ComfortDelGro launches upskilling initiative for drivers with focus on autonomous vehicles, Singapore News
In a statement on Wednesday (July 16), the company said that the new training and development initiatives reflect its "commitment to a responsible and inclusive evolution of the transport industry" as it embraces AV technology.
Simultaneously, the company aims to keep drivers up-to-date with relevant skills required to navigate the evolving transport landscape.
The first initiative, launched in Singapore, focuses on training safety operators for AVs developed by ComfortDelGro's partner Moovita, which operates a fleet of autonomous shuttles across Singapore.
ComfortDelGro has also started remote operator and fleet management training as part of its AV pilot in China.
It also has plans for broader training and development initiatives. For instance, it is looking to create cross-training programmes that will enable safety operators to work with different types of AV technologies.
Additionally, the company is also planning to develop other roles unique to AV operations, such as remote operators, maintenance specialists, data analysts and fleet management positions.
"This flexibility will enhance career opportunities for participants while supporting the Group's broader autonomous vehicle initiatives," the company said.
"AV-related training and development are key to building new capabilities and creating new roles for the next generation of mobility solutions," said ComfortDelGro's group CEO and managing director Cheng Siak Kian.
He also reiterated the company's commitment to empowering current employees and drivers to take advantage of new opportunities in the AV sector while developing new talent so that the workforce "remains at the forefront of the industry's transformation". LTA's big push for AVs
Singapore is aiming to transform its public transport network with the introduction of AVs, said Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow in an interview on June 11.
According to Siow, self-driving technology will help address manpower challenges while potentially causing a shift in Singaporean's perspective on car ownership.
"I have no doubt in five years you will be you will see many autonomous vehicles in Singapore, and we will start off probably with fixed routes in HDB estates, taking people to safely, to point to point to where they want to go," he added.
He also spoke about the evolving role of drivers in the transport sector, and that the Government, together with NTUC, will "help these drivers make the best of these new opportunities".
According to Siow, some drivers will transition to the new jobs created, while others may have to "reskill, to retrain and to take up other jobs in the economy that will be generated because of economic change".
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dana.leong@asiaone.com
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