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‘Strive and Rise’: Deloitte Foundation Hong Kong uplifts youth for brighter futures

HONG KONG, Sep 23, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Deloitte Foundation Hong Kong has donated HKD1 million to support the Hong Kong SAR government's Strive and Rise Programme, launched timely to address intergenerational poverty by helping underprivileged children, particularly those living in subdivided accommodation, realize their potential.In addition to a financial contribution, 50 professionals from Deloitte China will join the program as mentors to boost the confidence of target students, build their life skills, guide them to develop personal goals and explore different development possibilities. The firm will also organize a range of group activities that provide mentees with diversified learning and development opportunities, including firm visit, job-shadowing workshop, and experience sharing by Deloitte's senior management.Deloitte China CEO Patrick Tsang says, "For Hong Kong to continue to thrive as a global city, now more than ever we need to build a caring, inclusive society, and enhance the upward mobility of our youths by fighting intergenerational poverty in our communities.""We are committed to playing our part as a socially responsible member of society by contributing our resources, expertise, and network to nurture this next generation. It is a great honor to support such an important initiative, and we call on more companies to join us in this cause."In line with the Chief Executive John Lee's policy vision to tackle intergenerational poverty and boost youth upward mobility, the year-long Strive and Rise Programme was launched this month to match the first cohort of 2,000 underprivileged junior secondary students with trained mentors from professional backgrounds. These professionals will help mentees set positive life goals and strive for upward mobility through a structured program that comprises training sessions, interactive discussions, eye-opening group visits, and network building events. Deloitte China Southern Region Managing Partner and Deloitte Foundation Hong Kong Secretary-General Edward Au says, "Youth development is a strategic focus area under our WorldClass initiative to positively impact 15 million people in China by 2030. To realize this ambitious vision, we've been working closely with the Hong Kong community to roll out multiple programs that support our youth in education, skills, and opportunities."Since 2009, Deloitte's "Pass The Torch" student mentorship program has provided over 300 underprivileged secondary students with mentoring opportunities, helping them build confidence, broaden their worldview and future possibilities. In addition, the firm has collaborated with a youth association to organize "Career Dimensions" workshops since 2019, helping more than 1,900 secondary students identify their education and career aspirations, and develop future proof skills."The Strive and Rise Programme aligns with our promise to make an impact that matters by helping young people unleash their full potential. We are proud to support this meaningful initiative, as part of our HKD1 billion investment to further the development of our Hong Kong practice under our INspire HK strategy. As a purpose-led and responsible organization, we will strive to inspire Hong Kong's next generation with compassion, respect, and positivity to guide them toward a brighter future," Au adds.Details of the program can be found here. https://www.striveandrise.gov.hk/en/programme-overview/About Deloitte ChinaDeloitte China provides integrated professional services, with our long-term commitment to be a leading contributor to China's reform, opening-up and economic development. We are a globally connected and deeply locally-rooted firm, owned by its partners in China. With over 20,000 professionals across 30 Chinese cities, we provide our clients with a one-stop shop offering world-leading audit & assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, business advisory and tax services. We serve with integrity, uphold quality and strive to innovate. With our professional excellence, insight across industries, and intelligent technology solutions, we help clients and partners from many sectors seize opportunities, tackle challenges and attain world-class, high-quality development goals.The Deloitte brand originated in 1845, and its name in Chinese denotes integrity, diligence and excellence. Deloitte's professional network of member firms now spans more than 150 countries and territories. Through our mission to make an impact that matters, we help reinforce public trust in capital markets, enable clients to transform and thrive, and lead the way toward a stronger economy, a more equitable society and a sustainable world.About DeloitteDeloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited ("DTTL"), its global network of member firms, and their related entities (collectively, the "Deloitte organization"). DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") and each of its member firms and related entities are legally separate and independent entities, which cannot obligate or bind each other in respect of third parties. DTTL and each DTTL member firm and related entity is liable only for its own acts and omissions, and not those of each other. DTTL does not provide services to clients. Deloitte Asia Pacific Limited is a company limited by guarantee and a member firm of DTTL. Members of Deloitte Asia Pacific Limited and their related entities, each of which are separate and independent legal entities, provide services from more than 100 cities across the region.Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more.DisclaimerThis communication contains general information only, and none of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited ("DTTL"), its global network of member firms or their related entities (collectively, the "Deloitte organization") is, by means of this communication, rendering professional advice or services. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your finances or your business, you should consult a qualified professional adviser. No representations, warranties or undertakings (express or implied) are given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information in this communication, and none of DTTL, its member firms, related entities, employees or agents shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage whatsoever arising directly or indirectly in connection with any person relying on this communication. DTTL and each of its member firms, and their related entities, are legally separate and independent entities.Contact: Ashley LeungTel: +852 2109 5261Email: asleung@deloitte.com.hkContact: Lyanna ChanTel: +852 2238 7111Email: lyachan@deloitte.com.hk Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

