Integrated Marketing Approach to Engage Employers and Encourage Workplace Transformation for Inclusive Hiring
Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the inquiry by Ms See Jinli Jean on whether the Ministry of Social and Family Development will adopt an integrated marketing approach to engage employers on workplace transformation and normalize the hiring of persons with disabilities. Minister Masagos Zulkifli B M M replied that the ministry works with SG Enable to provide support via the Enabling Mark accreditation, the Open Door Programme for job redesign, and the Enabling Employment Credit wage offsets. He also highlighted the 2023 launch of the first Enabling Business Hub and a new targeted approach focusing on six specific growth sectors. These sectors include food and beverage services, retail trade, information and communications, health and social services, transport and storage, and financial and insurance services. The ministry will identify inclusive hiring champions to share best practices and expand recruitment efforts to further establish inclusive hiring as a norm in Singapore.
Transcript
31 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry will consider an integrated marketing approach to proactively engage employers across industries on workplace and workforce transformation for the hiring of persons with disabilities from the outset to establish inclusive hiring as a norm in Singapore, going above and beyond the work that is currently done by SG Enable.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) will continue to work with SG Enable, the focal agency for disability and inclusion in Singapore, to actively engage, encourage and support employers to hire persons with disabilities and promote inclusive hiring across industries.
We provide a comprehensive suite of support for inclusive hiring. The Enabling Mark, a national-level accreditation framework recognises employers for practices and outcomes in disability inclusion. The Open Door Programme provides job matching and customised employment support and grants to employers for job redesign and training. In addition, employers receive wage offsets through the Enabling Employment Credit for employees with disabilities earning below $4,000 per month. SG Enable also launched the first Enabling Business Hub at Jurong in 2023, to bring training and employment opportunities closer to persons with disabilities.
Going forward, SG Enable will be doing more by adopting a more targeted approach in six target sectors that either traditionally hire or have growth potential for job opportunities suitable for persons with disabilities, viz food and beverage services; retail trade; information and communications; health and social services; transport and storage; and financial and insurance services. Initiatives include, identifying inclusive hiring champions and supporting them to share their experiences and best practices in inclusive hiring with fellow industry players who have yet to start their inclusive hiring journey as well as expanding hiring efforts of existing inclusive employers.