Disability/Employment

Overview & Synopsis

Singapore’s PWD employment rate is at among the lowest in developed societies.

Knowledge Gaps

There is currently no representative statistic for number of disabled people in Singapore → to watch 2020 population census (n = 150,000).

There is no knowledge of retention rates/duration of disabled people in their various jobs.

Key Statistics & Figures

Numbers of PWDs who can potentially enter workforce

Close to 176,000 disabled people are of working age.

Employment Rate of PWDs

According to The Straits Times, five in 100 disabled people are estimated to be employed.

The Government has noted that three in 10 PWDs aged 15 to 64 are in employment.

Breakdown of employment rates in the group:

• 27.6 per cent for those aged 15 to 39
• 37.8 per cent for those between 40 and 49
• 26.1 per cent for those between 50 and 64
• 5.9 per cent for those who are 65 and older.

The sectors employing most of these people are community, social and personal services, food services, administrative and support services, and manufacturing. Together, they account for more than half of workers with disabilities.

Persons with disabilities comprised about 0.55% of the resident labour force. Most go into hospitality, F&B, wholesale and retail/admin support, with a median monthly income of $1,000 - $2,800.

• SG Enable has placed more than 1,200 PWDs in jobs within the past three years, in the retail, F&B, IT and other sectors. 
• PWDs comprise 0.55% of the resident labour force. Median monthly gross wage ranged from $1,000 to $2,800. 
• According to MOM data, more than 25% of PWDs aged 15 to 64 are employed
  • The sectors employing most of these people are community, social and personal services, food services, administrative and support services, and manufacturing. Together, they account for more than half of workers with disabilities.
  • 27.6 per cent of PWDs are employed, for those aged 15 to 39
  • 37.8 per cent for those between 40 and 49
  • 26.1 per cent for those between 50 and 64
  • 5.9 per cent for those who are 65 and older.
• 8,600 estimated to be employed in the public and private sector in 2017.

Theory of Change

Key Thrusts

1. Engaging & Equipping Employers
2. Job Matching & Placement
3. Training & Work Readiness
4. Continuing Career Development
5. Employment Protection

Employers understand PWD capabilities	↘
Employers know how to make workplace accommodations	→	Employers are willing to hire	↘
Employers find it financially feasible to hire	↗
		Employers & PWDs are matched	→	PWDs secure jobs	→	PWDs treated fairly at work & have career development
		PWDs are work ready	↗

Areas of Needs

Employers understand value PWD capabilities

• Study by Kathy Charmaz on workplace disclosures, for reference
• CNA podcast (10 May 2019) on whether Singapore uses Charity lens when supporting employment for people with disabilities 

Programmes	Gaps	Ideas
Inclusive Business Networks & Seminars Inclusive Business Forum (IBF) Singapore Business Network on Disability		Can there be more opportunities to dialogue with employers or partners such as WSG/MOM, such that the process may be more institutionalised/supported?
Disability education training for employers and co-workers of PWDs DPA Disability Awareness Talks Society Staples training for employers SPD Disability Etiquette Talks APSN Employer Education Workshops	PWDs continue to face discrimination in the workplace: see 2015 study by DPA and this DPA-IPS 2016-2017 participatory research	Speak to training attendees to assess efficacy of current training avenues.  Focus on practical strategies to communicate with colleagues with disabilities, rather than generic education. Encourage hiring managers to share their fears/stereotypes about hiring PWDs — this should be a standard part of companies’ disability education training, and official HR curricula in Singapore. Make it mandatory for co-workers working together with the PWD, HR and management-level staff to attend disability education training. Conduct research/collect data on disabled employees who were terminated or had to leave because employers did not accommodate their needs. Consider a rotational buddy system for disabled employees, to reduce buddy fatigue and allow co-workers to understand their PWD colleague better
SG Enable employer resources   Resources that assist employers in understanding, communicating and working with PWDs.	Employer’s misconceptions and false assumptions about the abilities of those with disabilities (only a handful of them are educated in SPED schools and do not have the necessary skills and credentials to obtain high-wage, high-skill jobs) [Need evidence] Limited effectiveness because it is hard to change employers' attitudes	Public education campaigns highlighting the strengths and abilities of those with disabilities and more career fairs for PWDs

