SkillsFuture & Workforce S’pore to merge on 1 July, former senior DBS executive to chair new board

SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore to merge on 1 July, former DBS executive chairing new board

SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) will merge on 1 July to form a new statutory board called the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA).

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced the agency’s inaugural board on Wednesday (24 June), with members set to serve a two-year term from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028.

Former DBS executive to chair new agency

Lim Sim Seng, Deputy Chairman of SIA Engineering, will be appointed as the inaugural Chairman of the SWDA Board.

Mr Lim previously held senior leadership positions at DBS, including Group Head for Consumer Banking and Wealth Management, and Singapore Country Head.

He currently sits on the boards of Raffles Medical Group and IOI Properties Group, and serves as Singapore’s non-resident High Commissioner to Nigeria.

He also has experience in the public sector, having chaired the Singapore Land Authority from August 2014 to August 2020, and the Building and Construction Authority from September 2020 to March 2025.

According to MOM, Mr Lim will help set SWDA’s strategic direction, strengthen coordination with key partners, ensure strong governance, and build the agency’s organisational capabilities as it begins operations.

The ministry added that his experience across the public and private sectors would support the transition to the newly formed agency.

Board comprises leaders from public, private, and labour sectors

Mr Lim will be supported by 11 other board members, whose backgrounds span government, multinational corporations, local enterprises, and tripartite partners.

The board members are:

• Dr Bikramjit Singh Bhangu (Operating Partner at Temasek International; Council Member of Singapore National Employers Federation)
• Cham Hui Fong (Deputy Secretary-General of National Trades Union Congress)
• Chong Yiun Lin (Deputy Secretary, Higher Education and Skills, Ministry of Education)
• Dilys Boey (Incoming Chief Executive of SWDA)
• Eleanor Seet (President, Head of Asia ex-Japan at Amova Asset Management)
• Kenny Tan (Deputy Secretary, Workforce, MOM)
• Low Soon Teck (Managing Director and CEO of Kuok Maritime Group)
• Rachel Lim (Co-founder of Love, Bonito)
• Shariq Barmaky (Country Managing Partner of Deloitte Singapore)
• Wong Wai Meng (Chief Executive Officer, Data Centres, Keppel’s Data Centres and Networks Division; Council Member, Singapore Business Federation)
• Zhang Weijie (Senior Director, Digital Economy Office; Director, Industry, National AI Group, Ministry of Digital Development and Information)

MOM said the board’s range of expertise would help SWDA stay responsive to the changing needs of workers and employers, while bringing skills development and workforce transformation efforts closer together.

The ministry also thanked WSG Chairman Mr Chew Hock Yong, SSG Chairman Mr Tan Kai Hoe, and the board members of both agencies for their leadership and contributions during their terms.

Also read: SkillsFuture to ban third-party advertising for training providers following feedback on ‘undesirable marketing practices’

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Featured image adapted from IOI properties, Google Maps, and Google Maps.