North West Community Development Council (CDC) has been actively engaging SMEs to help them stay relevant and competitive for the future economy and at the same time, encourage corporate social responsibility (CSR) opportunities for them to give back to the community. Since 2013, 39 sessions of Mayor’s Network @ North West have been held to engage over 1,100 SMEs. To kick-start and sustain a longer-term strategic partnership with the SMEs, the North West CDC inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Construction Industry Joint Committee (CIJC) on 27 February 2018. This is the first MOU which North West CDC has with a professional body.
This mutually beneficial collaboration sets the stage for CIJC to learn about government schemes and leverage on their industry expertise network to grow and develop their businesses, and at the same time, embark on community initiatives with North West CDC. The MOU constitutes a three-year collaboration to co-organise three different engagements to benefit SMEs and residents. The MOU will be signed by North West District Mayor, Dr Teo Ho Pin, together with leaders from eight agencies and institutions from the built environment sector who are members of CIJC.
The MOU marks the beginning of industry and community initiatives for the next three years between North West CDC and CIJC. It engages SMEs under CIJC via three key engagements, namely SMEs networking session, Guest Speaker session and community projects. The SME and Guest Speaker Sessions will focus on establishing stronger networking across the built environment sector within the North West District; whilst the Community Project initiative aims to encourage members of CIJC to spearhead ground up community programmes.
Dr Teo Ho Pin, Mayor of North West District says, “Signing the MOU with CIJC is the first step towards bridging collaboration with more SMEs. While CIJC continues to facilitate industrial knowledge and networking though the SMEs and Guest Speaker Sessions, we hope to connect them with the community, thus promoting a culture of giving back. North West CDC hopes to continue aggregating resources from different stakeholders to reach out to the wider community, build strong community ownership, in an aim to strengthen our mission of building a Caring Community.”
Er Edwin Khew Teck Fook, Chairman of CIJC says, “CIJC is excited to have the opportunity to directly engage with SMEs, professionals and general public in the North West community about the many developments in Singapore’s built environment sector. It widens our efforts in harnessing and applying our members’ diverse knowledge and skills to advance the construction industry and to drive Singapore’s economic growth. We also look forward to helping and supporting the needy residents in this district through these various community projects. It dovetails well with our members’ shared goals to enhance the quality of life of the people of Singapore.”
The CIJC comprises members from eight agencies, including Association of Consulting Engineers (ACES), The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES), Real Estate Developers Association of Singapore (REDAS), The Singapore Contractors Association Ltd (SCAL), Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA), Singapore Institute of Building Limited (SIBL), Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers (SISV) and Society of Project Managers (SPM). The direction towards mutual collaboration is a step forward for North West CDC’s plan to extend our 3P Partnership and expand the network of a cohesive community. — Construction+ Online
