Singapore employers commit to hiring disabled

Singapore

MORE than 100 employers committed on Wednesday to building a more inclusive workforce for persons with disabilities by signing the President's Challenge Enabling Employment Pledge.

The President's Office and the public service were the first signatories of the pledge, launched by President Halimah Yacob at the Enabling Village in Lengkok Bahru.

In a speech, she said she hopes to activate a shift in the workplace culture here, so that Singapore can be more welcoming to persons with disabilities as co-workers.

"We are committed to walk the talk, and provide equal opportunities to persons with disabilities, so that more will join the public service over time," she said.

The pledge is part of President's Challenge 2020, which, in its 20th year, is focused on empowering persons with disabilities.

In all, 110 employers across various industries affirmed their commitment to supporting such individuals in the workplace.

The other signatories are the Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise, National Council of Social Service and 106 members of the Singapore Hotel Association, which include Pan Pacific Hotels Group and Shangri-La Hotel.

These employers will receive support in their efforts to employ, retain and train employees with disabilities.

The pledge guides employers on embracing an inclusive mindset, creating a barrier-free workplace and implementing supportive employment policies for employees with disabilities.

Over a quarter of people aged 15 to 64 with disabilities are employed, said Ministry of Manpower figures last year.

The resident employment rate for people with disabilities is 28.6 per cent; another 4.2 per cent are active job seekers.

This year's President's Challenge will raise funds for 72 organisations to support initiatives that help persons with disabilities gain employment.

These include the Extraordinary Apprenticeship Programme - a partnership between Extraordinary People, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Samsui Kitchen, Tropic Planners and Landscapes and ArtSE.

The programme places final-year students from special-education schools in work environments to receive training and real-life experiences and to prepare them for a smooth transition from school to work.

It hopes to find employment for at least 40 persons with special needs in the next three years.

The programme started as a pilot last year for a group of students from Grace Orchard School, who were trained to make selected halal dim sum items.

Four of them are now employed by Samsui Kitchen to make spring rolls and beancurd skin rolls for Pan Pacific Hotels Group's properties here.

The President's Challenge this year will also support programmes like the Bridge-Pro Framework of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore); this programme equips those with severe muscular dystrophy with functional, academic and vocational skills, and helps to identify suitable freelance jobs.

The Empowering for Life Fund will fund the programme over the next three years, said Madam Halimah.

The fund will also support SG Enable's Enabling Employment Initiative, which aims to strengthen the job support provided to persons with disabilities through job coaching.

The programme will be piloted in the hotel industry in partnership with the Singapore Hotel Association. THE STRAITS TIMES