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Starfish Partners Acquires Direct Recruiters Inc (DRI)

PLANO, Texas, September 14, 2022 – (SEAPRWire) – Starfish Partners, an international investment and ownership platform for niched professional and mid-to-upper management search specialists, is proud to announce the acquisition of Direct Recruiters Inc. (DRI). Current Starfish Partners organizations include search firms Kaye/Bassman International Corporation (KBIC), Full Spectrum Search Group, the Sanford Rose Associates International (SRAI) network, and the recruiting industry’s largest consulting and training firm Next Level Exchange (NLE). This all-stock transaction is one of the largest ever in the mid-to-upper-management recruiting space. Dan Charney and Mike Silverstein from DRI and Jeff Kaye, Karen Schmidt, and Nick Turner from KBIC, SRAI, and NLE are the members of the new board. Dan Charney shared, “DRI has a long-standing relationship and has benefited from NLE’s leadership, as demonstrated by the fact that we have grown tenfold in less than a decade. We are committed to continuing this trajectory as we seek additional investment and acquisition partners. We are excited to continue to do great work for our clients and help our associates and partners reach their goals.” Starfish Partners provides capital for recruiting firms looking to scale, as well as exit strategies for owners seeking to secure value for their firm in cash and/or stock. It also provides liquidity and the ability to monetize some value while simultaneously providing equity opportunities for key producers and leaders.  “With this expansion, the combined operational, finance, technology, marketing communications, hiring, training, coaching, and consulting divisions now represent the largest and most tenured team serving the third-party recruiting industry. We are thrilled to welcome new members to our corporate and executive team,” said Nick Turner. “We have built deep and trusting relationships with DRI over the past decade, and our partnership represents a strong cultural alignment between our organizations and a shared view on the future direction of our industry. Every SRAI network member and every NLE client will have even more support, trusted partners, and overall opportunities as a result of the combination of forces,” added Karen Schmidt. Starfish Partners organizations have won multiple awards for the best place to work, workforce flexibility and charitable endeavors, and have ranked among the top recruiting firms nationally. Under the new alliance, the collective revenues of all SRAI offices with the three search businesses and consulting organizations will exceed $300 million annually. All entities will maintain their brands, while many functions will become centralized where beneficial for the collective. “Starfish Partners is securely positioned to provide access to capital, liquidity, and potential equity in our highly fragmented market. We are on a journey of doing what has never been done in our industry. We are committed to delivering value for our combined 50+ owners, 200+ associates, 170+ SRAI offices and 1,000+ NLE clients while doing challenging and meaningful work with people who inspire us to be the very best versions of ourselves,” commented Jeff Kaye. The acquisition will allow all entities and future investments the ability to serve clients more efficiently, maximize full growth potential, and secure continuity of what the founders have built. With an industry of over 25,000 independently owned and operated recruiting firms, Starfish Partners is actively pursuing aggressive growth that will be achieved through a variety of mergers, acquisitions, and capital infusion activities. Social Links Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/starfishpartners/ Media Contact Brand: Starfish Partners Contact: Darren McDougal, CMO Email: darren@starfishpartners.com Website: www.starfishpartners.com.  SOURCE: Starfish Partners The article is provided by a third-party content provider. SEAPRWire ( https://www.seaprwire.com/ ) makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith. Any questions, please contact cs/at/SEAPRWire.com Sectors: Top Story, Daily News SEA PRWire: PR distribution in Southeast Asia (Hong Kong: AsiaExcite, EastMud; AsiaEase; Singapore: SEAChronicle, VOASG; NetDace; Thailand: SEAsiabiz, AccessTH; Indonesia: SEATribune, DailyBerita; Philippines: SEATickers, PHNotes; Malaysia: SEANewswire, KULPR; Vietnam: SEANewsDesk, PostVN)