Inclusive Business Networks & Seminars

Inclusive Business Forum (IBF) and “Fostering Inclusion At The Workplace” Seminar

• Inaugural IBF held in 2016 , second round on 25 Jul 2018
• Inaugural seminar held in 2017
• Inform businesses of the benefits of hiring PWDs and encourage more employers to hire PWDs 

Singapore Business Network on Disability

• Community of businesses in Singapore across various industries who work in collaboration to share (as appropriate) expertise, experience, networks and resources to help advance the equitable inclusion of persons with disabilities
• Started in May 2015 with AIG, Barclays, Dairy Farm, Deutsche Bank, EY, KPMG, Singtel, Standard Chartered

Employers know how to make workplace accommodations

Programmes	Gaps	Ideas
SG Enable-hosted Employer Resources   Resources that assist employers in understanding, communicating and working with PWDs.  Includes a Starter Kit, a Job Redesign Guide by MOM and SG Enable, Disability Etiquette Guides and HR matters guide/training to support disabled employees	Companies and their HR remain non-diversity ready [need data/evidence] [Anecdotal evidence by an in-service professional of more than 10 years - key comments that he always gets from employers: 1. "We don't know how to manage his/her behaviours or risk harm to himself/herself and others" 2. "Our staff is fearful and not very confident in working with them” 3. "What should we say or do when this or that situation happens"]
Singapore Business Network on Disability Community of businesses in Singapore across various industries who work in collaboration to share (as appropriate) expertise, experience, networks and resources to help advance the equitable inclusion of persons with disabilities Started in May 2015 with AIG, Barclays, Dairy Farm, Deutsche Bank, EY, KPMG, Singtel, Standard Chartered
Disability education training for employers and co-workers of PWDs DPA Disability Awareness Talks Society Staples training for employers SPD Disability Etiquette Talks APSN Employer Education Workshops	PWDs continue to face discrimination in the workplace: see 2015 study by DPA and this DPA-IPS 2016-2017 participatory research	Speak to training attendees to assess efficacy of current training avenues.  Focus on practical strategies to communicate with colleagues with disabilities, rather than generic education. Encourage hiring managers to share their fears/stereotypes about hiring PWDs — this should be a standard part of companies’ disability education training, and official HR curricula in Singapore. Make it mandatory for co-workers working together with the PWD, HR and management-level staff to attend disability education training. Conduct research/collect data on disabled employees who were terminated or had to leave because employers did not accommodate their needs. Consider a rotational buddy system for disabled employees, to reduce buddy fatigue and allow co-workers to understand their PWD colleague better

