Training Programmes Under SG Enable to Employers Hiring Individuals with Special Needs
Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns whether SG Enable's training for employers includes guidance on reassuring employees with special needs about their competence, as raised by Mr Christopher de Souza. Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli B M M replied that High Impact Retention and Employment Workshops cover performance reviews, feedback, and job redesign to ensure competency. He noted the Open Door Programme offers a training grant for up to 90% of course funding to help organisations integrate persons with disabilities. Additionally, the Enabling Academy provides training, toolkits, and resources to support employers in their disability-inclusive hiring journey. These initiatives collectively equip employers with the skills to provide effective feedback and support employees with disabilities to perform well at work.
Transcript
30 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the training programmes under SG Enable which are provided to employers who hire individuals with special needs, includes training on how to provide assurance to these individuals about their competence at their job.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: SG Enable's High Impact Retention and Employment (HIRE) Workshops for employers provide a comprehensive and structured training framework for organisations to equip themselves with relevant knowledge and skills to hire and integrate employees with disabilities. They cover a variety of topics, including building employers' confidence in managing employees with disabilities, and training employers to conduct performance reviews and provide timely feedback on employees' work performance. These workshops also build employers' confidence in implementing job accommodations and job redesign to ensure that employees with disabilities are able to perform at the required competency levels.
The Open Door Programme (ODP), administered by SG Enable, supports employers in hiring, training and integrating persons with disabilities into the workforce. Employers can tap on the ODP Training Grant to support up to 90% course funding when they attend or send their employees without disabilities to attend courses to build confidence in interacting and working with colleagues with disabilities. Between 2014 and 2021, about 600 organisations participated in training to learn skills on how to recruit and integrate persons with disabilities at their workplace.
SG Enable launched the Enabling Academy in May this year to provide more training and learning opportunities for persons with disabilities, and those in their network of support, such as employers. The Academy also offers complimentary toolkits and resources to support employers in their disability-inclusive hiring journey.
Together, these training programmes, training support and resources equip employers with the knowledge, skills and tools to provide feedback to their employees with disabilities and better support them to contribute and perform well at work.