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Construction firms’ efforts recognised at BCA’s inaugural Integrated Digital Delivery Awards

SINGAPORE - Building firms Ong&Ong and Woh Hup, as well as two projects, Paya Lebar Quarter and the Kallang Polyclinic and Long Term Care facility, have received top accolades at the inaugural Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD) Awards by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), announced on Wednesday (Sept 8). The awards recognise those who have applied digital technologies across various stages of a building project to achieve increased productivity and resiliency. Awards are grouped into two categories - firm and project - and are given out in three tiers: platinum, gold plus and gold. Ong&Ong, which took home a platinum award, invested in a cloud-based solution that allowed its employees to work remotely. The firm also set up a digital technology department, which helped to drive digitalisation across its projects and conduct internal training programmes for staff. To further optimise its workflow, an in-house software development team was formed to develop building modelling tools and customisation capabilities. Mr Ashvinkumar Kantilal, group chief executive for architecture at Ong&Ong, said that since adopting more automation tools, tapping augmented and virtual reality solutions, and moving its work to cloud platforms, "the inter-connectivity within the group became seamless". "This investment has helped us to be better prepared and equipped to navigate the Covid-19 impact on our business and allowed us to continue to serve our clients and look after the projects with minimal disruption," he said. The other platinum award winner in the firm category, Woh Hup, was recognised for its achievements in using digital tools for large-scale and complex projects such as Jewel Changi Airport and the upcoming Punggol Digital District. In its statement, BCA said Woh Hup had taken the lead in digitalisation not only within the firm, but also brought on board supply chain partners. For instance, the firm offers in-house digitalisation training programmes for subcontractors. Digitalisation helped the firm to cut down time needed for modelling efforts, replaced manual processes on site and helped to manage defects more efficiently, said BCA. In the project category, the Kallang Polyclinic and Long Term Care facility was recognised for the use of digital tools to manage the design, scheduling and projection of pre-fabricated modules. Those working on the project could also participate in meetings in a 3D virtual environment thanks to virtual reality applications, which reduced the need for physical meetings. Meanwhile, the other platinum project, Paya Lebar Quarter, received praise for its smart facility management platform, which gives facility managers an overview of total building performance using artificial intelligence and data analytics. The platform helped to enhance overall operational efficiency and reduce cost in the project's first year of operations, resulting in energy savings of up to 30 per cent, said the BCA. BCA chief executive Kelvin Wong said: "The benefits are clear - many projects which implemented IDD have reported increased time, cost, manpower and resource savings. We expect more of such results in the future, given the increasing number of firms and projects which are embracing IDD. "This is not surprising as IDD allows entire project teams to better collaborate and paves the way for deeper cross-discipline interactions that bring the earlier said benefits. Experience in IDD adds a lot of value to an individual working in the built environment sector and we foresee the demand for IDD job roles to grow in the next few years." A total of 17 firms and projects won the awards across the three tiers.

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More than 4 years’ jail for woman in scam to try to obtain over $1 million in loan

SINGAPORE- A woman was sentenced on Friday (April 23) to four years and three months' jail after taking part in a scam where she and an alleged accomplice posed as property owners in a bid to obtain a loan of more than $1 million. Foo Wei Lee, then an accountant, also took part in another ruse - a corporate loan fraud - in which financial firms were duped into disbursing more than $230,000 in total. The 48-year-old Singaporean pleaded guilty last month to nine charges for offences including cheating and forgery. Eighteen other charges were considered during sentencing. Foo's alleged accomplices include 25-year-old Khor Choon Kiat, who was her boyfriend at the time; his mother Sim Seok Kuan, 54; and his friend Yeo Hwa Piao, 48. Their cases are still pending. Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Pei Wei said during an earlier proceeding that some time around December 2018, Khor and Sim hatched a plan to earn quick cash by making fraudulent applications to financial firms that offer loans to small and medium-sized enterprises. Khor roped in Foo as she was familiar with loan processes. He also recruited Yeo as the latter was willing to be the director of a firm called Foosball Strikers, the court heard. DPP Tan said: "The accused persons applied for business loans under Foosball Strikers' name from at least four finance companies... The accused persons forged documents to prove that Foosball Strikers had ongoing business activities and was creditworthy, as well as that Yeo, as the director of Foosball Strikers, was creditworthy, though neither was true." The forged documents included a financial report for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2017. As a result, the financial firms, including Northstar Capital and Finaxar Capital, were duped into disbursing loans totalling more than $230,000. Some time around July 2019, Khor came up with another plan to make a fraudulent application for a loan secured on property belonging to others so as to obtain a sum larger than the one from the first scam. Khor, Foo and some others then sourced for properties which they could use in the ruse, said DPP Tan. They found a suitable property owned by a married couple who were not part of the ruse. The DPP said that on Aug 23, 2019, Foo and Yeo posed as the property owners to meet a relationship manager from Ethoz Capital to sign some loan documents. The company then agreed to give a loan of $1.1 million. They also went to places such as law firms to sign items that included mortgage documents. Court documents do not state who alerted the police but Foo and her alleged accomplices were arrested on Oct 18, 2019, before Ethoz Capital transferred the cash. No restitution has been made except for an instalment payment of $7,500 for the first ruse. For each count of cheating, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined. More on this topic   Related Story Criminal syndicate member involved in $2.5m investment scam gets over 12 years' jail   Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories

