Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar
MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC
Question
To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development whether there are plans to (i) improve and enhance job-readiness and training in our Day Activity Centres (DACs) for young adults with special needs beyond 18 years’ old such as collaborating with our ITEs for such training and (ii) provide more funding support and resources to ensure full placement of such young adults from Mondays to Fridays.
Answer
1. A range of employment and employability support services along with independent living and care services are currently available to support both work capable and non-work capable persons with disabilities.
2. Day Activity Centres (DACs) provide long-term care support for persons with disabilities with no or low work capability. These centres aim to equip persons with disabilities with community and daily living skills so as to enable them to live as independently as possible at home and within the community. Clients who show progress and proficiency in these skills can be considered for entry into Sheltered Workshops. DACs are open from Mondays to Fridays.
3. Sheltered Workshops provide job training and self-enrichment programmes to support adults with disabilities who may not be work-ready or who are unable to work in an open employment setting. Sheltered Workshops collaborate with industry partners to develop training programmes for their clients. Like DACs, Sheltered Workshops also provide services from Mondays to Fridays.
4. Adults with disabilities looking for employment may tap on programmes under the Ministry of Manpower’s Adapt and Grow initiative, such as the Open Door Programme (ODP) and Career Trial. ODP, which is administered by SG Enable, provides job placement and job support services, as well as grants for training and job redesign. Career Trial provides an opportunity for jobseekers and employers to assess job fit through a trial. During the trial, which can be up to three months, jobseekers receive a training allowance from the Government.
5. To encourage employers to hire Singaporean workers with disabilities, employers who employ such workers earning up to $4,000/month receive the Special Employment Credit (SEC) that provides a wage offset of up to 16% of monthly income for employees aged below 67, and up to 22% for employees aged 67 and over.
6. In addition, SG Enable also helps to prepare persons with disabilities through CV clinics and the RISE Mentorship and IHL Internship programmes. The RISE Mentorship matches students with disabilities with business leaders from corporates, multi-national corporations and other inclusive employers; while the IHL internship matches students with prestigious and inclusive organisations in various sectors based on their course of study, interests and preferences.