Young working adults looking to identify and assist their colleagues under mental duress can now approach Young NTUC for training on mental well-being peer support skills.
Young NTUC has worked with NTUC LearningHub (LHUB) and its training partner, Singapore Anglican Community Services (SACS), to develop a Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) certified training course in peer-to-peer mental well-being support at work.
The two-day course kicked off its pilot class on 5 October 2021 with a select group of 15 participants from Young NTUC, comprising both union leaders and staff.
Young NTUC aims to train at least 100 peer supporters by the first quarter of 2022, and double that number by the end of 2022.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Desmond Choo had a virtual sharing session with the 15 participants on 6 October 2021. He shared that the on-going pandemic has accelerated the deterioration of workers’ mental well-being, denying people the social interaction with both colleagues and family.
“Beyond providing [workers with] the adequate career support opportunities, we also need to ensure the mental well-being of our workforce, especially when we know that we will now need to live with COVID,” he said.
In a media release issued by Young NTUC, it acknowledged that peer support is not meant to replace professionals, but to identify colleagues in distress early and guide them to the right resources.
In January 2021, a survey conducted by Young NTUC showed that the top three stressors experienced by working youths included heavy workload, feeling undervalued and long working hours.
It also found that 67 per cent of working youths felt that there was a lack of support on mental well-being at their workplaces, and they hoped that more could be done in this area.
The course will be held virtually and will take on a highly interactive format. There will be breakout activities as well as role-playing scenarios to teach participants how to spot signs of distress in their colleagues and apply coaching and micro-counselling skills.
Seasoned peer supporters will also be invited to share personal stories on mental distress and how peer support has helped them in their recovery journey.
The course will be open to public access in January 2022. Eligible Singaporean citizens can use their SkillsFuture Credit or Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) to offset the payable course fee after funding, and NTUC Union Members can use their UTAP Fund to offset the course fee after the full deduction from their SkillsFuture Credit and PSEA funds.
Interested individuals can write in to youngntuc@ntuc.org.sg to enquire on the course details and training schedule.