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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Feb 8

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Monday, Feb 8. Himalayan glacier bursts in India; 10 dead, at least 125 missing Footage shared by locals showed the water washing away parts of the dam and whatever else was in its path. READ MORE HERE Mass protests against Myanmar military coup nationwide; Internet access partially restored Analysts warned that the risk of a crackdown remained high. READ MORE HERE Daily Covid-19 testing capacity in Singapore to be ramped up This will enable it to carry out more than 21,000 tests daily in dormitories and regional screening centres. READ MORE HERE More on this topic   Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Public service to look at hiring more talent from private sector It will send more officers on external attachments, as part of efforts to become more agile and diverse. READ MORE HERE Malaysia revises Covid-19 rules to allow more to gather for CNY reunion dinner A maximum of 15 are now allowed, but they must live within a 10km radius of the dinner venue. READ MORE HERE Culturally tight societies like S'pore fare better in Covid-19 fight: Study The study also found that countries with cultural looseness had almost nine times the number of deaths. READ MORE HERE First case of likely Covid-19 reinfection in S’pore: Experts say immunity wanes with time The presence of antibodies does not guarantee that the body will fight off infection as well. READ MORE HERE Most kids aged 7 to 9 use smartphones daily, many are on Facebook: Survey This spurs concerns, including about who these lower-primary school children meet online. READ MORE HERE Employers not considering pay adjustments despite remote working trend: Survey Only 32% of employees globally are expected to return to the office after the pandemic. READ MORE HERE Most Singaporeans willing to pay more to firms that improve migrant worker welfare: Study A majority are willing to pay between 5 per cent and 10 per cent more. READ MORE HERE

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Budget 2021: More targeted support for firms, workers to seize new opportunities

SINGAPORE - Five Budgets, nearly $100 billion committed in Covid-19 support measures, and up to $52 billion drawn from past reserves. A deficit to the tune of $74.2 billion - Singapore's biggest since independence in 1965. This represents the unprecedented fiscal firepower the Government unleashed last year to save jobs, support workers and protect livelihoods. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

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50,000 jobseekers hired by 14,000 firms in Singapore under Jobs Growth Incentive

