Singapore’s Ngee Ann Polytechnic has launched a center that will help organizations redesign jobs, build employee capabilities and manage workforce changes linked to artificial intelligence and other technologies.
The Centre for Shaping Human-First Transformation, branded SH1F+, was launched on July 29 and combines advisory, training and workplace-learning services. Ngee Ann Polytechnic said in an official release that it is collaborating with EY to deliver the program.
Funding supports job redesign
Eligible organizations can seek support through SkillsFuture’s Workforce Development Grant under the Job Redesign+ scheme. Ngee Ann Polytechnic said the scheme can cover up to 70 percent of eligible costs for small and midsize enterprises and 50 percent for other companies, capped at S$150,000 ($116,000) per enterprise.
SH1F+ is intended to bring together workforce strategy, job redesign, capability building and employee-transition support. Its official program page says organizations can use a proprietary SHIFT Sandbox methodology to examine future scenarios, evaluate technology opportunities and align changes to people, processes and business priorities before full-scale implementation.
The center draws on existing Ngee Ann Polytechnic units covering human-centered design, organizational resilience, behavioral science and workplace well-being. It plans to work with company leaders, human-resources teams, technology teams, managers and employees during transformation projects.
The approach distinguishes SH1F+ from a stand-alone training program. It is designed to connect learning with decisions about job scope, workflows, management support and the adoption of technology. The model also gives employees a role in shaping redesigned work before changes are implemented.
Lim Kok Kiang, principal and chief executive officer of Ngee Ann Polytechnic, said organizations continue to face gaps in strategy, culture, capabilities and job redesign as technology adoption accelerates. The center is designed to address those gaps through consultancy and training grounded in behavioral insights.
Programs tested with UOB and Murata
Ngee Ann Polytechnic said elements of the approach have already been used in workforce programs with UOB and Murata Electronics Singapore.
Through UOB’s Better U Pivot Programme, the institution is supporting up to 500 employees moving into changing job roles. The work covers structured training, personalized coaching and workplace learning, including development in AI and digital capabilities.
The release said participating employees have moved into new roles and continued to develop their skills. It did not provide completion rates, the number of employees who had transitioned or independently measured business outcomes.
In a separate engagement, Murata Electronics Singapore worked with the polytechnic to develop a talent and capability framework. The project redesigned and standardized the New Business Architect role across six countries and included structured on-the-job training.
The Murata example gives SH1F+ a regional dimension, extending its job-design approach across Singapore, other Southeast Asian markets and India. Ngee Ann Polytechnic did not disclose the project’s commercial terms or the number of employees covered.
The center’s launch comes as Singapore institutions and companies increasingly focus on the organizational work needed to turn AI training and technology investment into day-to-day operating changes. Workforce transformation programs are moving beyond general digital-skills courses toward the redesign of roles, workflows, accountability and workplace learning.
SH1F+’s impact will depend on the number and range of organizations that adopt its services, the durability of employee transitions and the extent to which projects produce measurable operational gains. Ngee Ann Polytechnic has not announced participation targets, a program budget or a timetable for reporting outcomes.
The institution also plans to add a Centre for Workplace Well-Being to its network in 2026. That unit is expected to support workplace mental well-being and stress management as employees adapt to changes in how work is organized.