Just a year after Mr Rodney Ee joined the Alliance 21 Group in 2014, the logistics firm’s CEO gave him an unexpected challenge: to lead the development of Alex.world – the group’s website and freight and fulfilment platform aimed at enhancing the customer experience. With a background in air cargo and logistics but little technology experience, Mr Ee nevertheless threw himself into the task. “It was a steep learning curve,” he recalled.

Today, he is Alliance 21 Group’s chief development officer, overseeing initiatives across technology adoption, marketing and human resources. His career trajectory reflects the company’s ethos – giving opportunities to those who may not have the formal credentials but show the drive to learn.

“In our industry, it’s very difficult to find a ‘plug-and-play’ – someone who comes in and knows straightaway exactly what to do,” said Mr Ee. That is why the company looks for people who are innovative, digitally savvy and unafraid to step out of their comfort zones. Alliance 21 Group’s skills-first hiring approach prioritises transferable competencies and potential rather than formal qualifications alone. To assess candidates’ adaptability, recruiters often pose “blunt questions” during job interviews, such as whether they would be open to taking on a sales role despite having no prior experience.

This philosophy is backed by a structured approach to employee development. Alliance 21 Group has mapped out career progression pathways and built a competency model aligned with the national Skills Framework for Logistics, which is used for performance management and career development. These tools help identify skills gaps and direct staff to targeted training – a key part of maintaining strong career health across the organisation.

“We give our employees coaching and training, so that they can grow into their role and eventually beyond it,” said Mr Ee. “Rather than simply finding people to run everyday jobs, it’s about building a pipeline of leaders because you’re willing to invest in their training and close their skills gaps.”

“EVERY COMPANY SHOULD ASPIRE TO HAVE A CULTURE OF LEARNING AND RESKILLING.” – MR RODNEY EE, CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, ALLIANCE 21 GROUP

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

Established in 2002, Alliance 21 Group offers end-to-end logistics services, including air and multimodal freight transportation and warehousing. Yet not all who join the company come from this sector. Mr Edwin Lee, for instance, joined in 2024 as a marketing and connectivity executive for corporate development. A digital media graduate, he had no prior logistics experience, having previously worked as a real estate agent and an account executive at a digital agency.

Mr Lee impressed Mr Ee, who was on the panel that interviewed him. “Edwin showed us how he used social media to create videos for the properties he was promoting as a real estate agent and the programmes he used to design certain flyers,” Mr Ee said. “He had taught himself all of these things, and it showed a lot of initiative.”

Mr Lee, 31, was eventually paired with Mr Ee as his mentor. “Rodney told me that in order to do marketing for a company, I needed to know what it had to offer,” he said.

“LIFE IS SHORT. IF YOU DON’T TRY AND LEARN NEW SKILLS NOW, THEN WHEN?” – MR EDWIN LEE, MARKETING AND CONNECTIVITY EXECUTIVE FOR CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT

To build this understanding, Mr Lee was enrolled in Workforce Singapore’s Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Air Transport Professionals and Coordinators in 2024 – a six-month course designed to help mid-career switchers transition into roles in airport operations, cargo and freight handling, and airline management.

As part of the programme, he underwent training in search engine optimisation (SEO) and worked directly with SEO consultants to improve brand visibility and customer experience by raising the company website’s ranking on search engines. Mr Lee said the training gave him “the confidence to handle a broad range of marketing work, from websites to brand guidelines” – skills he applies in supporting the company’s outreach and communications.

He now manages Alliance 21 Group’s social media accounts and handles copywriting for Alex.world, the website of its affiliated logistics businesses. The results are already visible: The company’s LinkedIn following has doubled organically in the past year, and leads from the group’s website have increased more than four-fold – reflecting how job redesign and training have strengthened both marketing output and Mr Lee’s own career health.

Source: Workforce Singapore  

THE GROWTH NEVER STOPS

Of Alliance 21 Group’s 40 employees across Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, more than two-thirds have received formal training. In Singapore, multiple employees have attended CCP courses, with more expected to follow. In addition to the CCP for Air Transport Professionals and Coordinators, staff have also trained in areas such as experience design.

Despite its small size, the company prioritises the development of its staff by reviewing training plans annually during leadership retreats to balance operational demands with staff development goals. These efforts support two key outcomes: building a versatile and capable team, and supporting the career development and long-term career health of employees.

Each department’s priorities – together with employees’ own requests for upskilling – help determine who attends which training course, and when. “The goal is to have a pool of well-trained and adaptable employees who are willing and ready to be deployed in different roles and assume leadership positions,” said Mr Ee.

HOW ALLIANCE 21 Group BUILT A GROWTH CULTURE

• Developed in-house competency and career pathways aligned with the Skills Framework for Logistics, a SkillsFuture Singapore initiative

• Adopted a skills-first hiring approach in line with the Progressive Wage Model, focusing on local and merit-based recruitment

• Tracked industry and technology trends, working with employees to future-proof their skills and careers

TOWARDS AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

A proud milestone for Alliance 21 Group came last year when it received the SkillsFuture Employer Award (Gold), presented in partnership with the Singapore Business Federation. The award recognises organisations that champion skills mastery and lifelong learning. “This validates our approach and gives us satisfaction, knowing our work is recognised and helping the team,” said Mr Ee.

He noted that the company has gone through several transitions, including digital and HR transformation. “We aspire to become an employer of choice,” he said. “An organisation that staff can be proud to work in, where they’re empowered to perform their roles and see a career path with the company.” He added that in the early years, the priority was survival and commercial viability. “As the company progressed, we started thinking about where we could improve. Whatever we do should translate to the company’s growth and help make it a better place for everyone.”

It is a mindset that continues to shape how Alliance 21 Group grows – with its people at the centre.

SEE HOW CAREER HEALTH DRIVES BUSINESS RESULTS

Whether it is reskilling for new demands or redesigning roles to stay competitive, these companies are investing in their people and seeing real returns. Scroll down to explore how others are integrating career health into their strategy – or turn to the Career Health Playbook for Business Growth for tools, tips and strategies to future-proof your workforce.

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CAREER HEALTH SUMMIT ON JUL 10 AND 11

Co-organised by Workforce Singapore and the Singapore Business Federation, the event – themed Driving Business Success: The Indispensable Role of Career Health – will be held at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.

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