Enterprise profile
Singapore Pools was established by the government in 1968 to provide a safe and trusted betting platform to counter illegal gambling. As a not-for-profit organisation, it makes contributions to the Tote Board to fund a wide range of causes across sectors such as social service, community development, education, and health. Since 2004, over $5 billion has been channelled to the Tote Board.
In 2019, the Singapore Pools Academy was set up to focus on training and education for working adults. “At Singapore Pools, we believe in the power of learning to unlock individual and collective potential. Through the Singapore Pools Academy, we foster a culture of continuous learning, equipping our people with diverse learning opportunities, empowering them to grow in their careers and achieve their aspirations,” said Ms Evelyn Goh, Senior Director at Singapore Pools Academy. “We prioritise employee development, nurturing a multi-skilled, high-performing workforce that fuels our transformation journey.”
While learning and development programmes are not new at Singapore Pools, the Singapore Pools Academy formalised these efforts which are also extended to charities to support their workforce upskilling agenda.
Problem statement
Today’s rapid digitalisation requires Singapore Pools’ frontline service staff to possess a wider range of skills encompassing digital fluency, service excellence, and in-depth product knowledge. The Certified Service Professional (CSP) programme, which comprises four micro-certifications in Digital Fluency, Service Excellence, Product Advisory, and Product Demonstration was thus launched. It prepares Singapore Pools’ frontline staff to be well-rounded customer service professionals and for better career progression.
As many of them come from diverse backgrounds, successful skill development requires addressing their varying comfort levels with new technologies. Singapore Pools thus worked with the Singapore Polytechnic Professional and Adult Continuing Education (SP PACE) Academy to develop interactive training modules that help employees navigate the new platforms.
Impact achieved
More than 1,000 frontline service personnel from across 80 Singapore Pools outlets have attended the CSP programme, with 210 attaining full certification and over 1,800 micro certificates issued. This has helped close the skills gap in digital fluency, service excellence, and product knowledge.
“To increase interactivity, we gamified the content to include scenario cards, blending the engaging elements of card games with educational content to enhance the learning experiences of our employees,” said Ms Jene Chu,Programme Manager at Singapore Pools Academy.
Through its interactive training modules, Singapore Pools has also been able to upskill its frontline employees so they can work with evolving technologies, such as automated machines, to serve customers better.
The result is a sustainable learning culture which not only supports lifelong learning for personal growth and professional development, but also drives the business forward.