LLAKES Research Seminar: Tuesday 13 October 2015, 4.00-5.30 pm, UCL Institute of Education, Room 709a
“Institutional logics and low skills utilisation: the case of the private security sector in Singapore”
Professor Johnny Sung, Institute of Adult Learning, Singapore
There is often a common perception that low skills in some industries are ‘inevitable’. The case study here shows that far from being inevitable, the low-skilled environment in the private security sector in Singapore may be a consequence of a particular institutional and policy implementation. Professor Sung’s study of practices and attitudes in this area suggest that there is plenty of room for improvement.
Professor Johnny Sung is Head of Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity (CSPP) at the Insitute for Adult Learning in Singapore. With funding from the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, Prof Sung established CSPP in 2011, which has since developed into a leading research centre for workforce development in Singapore. His research is currently making input into Singapore’s Sectoral Manpower Policy (SMP) in a number of key sectors, each has very different workforce challenges to tackle, e.g. job skills, low pay, job quality and career enhancement. Much of his research and policy input emphasises the important link between business strategy and skills utilisation. Contrary to conventional skills policy which focuses on the supply of skills and qualifications, Professor Sung’s research starts from the workplace, its work systems and job skills content. He believes that a high skilled workforce policy needs to place much more attention to the demand for skills.
The seminar is free to attend, but prior registration would be helpful: to register, please contact to book a place.