Persons with Disabilities who Applied for Jobs through Employment and Employability Institute

5 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has data on how many persons with disabilities (PwDs) have applied for jobs through the Employment and Employability Institute in the last five years; (b) how many of these PwDs successfully found employment that lasted more than six months; and (c) whether the Government has a strategy for the public and private sectors to enhance employment opportunities for PwDs.

The Minister of State for Manpower (Ms Gan Siow Huang) (for the Minister for Manpower): Mr Speaker, persons with disabilities can tap on broad-based employment facilitation services, such as job matching and career advisory services provided by Workforce Singapore and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), or customised job placement and job support services under the Open Door Programme, or ODP. Workforce Singapore and NTUC’s e2i do not track whether jobseekers assisted have disabilities.

Under the ODP, SG Enable works with several job placement and job support partners such as Autism Resource Centre, Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore and SPD. These partners provide coaches who are trained to assist persons with disabilities with their job search and provide post-placement on-site support to help these jobseekers adjust into their new roles. The job coaches also advise employers on adapting job tasks and the work environment to better suit the needs of employees with disabilities. On average, about 900 jobseekers with disabilities were assisted each year by SG Enable’s job placement and job support partners between 2018 and 2022. Each year, about 500 were successfully placed into jobs. More than 80% of them remained in employment for at least six months.

The Enabling Masterplan 2030, which was co-developed by the Government, businesses and the community, sets out Singapore’s aspirational goal of 40% employment rate for persons with disabilities by 2030. To enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, we aim to increase their employability and grow the network and the number of inclusive employers through a whole-of-society effort.

Employers and community partners, such as disability social service agencies, play a key role in supporting the employment of persons with disabilities. This includes training, sharing best practices and implementing inclusive hiring at the workplace. The Government will work with partners to equip persons with disabilities with skills that enable them to take on employment opportunities. For example, SkillsFuture Singapore provides additional course fee subsidies for persons with disabilities and is working with SG Enable to develop curricula in inclusive pedagogies. We also provide support to inclusive employers through grants and support services such as the Enabling Employment Credit.

We encourage employers to approach SG Enable and to tap on the ODP and other employment support services to hire, train and integrate persons with disabilities into their organisations.

Mr Speaker: Mr Darryl David.

Mr Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you, Sir. I would like to thank the Minister of State for her reply. It is very encouraging to know all the work that is being done and I hope will continue to be done for persons with disabilities. I was wondering, if I could ask a supplementary question, Sir, if the Government is prepared to consider setting up a more permanent or more dedicated department or structure which relies on Singapore's successful tripartite model of working with unions, with employers and the Government, to specifically cater to the employment and job needs of these persons with disabilities. Is that the Government can consider?

Ms Gan Siow Huang: I thank the hon Member for the suggestion. The tripartite partners indeed will be very willing to work together to support employment and upskilling of persons with disabilities. Members might be interested to know that the Enabling Business Hub has been launched – the first is in Jurong. It aims to better support persons with disabilities to sustain employment by providing customised job support and equipping employers with inclusive practices to hire and integrate persons with disabilities. This is a new structure and institution – a one-stop shop for employers, social support agencies, persons with disabilities, tripartite partners and the whole-of-society to come together to support persons with disabilities in finding jobs and also to help them keep employed.