SINGAPORE - Around 50,000 local jobseekers were hired by 14,000 or so companies in September under a scheme to encourage firms to boost their manpower plans, according to preliminary estimates out on Friday (Jan 22). About 50 per cent of the new hires were aged 40 and over. The scheme, known as the Jobs Growth Incentive, aims to spur firms to hire more locals, with $1 billion set aside to provide wage support for these workers. Firms that hire local workers from September last year to February this year will receive a subsidy of 25 per cent of the first $5,000 of their gross monthly salaries for one year. The co-payment goes up to 50 per cent for workers aged 40 and above. These figures are encouraging as a good start, said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo at a briefing on the sidelines of a visit to food services firm Select Group. "We also know that the recovery of companies from the impact of Covid-19 would be uneven," she noted.  "Some businesses may struggle to pivot, while others may experience new spurts of growth and bring in more people." She added that the incentive is meant to help transfer people from sectors that might be downsizing to those that are continuing to expand and hire. "However, businesses may hesitate to expand right away, and may wish to be more certain about their opportunities before hiring.  "The JGI was intended to boost the hiring momentum and encourage these companies to bring forward their hiring plans and accelerate the hiring of Singaporeans." Mrs Teo added that the ministry is assessing if the scheme, which was created as a further help to firms as the Jobs Support Scheme tapered off, needs to be extended. Food services was the top sector of those industries hiring workers with 7,700 local hires. This was followed by wholesale trade, professional services, construction and education. Experts and companies agreed that the scheme was useful in helping to support hiring. Select Group managing director Vincent Tan said: "It supports growing companies in the hiring of the local workforce. In Select Group, we have hired close to 50 local full-timers since the start of the scheme." More on this topic   Related Story More than 9,200 job openings in food services sector as of end-December   Related Story Cooking up new digital skills to serve customers Seoul Garden group general manager Garry Lam added that it has hired over 20 locals since September. "It will encourage more food services establishments to hire from the local workforce instead of relying on foreign talent," he said. Mr Kurt Wee, the president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, added that the scheme is a catalyst in helping firms to be more decisive when hiring. "It is important because businesses are still in a tough environment with uncertain economic conditions. Sometimes they hesitate, but with the scheme, they can be more certain. Having said that, they will not hire beyond that which is sustainable." Associate Professor Lawrence Loh from the National University of Singapore Business School agreed: "It will be a rational balancing act for every company - each will weigh the incentive for local hires with any possible saving from foreign recruitment. With the expected recovery, time is also of a critical factor."

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Straits Times Best Law Firms 2021 shows spread of large and small firms

