Persons with Disabilities Who Have Approached SG Enable for Employment and Job Placement Assistance
Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the number of persons with disabilities (PwDs) seeking job placement from SG Enable and the Ministry's efforts to support their gainful employment. Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli B M M reported that over 3,000 PwDs were placed between 2014 and 2020, with a 60% six-month retention rate. He highlighted the enhanced Open Door Programme Training Grant, which offers 95% subsidies, and the Enabling Employment Credit providing employers with wage offsets of up to 30%. New initiatives like the Place and Train, Attach and Train, and Skills Development Programmes were also launched to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on PwD employment. Finally, the Minister noted that a cross-sectoral workgroup under the Third Enabling Masterplan will soon release recommendations to further prepare PwDs for the future economy.
Transcript
67 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in the past five years, how many persons with disabilities have approached SG Enable for employment and job placement assistance; (b) what is the average success rate; and (c) whether the Ministry intends to do more to help persons with disabilities to be gainfully employed.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: SG Enable works with various partners to enhance employment and employability for persons with disabilities (PwDs) through the Open Door Programme (ODP). Between 2014 and 2020, SG Enable and its job placement partners have helped to place over 3,000 clients in employment. More than 60% of clients placed into jobs through the ODP remained employed with the same employer after 6 months.
MSF works closely with the Ministry of Manpower and SG Enable to review and improve existing schemes and programmes that help to enhance employment and employability of PwDs. For example, the ODP Training Grant was enhanced in July 2020 to provide more support for PwDs to upgrade their work-relevant skills. The ODP Training Grant now provides 95% course fee subsidies for PwDs, a training allowance of $6 per hour, and a training commitment award of $100 for PwDs who complete the training. MOM also introduced the Enabling Employment Credit in January this year to provide wage offsets of up to 30% for eligible employers of PwDs.
Earlier this year, MSF launched three new programmes to enhance access to training and employment opportunities for PwDs amid the continued impact of COVID-19 on Singaporeans. The new customised Place and Train, Attach and Train, and Skills Development Programmes will complement existing efforts under the ODP, to support employment and training for PwDs.
We will continue to monitor various existing measures, and explore ways to enhance the employment and employability of PwDs. MSF had set up a cross-sectoral workgroup in 2019 to better prepare and support PwDs for employment in the future economy as part of the Third Enabling Masterplan (EMP3). The workgroup has since concluded its work and will be releasing its recommendations shortly.