Plans to Ensure Adequate and Qualified Workforce For Community Care Services for Ageing Population

15 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Health (a) what are the Government's specific plans beyond reviewing salary guidelines to ensure there is an adequate and qualified workforce to meet the expanded increase in demand for community care services as Singapore's population ages; and (b) whether the specific milestones or progress indicators to achieving this can be outlined.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: Community care sector manpower grew by some 9% per annum between 2018 and 2022. The Ministry of Health and our agencies provide funding support for a suite of initiatives to attract, develop and retain workers in the community care sector. For example, the Senior Management Associate Scheme facilitates the training and induction of mid-career professionals, managers, executives and technicians to join the sector as centre managers and operations directors.

We also ensure that our current workforce is future-ready through training and development programmes and provide subsidies, such as the Community Care Training Grant. We have also worked with community care organisations (CCOs) to redesign CCO job roles to elevate community care careers and improve their attractiveness.