Employers find it financially feasible to hire

Programmes	Gaps	Ideas
Enabling Employment Credit (EEC) - Announced but not yet in place Will provide a wage offset of up to 20 per cent of the employee’s monthly income, capped at a maximum of S$400 a month and provided the disabled employee earns less than S$4,000 a month. This is said to cover "about 4 in 5 of current PwD employees." In addition, employers hiring PwDs who have not been working for at least six months will receive an additional 10% wage offset, capped at $200 per month, for the first 6 months of employment. Replaces the Special Employment Credit scheme, which subsidised 16% of eligible PWD employees' monthly income up to $240 per month, max 22% and up to $330 a month if the hired employee is a disabled + older worker 67 and above.	This EEC "carries the implication that disabled people are limited to taking up lower-paid jobs" when in reality" more disabled people are obtaining degrees and striving for professionals, managers and executive roles" - thus "some employers may only consider hiring a disabled person to fill a lower-paid position but not a higher-paid one". (by Jonathan Tiong)	Abolish the $4,000 monthly salary cap
Special Employment Credit (SEC) Extended to employers who hire PWDs in 2012 Subsidises 16% of eligible PWD employees' monthly income up to $240 per month, max 22% and up to $330 a month if the hired employee is a disabled + older worker 67 and above. As of December 2015, 4,500 employers received subsidies from the Special Employment Credit scheme for hiring 5,700 disabled workers. From 2012 to December 2016, $59 million in SEC credit has been disbursed to employers of about 10,000 PWDs WILL BE EXPIRING IN DEC'2020
Open Door Programme  Employers of PWDs eligible for grants and employment support services such as the Job Redesign Grant, Training Grant and other Recruitment and Job Support Services Since 2012, 140 companies have applied for ODP support. The average claim per company is $3000.  (NEW & TBC) Course fee subsidies will be raised from 90 per cent to 95 per cent for eligible training courses curated by SG Enable, while training allowance for both unemployed and employed PWDs will go up to S$6 per hour. A training commitment award of $100 per completed eligible training course will also be introduced.	Takeup rate is low, and many employers don’t know about the ODP despite its attractiveness. Listen to interview with DPA on CNA The Pulse 10 May episode.
Workfare Training Support (WTS) Scheme For Singaporean PWDs aged 13 and above and who don’t earn more than $2,000 a month, their employers can qualify for 95% course fee subsidy and absentee payroll funding when they sign employees up for any course approved for WTS-eligible courses	Accessing SkillsFuture training courses remain difficult for some. A blind individual with a Master’s degree in counselling called SG Enable asking for help to navigate available subsidies for training such as the WTS, but she was offered Sheltered Workshop training instead. [Need more data]

Employers & People with Disabilities are Matched

Assessment & matching

Ideally: PWDs understand their suitability for jobs and employers understand implications of hiring specific candidate

Vocational Assessment & Advisory

Programmes	Gaps	Ideas
BizLink Vocational Assessment Service Provides assessment for a disabled individual to determine strengths and weaknesses pertaining to work capacity Assist people with disabilities and/or special needs in exploring job opportunities and training Offer assistance and counselling to PWDs and/or their families on issues relating to disabilities or work-related issues
ARC Employability & Employment Centre (E2C) Programme Autism-specific pre-assessment, assessment, employability training, job placement and job support	An individual with autism received vocational assistance from ARC; he paid $494 (after subsidy) for the vocational assessment but was deemed unemployable, yet managed to secure a job later at Dignity Kitchen. Might hint at broader lack of job partnerships/opportunities in general
SG Enable — Job Advisory Job-readiness assessment by specialists such as occupational therapists/psychologists/employment coaches.

Job Search

Programmes	Gaps	Ideas
SG Enable - Job Advisory Job-readiness assessment by specialists such as occupational therapists/psychologists/employment coaches.
SG Enable —  Disability Employment Jobs Portal Job portal for PwDs to search for opportunities	Jobs listed on most job portals do not reflect if the hiring company is interested to employ PWDs. Career events are not always universally designed as well.	Employers can reflect if they are keen to employ PWDs, at career events, on job portals and other avenues.  Having a “ready-to-hire PWDs” mark would ease PWDs’ job search process.
ABLE Return to Work Programme Provides physical rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation, social support, training, return-to-work coordination and employment support
BizLink Vocational Assessment Service Provides assessment for a disabled individual to determine strengths and weaknesses pertaining to work capacity Assist people with disabilities and/or special needs in exploring job opportunities and training Offer assistance and counselling to PWDs and/or their families on issues relating to disabilities or work-related issues
SPD Employment Support Programme (ESP) Vocational training and employment planning for persons with permanent disabilities 16 years and above
SPD Transition To Employment Programme (TTE) Aims to reintegrate people with acquired physical disabilities aged 18-60 back into the workforce
ARC Employability & Employment Centre (E2C) Programme Autism-specific pre-assessment, assessment, employability training, job placement and job support
MINDS Employment Development Centres (EDCs) Provides vocational training for adults with intellectual disabilities aged 18 and above: Idea Employment Development Centre SIA-MINDS Employment Development Centre Woodlands Employment Development Centre

