New structured empowerment programme that is targeted to U Live members who are 55 years and above.

 

NTUC and its U Live community have launched a structured empowerment programme that is catered to its U Live members, who are 55 years and above. The programme will start in September.

Active 55+, which was developed after five years of active engagement with NTUC members above 55 years old, consists of five stages and is expected to take participants approximately three to six months to complete. Within each stage, there will be optional modules.

At Stage 1, there is a compulsory introductory half-day workshop on U Live that focuses on the Happy, Healthy, Productive and Purposeful (H2P2) lifestyle including an assessment and experiential session on optimising mental well-being. Stage 2 called the Happy Track is a social gerontology series with the Council for Third Age (C3A). This is a full-day workshop on social, psychological and biological aspects of ageing including promoting a positive attitude on ageing, enhancing social connectedness and providing practical knowledge and skills for late adulthood which will include communication skills and adapting to changing roles such as a caregiver.

During this stage there are optional modules including a three-day-two-night ‘Project Getaway’ staycation and seminar at Downtown East and other workshops covering building interpersonal relationships and ageing gracefully.

Stage 3 called the Healthy Track includes healthy living programmes by the Health Promotion Board (HPB). During this stage, there are optional modules including a falls prevention talk, healthier cooking and nutritional workshop, strength training and exercise programme (STEP), and supermarket tours. Stage 4 is the Productive Track organised by e2i and U Live @ Work. It includes a two-day employability camp workshop on mindset change and job search skills including grooming and resume writing. There are optional modules at this stage including skills upgrading workshops on IT such as on Microsoft Office productivity and cybersecurity, executive workshop to enhance participants’ employability, and talks on fair employment practices and opportunities.

At the final stage, Stage 5, called the Purposeful Track, effective communication and an introduction to being a U Live Ambassador is touched on as well as training to be the faces and voices of U Live as mentors and advocates. There are optional modules such as the leadership development phase where participants are trained to be facilitators or trainers to initiate new activities, peer mentoring and giving back to the community. Training also includes how to be a ULive Facebook ambassador.

Shared NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say who spoke at the launch at the U Live Symposium and who celebrated his 60th birthday last month, said that nobody can stop us from growing old but we can take charge of it.

** Depending on the course taken, there will be a minimum cost of S$5 per person. Optional workshops will have an additional cost. For enquiries about the programme, call 6582 3605 or e-mail: events@ulive.com.sg.

 

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