Latest news with #LimKaiNing
Straits Times
17-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Nearly 400 Singapore businesses recognised by NVPC as a Company of Good
(From left) Sheng Siong Group executive director Lin Ruiwen, The Courage Chapter co-founder and chief executive Lim Kai Ning and Mr Seah Kah Howe, director of Seah Kim Cheok Construction. SINGAPORE – A record 393 businesses in Singapore have been recognised as a Company of Good by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) for their commitment to making a positive difference in society. Among them were 301 small and medium-sized enterprises – nearly double the 155 recognised in 2024. Collectively, these SMEs' in-kind donations to communities in Singapore rose more than eightfold from $689,520 to nearly $6.35 million over the same period, NVPC's Company of Good Collective Impact Report 2024-2025 stated. The report was released on July 17 at a conferment ceremony honouring the companies. At the event, Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, conferred the Champion of Good – the highest tier of recognition – on 62 organisations. These organisations stood out for their ability to influence and engage stakeholders such as employees and customers. NVPC assesses organisations based on their corporate purpose and efforts across five key impact areas: people, society, governance, environment and economic. To qualify, companies have to complete a comprehensive questionnaire covering these areas. Recognition is given in four tiers, starting from Company of Good – 1 Heart as the entry level. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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'And one way to do so is to emphasise the value of individuals physically coming together to accomplish more than their business objectives, to help others, to bring about social changes.' He highlighted how local companies have evolved to serve social good. For instance, Sheng Siong, which was named a Champion of Good, introduced its Education Grant programme which has disbursed over $6 million towards supporting the education of around 600 employees' children each year since 2013. One beneficiary of the programme is Madam Meng Donge, a 54-year-old retail assistant and single mother of two, who has worked at Sheng Siong for 20 years. The programme has enabled her to support the education of her children. The Company of Good Collective Impact Report 2024-2025 found that companies across both years contributed an annualised $357 million in donations, and almost $73 million in in-kind support to benefit communities in Singapore. Both cohorts collectively contributed a total of 1.07 million volunteer hours. Among the 2025 cohort, 104 companies engaged diverse and inclusive suppliers, such as charities and social enterprises. Ms Lin Ruiwen, executive director of Sheng Siong Group, said in order to ease the impact of the rising cost of living, the company offers a 4 per cent special discount for senior citizens on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and a 4 per cent discount on Thursdays to blue Chas card holders. She added that Sheng Siong diversifies its food sources to ensure supply chain resilience and cost stability, and has expanded its house brand range to 1,750 products, offering customers quality alternatives at 5 per cent to 20 per cent savings compared to national brands. Another company recognised as a Champion of Good, Seah Kim Cheok Construction, launched an app offering English and digital literacy programmes tailored to migrant workers in Singapore. Called Grow Studio, the app empowers the workers to better understand safety instructions and navigate daily life with confidence. In 2021, the company started a charity, Grow Education, which also offers in-person lessons to complement learning on the app. Mr Seah Kah Howe, the construction company's director, said its migrant employees have grown more confident in communicating after the English lessons, and are able to help middle management with clients' reports and safety forms. The Courage Chapter was among 79 organisations recognised as a Company of Good – 3 Hearts. This recognition is conferred on organisations that have clearly articulated their corporate purpose with a clear plan to scale their impact. Ms Lim Kai Ning co-founded the social enterprise in November 2023 to help match senior professionals to companies through new employment models such as part-time work or on a project basis. The enterprise has since placed 43 seniors in various work opportunities and partners over 30 organisations, mostly in the social sector. Ms Lim said The Courage Chapter reduces the risk for both seniors and companies by starting with a one-day immersion and a two-month 'reternship' stint, where companies pay seniors a stipend of about $1,500, before they are potentially converted into longer-term employees. 'Our goal is to help the seniors to contribute back to the workforce, but there must also be a good fit of their skills to the company,' she said. 'While we started with a social mission, we believe that we get paid for the value that we provide.'
CNA
15-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
Work It Podcast: Forget retirement - your most meaningful work can start in your 50s
For many professionals, retirement is far from their mind and they want seek work that is fulfilling. Lim Kai Ning, co-founder of The Courage Chapter, shares how they help seniors return to the workforce, and why age can be a big asset. Here is an excerpt from the conversation: Gerald Tan, host: I've seen so many of such examples of people not having work, and struggling to find that identity. They lose something. It's not just the salary. I think they lose themselves. Tiffany Ang, host: With the people that you work with, Kai Ning, what is the top reason that they say motivates them to keep working? Lim Kai Ning, co-founder of The Courage Chapter: So it depends on where they are in their stage of life. People in their early 50s would have a different requirement from people in their mid-60s or late 60s. Due to the nature of what we put out to the market, the people that we attract are people who are looking to contribute in their second chapter. But they are really here to say: "I have so much experience. I don't want to sit at home and do nothing ... Since I have the knowledge in my brain, don't let it go to waste." Gerald: Many of the seniors, as Kai Ning mentioned, want that next chapter of their lives to fulfil what they didn't get to fulfil. It's a question of legacy. Did I leave behind something for the next generation? It's also a question of purpose. Did I fulfil what I needed to do as a person? I spent my whole life listening to somebody in the workplace, fulfilling a job responsibility, but what is the thing that I need to do (now)? I think a lot of these questions are coming up ... Tiffany: I'm thinking that some of these seniors who are coming to you, probably left their last job either in upper management, even in a C-suite level. So with the jobs that you are trying to match them to, are they overqualified for these roles? Kai Ning: That's a very interesting point. I would say that (in) Singapore and the rest of the world, the market is still very new to this concept. Right now, I think the people are moving towards this space where they say they will still want to contribute, but the market hasn't fully warmed up. So if you were to leave it to free market forces, you will realise that it actually spirals to blue-collar or food and beverage (or) admin (jobs). And that's the struggle. There's this huge chasm between what people want to do and what organisations think they can do. So then, how do we bridge the gap? ... We call it skill-based, project-based arrangements. In the past, (senior professionals) will be considered overqualified because they have this huge 20, 30 years of experience, while the role is just small.
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CNA
15-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
Work It - Forget retirement - your most meaningful work can start in your 50s
Work It Play For many professionals, retirement is far from their mind and they want seek work that is fulfilling. Lim Kai Ning, co-founder of The Courage Chapter, shares how they help seniors return to the workforce, and why age can be a big asset.