SINGAPORE - Law firm Allen & Gledhill, one of the Big Four here, has been named in all 15 categories of the inaugural Singapore's Best Law Firms 2021 ranking, the only one to achieve the distinction. But the top two positions in the Criminal Law category went to smaller outfits - Trident Law Corporation and Eugene Thuraisingam LLP. The spread of small and large firms featured in the ranking reflects the diverse nature of the legal services market here, a survey undertaken by The Straits Times and German-based research firm Statista has found. The results released on Monday (Nov 16) are based on feedback from professionals in the legal sector and clients, who responded to the survey conducted between June 9 and Aug 8 this year. A total of 98 firms are represented in 15 different categories, with 265 mentions. Firms that made it into the "Best Of" in a legal category will be able to obtain a licence to use an official seal created for the ranking. The eye-catching seal features the trademarks of The Straits Times and Statista. The list has familiar market leaders as well as niche firms with strong skills in the respective categories, from Banking and Negligence Law to Criminal and Commercial Law. Adsan Law emerged as the best law firm in the rarely highlighted category for charities, non-profit organisations and pro bono work. A total of 4,716 respondents took part in the online survey and more than 10,000 recommendations for awards were received in total. "The response was impressive, almost overwhelming," said analyst Christian Leve, who is in charge of various law firm projects Statista does around the world. He added the strong response was driven by the reach and reputation of The Straits Times and the efforts of the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association, which had reached out to many lawyers. More on this topic   Related Story Singapore’s best law firms in 2021 All recommendations were analysed and studied, and the top firms were identified and ranked according to the number of recommendations they garnered. "The Singapore legal profession is well known for its breadth and depth of quality lawyers. Guides like this provide more information for potential clients and give some measure of feedback to the firms," said National University of Singapore law faculty dean, Professor Simon Chesterman. Melbourne-based innovation and strategy consultant Dhamendra Yadav added: "It is important that The Straits Times, as the primary broadsheet in Singapore, has been able to lend its ground expertise to benchmark law firms. This will engender confidence in these firms." The organisations had previously worked on two other projects - Singapore's Fastest Growing Companies and Singapore's Best Employers. Mr Warren Fernandez, editor-in-chief of Singapore Press Holding's English, Malay and Tamil Media Group and editor of The Straits Times, said: "Our experience with the first two projects gave us confidence that Statista is the right partner to work with on this new project to focus on legal services in Singapore. "This will be both of interest to readers and also useful to them when they need to seek legal advice and services." Dr Friedrich Schwandt, founder and chief executive of Statista, added: "For us, it is always a pleasure to partner with SPH and The Straits Times on mega research projects such as this one - in general, but also with the specific view that Singapore is our Asia hub, with our office here constantly growing." The full results can be accessed here. News analysis: Benchmarking Singapore's best law firms When an industry player - who was unaware of The Straits Times' project on Singapore's Best Law Firms - was asked which law firm she thought was the best in town, she named Allen & Gledhill (A&G). "It's very telling when CEOs of well-known companies, fellow senior lawyers and even managing partners of other law firms send their law graduate kids to Allen & Gledhill for their training contracts and (they) subsequently go on to qualify as associates there. "This reflects the trust and confidence these industry veterans have in A&G, as a firm, as a starting point for their next generation of lawyers," said Ms Lee Shulin, director of Singapore-based legal recruitment firm Ansa Search. "In my line of legal executive search, we often encounter clients requesting to hire lawyers who've had experience working in A&G," she said. Her response validated what the project found: A&G was the sole firm that was placed in all 15 categories of Singapore's Best Law Firms 2021, a project undertaken by The Straits Times and German-based research firm Statista. READ MORE HERE Allen & Gledhill only law firm to be ranked in all 15 categories Allen & Gledhill is the only law firm to be ranked in all 15 categories of the inaugural list of the ST Best Law Firms 2021. The survey, done jointly with German research firm Statista, identified, for the first time, Singapore's front runners in 15 categories of legal practice ranging from banking and negligence law to criminal and commercial law, as recommended by their peers and users. Allen & Gledhill obtained five-star ratings in 10 out of the 15 categories, including banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions and intellectual property law. READ MORE HERE Hoh Law Corporation's islandwide reach with 10 branch offices Hoh Law Corporation, which topped the list in the negligence law category in the ST Best Law Firms 2021 survey, and was also ranked among the top law firms in Family Law and Manpower and Employment, opened its 10th branch office in Woodlands last week. Started by Mr Hoh Chin Cha in 1991 with a modest office in Middle Road, the firm now has the most number of branches in Singapore, and has firmly established itself with a dedicated focus on community issues and providing legal solutions to the masses. The firm has handled a litany of headline-grabbing cases over the years. For example, it helped a woman obtain compensation after she became paralysed from being hit by falling branches of a tree within a cathedral's precincts in 2009. READ MORE HERE Blind accident victim grateful for law firm Lee Shergill's efforts For law firm Lee Shergill - one of four to achieve a five-star rating for negligence law in the Best Law Firms 2021 rankings - handling the case of a blind man was both rare and inspiring. Managing partner Raj Singh Shergill said he was struck by the positive outlook of Mr Zamry Abdul Karim, who has been blind since birth. In court documents filed, Mr Zamry related how, when using his white cane to cross Toh Guan Road at a signalised T-junction with Toh Guan View in Jurong East at about 11.30pm on June 13, 2017, he was knocked down by a taxi. READ MORE HERE Small firms do well in criminal law Small firms and sole proprietors showed they can do better than the big firms in criminal law. Of the 15 firms named in the criminal law category of the ST Best Law Firms 2021 list, the top two are small law firms - Trident Law Corporation and Eugene Thuraisingam LLP. And the two were the only firms, big or small, to achieve five-star ratings. READ MORE HERE Top-ranked Adsan Law places people at core of its practice For Adsan Law, ranked at the top in the rarely highlighted best law firm category for charities, non-profit organisations and pro bono, it is people that matter and are placed at the core of its legal practice. First established as a partnership, Yeo-Leong & Peh in 1987, the practice has since developed into a mid-sized law corporation, undergone a digital transformation and rebranded itself as Adsan Law LLC. The only other five-star-rated law firm in this category of Best Law Firms was Quahe Woo & Palmer, Allen & Gledhill, Dentons Rodyk, and Rajah & Tann are in the next four-star tier, based on the number of recommendations from the legal profession and clients. READ MORE HERE

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1,300 jobs available in S’pore’s logistics sector amid Covid-19 pandemic; 1 in 3 for PMETs

