Disability/Employment/Theory of Change

Click on each outcome in the Theory of Change to explore services, gaps and ideas.

To change anything in this page, feel free to contribute directly or to propose revisions and amendments in the Discussion page.

Theory of Change

Short-Term Outcomes (skills, knowledge, attitudes)		Mid-Term Outcomes (behaviours)		Long-Term Outcomes (impact)		Social Impact
PWDs and employers are aware of fair employment practices	→	PWDs can seek recourse against employment discrimination	→	PWDs are protected against unfair work practices	→	Disabled people can secure, retain and progress in their careers
Employers understand PWD capabilities	→	Employers are willing to hire PWDs	→	PWDs are best positioned to secure open/sheltered employment	→
Employers know how to accommodate PWDs' needs	→
Employers find it financially feasible to hire PWDs	→
PWDs fully understand their suitability for job options/career paths (strengths/preferences, managed expectations)	→
PWDs know about available job opportunities	→
PWDs acquire work skills (vocational, technical, soft, employability)	→	PWDs can apply work skills in actual settings	→

PWDs acquire work skills → PWDs can apply work skills in actual settings

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

PWDs can apply work skills in actual settings → PWDs are best positioned to secure open/sheltered employment

• 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

PWDs are best positioned to secure open/sheltered employment → Disabled people can secure, retain and progress in their careers

• Job placement and job support services can be linkedin to mainstream job agencies to access larger network of potential employers?
• Use a tiered quota system for hiring?

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
Public Service Career Placement (PSCP) Programme Provides job matching services for persons with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, physical impairment, hearing impairment and visual impairment who are interested to pursue a career in the public service sector. After placement, job support services will be provided.
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