Number of Companies Applying for WorkPro Grants
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the utilization and evaluation of WorkPro grants, as raised by Ms Rahayu Mahzam regarding application trends and post-disbursement reviews. Minister for Manpower Mrs Josephine Teo stated that over 3,400 companies benefited from 2013 to 2017, noting that raising the Job Redesign Grant cap to $300,000 increased annual beneficiaries from 30 to 440. Funding is disbursed only upon achievement of deliverables and proof of positive employee impact via mandatory evaluation reports. For the Work-Life Grant, companies must formalize flexible work arrangements in human resource policies and demonstrate regular usage before receiving incentives. These requirements ensure that grants effectively support age management, job redesign, and flexible work practices for older employees.
Transcript
12 Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many companies have applied for WorkPro since its introduction in 2013; (b) whether there has been an increase in the number of applications after the introduction of the enhanced scheme in 2016; and (c) whether there are any reviews of the age management practices, redesigned work places and processes and/or flexible work arrangements implemented by the companies after the disbursement of the grant.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Under WorkPro, companies can receive funding support to (a) implement age management practices through the Age Management Grant (AMG); (b) redesign workplaces and processes to create easier, safer and smarter jobs for older workers through the Job Redesign Grant (JRG); and (c) introduce and sustain use of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) through the Work-Life Grant (WLG).
From 2013 to 2017, over 3,400 companies employing about 368,000 workers have benefited from WorkPro grants.
We have continuously enhanced the WorkPro scheme. In 2016, we raised the maximum grant for the JRG from $150,000 to $300,000 per company to further facilitate job redesign efforts. To encourage more capability development projects to incorporate the requirements of older workers, JRG can be applied as a rider on top of other Government grants. Since the enhancement, and with additional efforts to promote the scheme, the number of companies that benefited from the JRG has increased from about 30 a year to about 440 a year.
WorkPro funding is only disbursed when we are satisfied that the company has achieved the corresponding grant deliverables and is able to demonstrate the impact to their employees. Companies claiming for the AMG and JRG are required to submit evaluations of how projects undertaken have created a positive impact on their older employees. Similarly, under the WLG, companies claiming the Developmental Grant are required to submit evaluation reports on their FWA pilot projects, in addition to formalising these FWAs in the companies' human resource policy to be offered to all other employees. The FWA Incentive is disbursed to companies after their employees have regularly used FWAs.