Empowering and enabling every worker through life

For over 50 years, NTUC has stood as the heart and soul of Singapore’s Labour Movement, dedicated to enriching the lives of workers and their families.

We’re driven to tackle gaps and address unserved and underserved needs, providing meaningful support for vulnerable groups within our community.

From affordable daily essentials, cooked meals, and quality childcare to comprehensive insurance, senior care, and lifelong learning, our support touches every facet of life through our social enterprises and NTUC network.

Working caregivers need to know that their children are well cared for when they are at work.

NTUC First Campus supports caregivers by providing every child with affordable, quality preschool education through its My First Skool and Little Skool House preschools.

For families who need extra support, NFC’s Bright Horizons Fund (BHF) steps in, providing subsidies for preschool fees and sponsoring field trips and graduation packages for lower-income families.

In 2023, the BHF benefited over 6,000 children like Branson Giam.

Branson Giam(in red t-shirt) attends My First Skool with the help of the Bright Horizons Fund.

He is the youngest son of Karen Lee, a mother of four facing financial challenges. Despite the difficulties, he can attend My First Skool thanks to the preschool fee subsidies provided by BHF.

He is also able to enjoy educational excursions and experiences through BHF-sponsored Family and School Together events. 

Children from lower-income families may require additional support for essential school supplies when they start school.

For children of lower-income NTUC Union Members, the NTUC-U Care Fund offers such assistance.

In 2023, $7.25 million was raised to help around 10,000 members.

NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng (second from right) at a dinner in 2023 to thank NTUC-U Care Fund donors.

A portion of the fund supports assistance schemes for primary and secondary students, such as the NTUC Care Fund (Back-to-School) vouchers that help subsidise school supplies.

Vickneswaran Rajagopal's children have been benefiting from the vouchers.

“I used up all the vouchers for books, stationery, shoes… school stuff,” said the sole breadwinner of a family of six.

Vickneswaran Rajagopal's children used NTUC Care Fund (Back-to-School) vouchers for school supplies.

The NTUC-U Care Fund also provides bursaries to students from lower-income families for tertiary and non-tertiary levels, through the NTUC Care Fund (Education Awards). In addition, bursary recipients receive a free 12-month Singtel Prepaid Mobile Service to access online educational resources.

National University of Singapore student Muhammad Khairun is grateful for the bursary as it inspires him to do better.

Tertiary student Muhammad Khairun received an NTUC-U Care Fund bursary to support his educational aspirations.

Two new programmes have also been introduced under the NTUC-U Care Fund to support tertiary students further.

The first is the NTUC Care Fund (Youth Enable), a grant for students facing sudden challenges. It provides up to $4,000 a year to complete their studies with peace of mind.

The second is the NTUC Starter Awards, which provides students with bond-free scholarships and leadership development opportunities. This empowers students to grow and excel in their academic and professional journeys.

Additionally, lower-income tertiary students can receive support from Income Insurance's OrangeAid for their educational needs.

Its Future Development Programme, for instance, offers bursaries and financial literacy workshops to eligible students to help them excel in their studies and manage their finances.

Enabling workers and families to live to the fullest 

The rising cost of living is a growing concern for workers as their purchasing power declines, making it harder for them to afford essential items.

For help with rising prices, they have always turned to NTUC FairPrice for affordable daily essentials. Since 1973, the supermarket has been a trusted source of affordable daily essentials, helping people manage the impact of rising prices.

As a social enterprise, its primary role is to regulate the prices of daily necessities, keeping them within everyone’s reach.

NTUC FairPrice also has discount programmes for needy individuals and carries over 2,000 housebrand products costing 10 to 15 per cent less than comparable brands. 

The FairPrice Foundation also helps the lower-income and needy, focusing on deepening community bonding and improving workers’ welfare.

From 2008 to 2023, the Foundation disbursed over $120 million towards the community.

Its latest initiative is A Full Plate, Singapore’s largest food donation drive. The initiative aims to provide healthy meals and groceries to nearly 600,000 beneficiaries from 10 charities.

Income Insurance fulfils this need by ensuring that insurance is accessible to everyone, including lower-income and vulnerable individuals. 

Two lower-cost insurance policies are available to NTUC Union Members: NTUC Gift, which is included as a membership benefit, and NTUC LUV, which is an optional policy requiring a separate application.

Beyond insurance and daily essentials, workers deserve to relax, engage in recreational activities, and enjoy meaningful family time.

NTUC Club’s key lifestyle destination, Downtown East, provides a family-friendly outlet with exciting activities and fun experiences at accessible rates.

Through its annual Family Fun Fiesta event, NTUC Union Members enjoy a full day of fun with their families at Downtown East for free, creating opportunities for family bonding.

Families enjoyed a free day of fun in 2019 at Downtown East as part of NTUC Club's Family Fun Fiesta.

 
Keeping workers’ skills current for lifelong career success

As jobs evolve rapidly with technological advancements, workers need to maintain relevant skills.

NTUC LearningHub supports this goal by offering a wide range of learning solutions in areas such as infocomm technology, generative AI, cloud services, healthcare, retail, and food services.

Through its Learning eXperience Platform (LXP) mobile app, workers can access affordable bite-sized content to upskill anytime, anywhere.

NTUC Union Members can also benefit from the Union Training Assistance Programme (UTAP), which provides subsidies for eligible NTUC LearningHub courses.

The NTUC LearningHub Learning Experience Mobile App makes on-the-go learning affordable so workers can upskill anytime and anyplace.

Supporting seniors in their golden years

As Singapore’s population ages, NTUC Health provides a comprehensive range of affordable senior care services, including active ageing centres, senior day care, nursing homes, and home personal care. These are designed to ensure that seniors continue to enjoy a high quality of life.

Its Health for Life Fund also funds eldercare services, including senior day care and nursing homes, to ensure seniors continue leading dignified lives.

In 2023, over 2,500 seniors benefited from this fund.

The Health for Life Fund provided financial assistance to over 2,500 needy seniors in 2023.

Building an inclusive and resilient future

Our commitment to supporting Singapore’s underprivileged remains as we look to the future. We will continually innovate to meet the evolving needs of our workers and their families, ensuring no one is left behind.

With 2030 strategic plans underway, NTUC and our social enterprises are poised to make an even greater impact, building a more inclusive and resilient Singapore for generations to come.