talking or smiling regardless of what the economic outlook is. Therefore, good oral health is always important and dental practices should not neglect their retraining needs during the current downturn. Part of our operations at Team GPA is to train dentists from the region in groundbreaking technologies in dentistry. These technologies offer several benefits to patients such as reduced discomfort and shortened recovery time. We also host the only three Singapore-based trainers who are certified by the International Society of Computerised Dentistry, headquartered in Vienna, in the CEREC 3D Restoration system.

Jackie Cheng
CEO
Hisaka Holdings

YES, retraining is always the right thing to do at all times to gear up staff, especially in down periods like now. As our company is an automation solutions provider, we practise in-house training to save costs by asking our engineers to teach each other the different integration systems, products range, and techniques of selling or recommending them to our customers for cost efficiency in their system.

Mikell Koh
Managing director
Milne International

OUR staff have been upgrading themselves and we have been supportive of them upgrading these last 2-3 years. It did not help us in any way as we did not see any improvement in terms of work, but we are still supportive by allowing them to go on leave. Retraining can be helpful only if the company and the staff can engage with one another closely. The training must focus on the needs of the company so that one could not only multi-task to help to maintain or reduce costs, but also improve productivity during this period

SME Voices

The topic for next week's SME Voices column is: 'Do you think Singapore's economic outlook is as gloomy as it seems? What has been one silver lining for you or your business?' If you are an SME owner or leader, we would like you to share your views on the topic. Please e-mail your response, together with your name, designation and the name of your company, to btclub@sph.com.sg. Please mention SME Voices as the subject of your e-mail.

This article was first published in The Business Times on November 18, 2008.