PWDs are work ready

Acquire work skills

Programmes	Gaps	Ideas
Transition & Vocational Training in SPED schools: list here	Some SPED students have difficulty mastering job skills training even when approaching graduation/18 years old.	Allow SPED students to attend courses ad-hoc, after graduation, taking into consideration income loss too.
	SPED school graduates lack internship opportunities during their school-going years. SPED schools and VWOs typically have to get their own contacts.	Have a central coordinator that facilitates the internship process, or have more opportunities to dialogue with partners like WSG/MOM.
	Skills taught in WSQ- and WPLN- certified courses may not always be retained, nor applied.	Study European apprenticeship models to improve on vocational training and transition planning.
	Because of job tracking, SPED graduates tend to lack information on job opportunities beyond their track, e.g., ex-student who worked in Coffee Bean switched to forklift driving.	Explore the feasibility of freelance/cottage industry labour, evergreen sectors like waste management, funeral parlour work, and purposeful job re-designs. Remember to take into account caregiver perceptions and potential reservations, where relevant too.
	Lack of information on job opportunity and industry trends that SPED schools usually train their students to enter.	PWDs’ employability may be at risk in view of increasing automation and technological advancement. Can we equip them to work alongside technologies such as digital media, handheld tech, machines? Learn from Orana, Australia.
	SPED graduates tend to be pigeonholed into specific tracks/job roles which are mostly low-skilled.
Mountbatten Vocational School - ITE Skills Certificate (ISC) Students learn food preparation, F&B serving and housekeeping operations over two years and are awarded the ISC upon completion
Metta School’s Vocational Certification Programme- Institute of Technical Education Skills Certificate (ISC) For eligible students 17 years old and above Offers ITE Skills Certification (ISC) upon completion, e.g., in Baking, Food Preparation and Housekeeping Operation (Accommodation)
Metta School’s Employment Pathway Programme (EPP) For MID and ASD programme students not on the Vocational Certification track Students will undergo vocational skills training, such as WSQ modules, Food and Hygiene courses, etc. and  job trials and on-the-job training Upon graduation, SG Enable will support these students with vocational training and support in identified suitable pathways such as supported employment, customized employment and internships.
Metta School’s C (Career) Programme For MID students between 13 and 16, preparing them for vocational skills training and/or employment
APSN Delta Senior School’s Vocational Certification Programme - Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) For students aged 17 to 21, in four areas: (1) Food Services; (2) Hotel and Accommodation Services; (3) Landscape Operations and (4) Retail Operations.
Sheltered Workshops Offer employment and/or vocational training to adults with disabilities who do not possess the competencies or skills for open employment. Currently 8 sheltered workshops run by APSN, Bizlink, CPAS, MINDS, SPD and Thye Hua Kwan at various centres
MINDS Employment Development Centres (EDCs) Provides vocational training for adults with intellectual disabilities aged 18 and above: Idea Employment Development Centre SIA-MINDS Employment Development Centre Woodlands Employment Development Centre MINDS regularly organises internships in industries as diverse as laundromats, supermarkets, hardware shops and car wash facilities in petrol stations for its clients starting from the age of about 16. By around age 19, some PWDs can be guided towards working in sheltered workshops that cater to them, doing work such as packing, retail, baking and making crafts. Others are placed in the general labour market, where they are mentored and supported by job coaches from Minds who ensure that they are not stressed in their new environment or check that they are able to take public transport to work.
Rise Mentorship Programme    12-week programme where students are matched with business managers who provide mentoring in job interviews, resume writing skills etc.
IHL Internship Programme  Provides internship opportunities for IH students with ASD, ID, PI and SI
CV Clinics by Singapore Business Network on Disability Business professionals provide CV/resume and interview advice, graduates with disabilities share experiences from their career journeys
Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore – Goodwill, Rehabilitation and Occupational Workshop (GROW) Sheltered workshop that provides vocational training and employment for adults with cerebral palsy or multiple disabilities.
Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped - Skills Development Programme Skills training courses to prepare and equip the visually handicapped for employment or general upgrading so that they could better integrate with the community. IT Skills Telemarketing Massage Training Learning to Play Musical Instruments Art and Craft
Down Syndrome Association – Adult Enhancement Programme
Training Courses at Continuing Education and Training (CET) Centres	There is a lack of knowledge of which courses (e.g., WSQ courses) are disability-friendly, or which Continuing Education and Training (CET) centres are conducive or accessible to PWDs (e.g. traveling to and within centres, sensory disturbances).	CET centres can consult relevant organisations to understand the considerations involved in ensuring that a venue is accessible (not just in the centre/building, but also getting there)
Training Programmes at SG Enable: list here

