EXISTING RESOURCES
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GAPS AND THEIR CAUSES
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POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
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SkillsFuture
- All Singaporeans aged 25 and above have S$500 in credit to take courses[57]
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Vocational Training in SPED Schools
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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[58]
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- EM3 has taken note of this: To scale up S2W programme so that more SPED school students can participate[3]
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Framework for Vocational Education
To guide the 19 SPED schools in designing a structured vocational education programme that includes vocational guidance, an assessment of students’ interests, preferences and strengths, and opportunities for structured and authentic work experiences to support development of work habits and skills.
Enabling Masterplan 3[59]
- MOE to work more closely with SPED schools to further strengthen vocational preparation for SPED students
- SG Enable, MSF and MOE to work with the community to strengthen and expand opportunities for vocational training and job placements
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Some SPED students have difficulty mastering job skills training even when approaching graduation/18 years old. Can they continue learning even after graduation?
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Allow SPED students to attend courses ad-hoc, even after graduation.
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SPED school graduates lack internship opportunities during their school-going years and a foothold in permanent employment. SPED schools and VWOs typically do this through their own contacts.
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Have a central coordinator that facilitates the internship process. What are the possible alternatives for students who are unsuccessful in an internship placement?
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Content taught in WSQ- and WPLN- certified courses may not always be understood, and skills learnt not retained and applied.
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Transition Planning Guide
(entitled Transition Planning For Living, Learning And Working - Making It Happen)
- Received by all SPED schools in 2017
- For SPED schools to help students with setting post-school goals; provides suggestions and templates on how schools and parents can prepare students for the transition process[60]
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Question: Are there channels available for teachers and parents to provide feedback on the transition planning process?
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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)
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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.
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Metta School’s C (Career) Programme
- For MID students between 13 and 16, preparing them for vocational skills training and/or employment
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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.
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Students in Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL) – Universities or Polytechnics
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IHL Internship Programme
- Provides internship opportunities for IH students with ASD, ID, PI and SI
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Rise Mentorship Programme
- 12-week programme where students are matched with business managers who provide mentoring in job interviews, resume writing skills etc.
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Non-Students/Adults with Disabilities
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Vocational Training
For post-primary school students, available at:
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BizLink Vocational Assessment Service
- Provides assessment to determine strengths and weaknesses in areas related to work capacity, exploration of job opportunities/training in social enterprises or Bizlink sheltered workshops, and disability-relation counselling/assistance.
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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
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Training Programmes
- Wide selection of courses to develop vocational skills
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ABLE Return-to-Work Programme
- Provides physical rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation, social support, training, return-to-work coordination and employment support.
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Hospital-to-Work Programme
- Provides persons with acquired disabilities with support and opportunities to overcome the challenges in gaining sustainable employment.
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SPD Employment Support Programme (ESP)
- Vocational training and employment planning for persons with permanent disabilities 16 years and above
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SPD Transition To Employment Programme (TTE)
- Aims to reintegrate people with acquired physical disabilities aged 18-60 back into the workforce
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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.
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Employability & Employment Centre (E2C) Programme
- Autism-specific pre-assessment, assessment, employability training, job placement and job support
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An individual with autism received vocational assistance from ARC; he paid $494 (after subsidy) for the vocational assessment but was deemed unemployable. However, he managed to secure a job later through his & his family’s efforts with Dignity Kitchen.
- ARC has responded to this.
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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.[5]
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Sheltered Workshops
- Offers employment or vocational training to adults with disabilities who do not possess the competencies or skills for open employment, allowing them to practice in jobs or tasks where the processes are either simple or broken down into simpler steps.
- 8 workshops as of 13 August 2018
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Gaps
- 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? Is there a group that needs support most?
- To consult/learn from Orana, Australia in this respect
- There is a lack of information on trends and relevance of industries that SPED schools usually train their students to enter. How are these industries projected to change? Will there be sufficient job opportunities available?
Questions
- To study European apprenticeship models to improve on vocational training and transition planning? Other countries?
- Are vocational assessments of strengths, job preferences and skills accessible and effective?
- Is there available statistical data on the number of SPED students who have:
- Secured jobs (private / public sector) or
- Are enrolled in organisations for further job training (sheltered workshop) immediately after graduation?
- Is there data that informs us of how these numbers change over the years?
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