SINGAPORE - About 1,300 jobs are currently on offer in the logistics sector, with about one in three for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs). This makes up over 60 per cent of the more than 2,100 jobs and training openings available as at end-September, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in its weekly jobs report on Tuesday (Oct 27). The PMET jobs include roles such as regional business sales managers and business development managers, with monthly salaries of between $4,000 and $7,000, with a median of $5,000. Meanwhile, logistics managers earn about $3,700 to $7,250 a month, with a median of $5,500. The bulk of the jobs - about 64 per cent - are non-PMET roles, as the sector requires a workforce to carry out functions such as warehousing, transportation, and value-added services like labelling and packaging. These non-PMET jobs include transport clerks, who typically receive monthly salaries of $1,900 to $2,400, with a median of $2,175. Material and freight handling workers earn between $1,600 and $2,350 monthly, with a median of $2,050. Apart from jobs, there are also about 510 company-hosted traineeships and attachments, as well as about 290 training opportunities available. The ministry revealed that about 710 individuals have been placed into jobs, company-hosted traineeships and training openings in the logistics industry, between April to September. Nearly 600 of them found jobs, of which over 40 per cent were mature workers. Others have enrolled in attachments and traineeships such as in logistics analytics, software development, supply chain management and IT application since June. Employers in the industry are open to jobseekers with working experience from other sectors, said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo. Speaking after a visit to German logistics firm DB Schenker's The Red Lion facility in Changi, Mrs Teo noted that logistics firms serve a broad range of customers. More on this topic   Related Story 9 in 10 Singapore workers see urgent need to reskill, upskill in uncertain job market: Survey   Related Story Singapore will continue seeking global integration to help companies grow, create jobs: Iswaran "So when they hire people from many different industries, they have actually got more points of connection with their clients, because they are more likely to be able to understand the clients' requirements and therefore to consider how they can update their products and services in order to meet the clients' needs," she added. The effects of the pandemic on the industry have been uneven. It saw a severe reduction in airfreight capacity, a shortage of workers arising from border lockdowns, and reduced efficiency due to safe distancing measures. Those serving hard-hit sectors such as aviation and aerospace were more adversely affected, while those providing e-commerce, last-mile fulfilment services and serving critical sectors such as healthcare saw a surge in demand for their services, said MOM. Businesses that were able to adapt quickly to capture new business opportunities arising from the coronavirus situation also remained resilient. For instance, changing consumer behaviour due to Covid-19 has accelerated the growth of e-commerce services and adoption of technology. Logistics firms such as Moovaz Logistics and Ninja Logistics are leveraging technology such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing to create new growth areas. More on this topic   Related Story SkillsFuture Singapore rolling out 2,300 training opportunities in advanced manufacturing   Related Story 1,900 jobs on offer in growing electronics manufacturing industry since April, nearly all in PMET roles Fourth-party logistics providers such as DB Schenker and Pacific Logistics Group are also looking to capitalise on the growing demand for supply chain management services and solutions. These companies have embarked on business transformation and digitalisation projects to develop new capabilities, expand their capacity and prepare for post-pandemic recovery. To support these expansion and transformation efforts, these companies continued to hire despite the downturn. Mrs Teo said the use of technology in the sector does not always mean that the jobs will be lost. "By using more technology, the companies are able to operate more efficiently, they win more customers, and these customers can in turn be drawn to Singapore as an efficient and effective hub," she explained. "As a result of all these increased growth and the volume of business that we handle, in fact we may still end up having to use more people." To support the manpower needs of the industry, Workforce Singapore has worked with logistics firms with hiring demand to take in workers from hard-hit sectors, such as aerospace, aviation and hotel sectors, on a secondment basis. More on this topic   Related Story Over $5.5b to be paid out in Jobs Support Scheme from Oct 29   Related Story How to prevent robots from taking your job Between April and September, nearly 380 workers in hard-hit sectors were able to continue working through such arrangements. For example, DB Schenker took in 21 logistics assistants, seconded workers from Razor Solutions, a subcontractor specialising in aviation ground operations. On Tuesday, Mrs Teo, together with Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, toured the DB Schenker's Red Lion facility and observed its automation systems, contract logistics, and airfreight operations. The $163 million high-tech warehouse, situated in the free-trade zone of the Airport Logistics Park of Singapore, is the firm's largest single investment globally. In 2019, the logistics industry, a key pillar of Singapore's economy, contributed a value add of $6.8 billion - amounting to 1.4 per cent of the gross domestic product - and employed more than 86,000 workers. More on this topic   Related Story Over 450 jobs on offer in first of 4 fairs in North West District Over the years, the Republic has built up and maintained its status as a leading logistics hub in Asia. The industry plays an important role in connecting supply chains to facilitate the flow of goods locally and abroad, supporting key industries such as food, electronics, pharmaceuticals, retail and construction.

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