Apply in actual settings

• Government is looking to set up employment centres in residential neighbourhoods to train and offer jobs to PWDs - consider using HDB void decks or unwanted public buildings as training venues

Programmes	Gaps	Ideas
School-to-Work Transition Programme (S2W) Begins in the year of graduation and lasts for up to a year after Students with the potential to work identified by SG Enable and schools and matched to job training  24 in 30 students who joined S2W found a job, with 20 remaining employed for at least 6 months		EM3 has taken note of this: To scale up S2W programme so that more SPED school students can participate
ABLE Return to Work Programme Provides physical rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation, social support, training, return-to-work coordination and employment support
ARC Employability & Employment Centre (E2C) Programme Autism-specific pre-assessment, assessment, employability training, job placement and job support
SPD Employment Support Programme (ESP) Vocational training and employment planning for persons with permanent disabilities 16 years and above
Hospital-to-Work Programme Provides persons with acquired disabilities with support and opportunities to overcome the challenges in gaining sustainable employment.
SPD Transition To Employment Programme (TTE) Aims to reintegrate people with acquired physical disabilities aged 18-60 back into the workforce	Job coaches face difficulties in providing psychosocial support for those with acquired disabilities. Some PWDs have difficulty accepting their disabilities and the job coaches are not trained to provide psychosocial support to address these issues.
Sheltered Workshops Offer employment and/or vocational training to adults with disabilities who do not possess the competencies or skills for open employment. Currently 8 sheltered workshops run by APSN, Bizlink, CPAS, MINDS, SPD and Thye Hua Kwan at various centres

Fair Treatment & Career Development

Aware of fair employment practices, can seek recourse or have protections against discrimination and other unfair work practices

• Government favours promotional and educational approach; Laws may adversely affect businesses; Government wants to avoid market rigidity. Government’s view: kindness and compassion cannot be legislated. Nor can they be enforced. It follows, then, that moral suasion, raising public awareness and promoting civic consciousness are more realistic ways to bring about change.[1]
• Legislation is the way to change mindsets and attitudes because people are apathetic[2]

Programmes	Gaps	Ideas
Guidelines by Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) for fair employment practices Singapore adopts promotional and educational methods to prevent discrimination of PWDs at the workplace  Job seekers or employees who encounter discrimination due to their disability may approach TAFEP for assistance	TAFEP Guidelines is not strictly binding; lack bite; no legal recourse [Need data/evidence on efficacy of TAFEP claims] [Comment from an autistic man working in open employment: 1) in today's employment landscape where more than 50% employers value soft skills over hard skills, autistics are at a disadvantage because that is one inherent weakness for us. Whereas physical disabilities doesn't interfere with social skills (though of course there are other challenges they face). 2) It is less clear on what constitutes discrimination. E.g. if an employer doesn't hire a deaf person because the job requires answering phone calls (that is not discrimination) VS an employer doesn't hire a deaf person to do a desk-bound job that requires computer usage (that is discrimination, if the employer didn't assess him/her holistically and just wrote him/her off BECAUSE he/she is deaf). However, for autistics, due to the nature of our challenges, and the fact that soft skills cannot be totally avoided in the workplace, the line is blur on what is discrimination and what is not]	Anti-discrimination laws and/or ombudsman body together with public education. [Existing legislation we can study, adapt and adopt from are the Americans with Disabilities Act, the United Kingdom’s Equality Act and Australia’s Disability Discrimination Act, which are regarded as being the gold standard.
Employment Act	Employment Act - no legal recourse for offenders