Mr Sam Tan, Minister of State for Social and Family Development,

Ms Denise Phua, Mayor, Central Singapore District,

Mr Chew Hock Yong, Chairman, SG Enable,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning. I am glad to join you here at the SG Enable Training and Career Fair today. The Fair represents our commitment to build a society where persons with disabilities are recognised, empowered, and given every opportunity to achieve their fullest potential, and in particular, their employment potential.

This is a continuation of the hard work by the Government, who has been putting in place several initiatives under the Enabling Masterplans to promote inclusive hiring over the years. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a few of them. In 2012, the Special Employment Credit was extended to support employers that hire Singaporeans with disabilities. The Open Door Programme launched in 2014 provided employers with access to recruitment and job support services for persons with disabilities, as well as grants for job redesign and training. The School-to-Work Transition Programme, which supports Special Education (SPED) students in their transition from school to employment, was extended in phases over 2017 and 2018, and has been rolled out in all SPED schools this year.

Earlier this year in March, Minister of State Sam Tan and Mayor Denise Phua formed a multi-sectoral workgroup under the Enabling Masterplan, to better facilitate employment for persons with disabilities. They are in the midst of consulting various stakeholders on this. In July, Minister Desmond Lee announced the launch of a pilot that makes it easier for businesses to receive direct allocation of HDB shop space if they hire inclusively. In addition, campaigns such as “See The True Me” which started in 2016 by the National Council of Social Service, help the wider community to look beyond disabilities and focus on the unique strengths that each individual brings to the table. These were concrete steps put in place to enhance the employability of persons with disabilities.

However, there is still room for us to improve, and do even better. The effort to empower persons with disabilities has to go beyond what the Government can do alone. 

To this end, I have designated the theme of empowering persons with disabilities as the key focus for President’s Challenge (PC) 2020. Through this, I hope that we, as a society, can do more to support persons with disabilities in their employment journey and integration into the wider community. Recently, the Ministry of Manpower released data for 2018 showed that almost three in 10 persons with disabilities in the working ages of 15 to 64 were employed. This provides a clear baseline of where we stand, and how we can work together to improve the employment of persons with disabilities. PC2020 will bring us together as one people and one society, to push on this front in whatever way we can, big or small. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the public, private and people sectors, on efforts to expand training and employment options, enhance the employability of persons with disabilities, and promote inclusive hiring for the future economy. We will encourage and recognise innovative HR practices that help persons with disabilities in employment.

Research has shown that persons with disabilities who are employed lead more fulfilling and enriching lives. The effects of employment go a long way towards empowering persons with disabilities. Beyond providing a stable income, employment boosts confidence and contributes to sense of self-worth. Many persons with disabilities whom I meet also often share about how being employed helps them to maintain a positive mind-set, and allows them to pursue their passion and aspirations.

Indeed, the benefit of empowering persons with disabilities go even beyond the individuals.  With the right kind of support, persons with disabilities can also contribute to organisations and businesses, just as well as any other individual can or even more.  Supporting persons with disabilities in their employment journey changes the culture of the workplace, and in turn, the broader culture of society as a whole. We should have a more inclusive and supportive community, where differences in abilities are valued and embraced.

Platforms such as today’s SG Enable Training and Career Fair aim to achieve this same objective. I am glad that SG Enable has managed to bring in a wide variety of employers and training providers from different industries such as banking, IT, media, F&B, retail and hospitality, and the public sector. There will be more than 600 training places and 130 job vacancies on offer to persons with disabilities. The strong participation of various stakeholders at today’s Fair is a good reflection of their beliefs in the value employees with disabilities can bring to their organisations. With such a wide line-up of employers, I hope that all our jobseekers today will be able to find jobs that match their needs and aspirations. I also encourage everyone to look at what the training providers have to offer, as picking up new skills can help to expand your range of job options.

In closing, I would like to thank the employers and training providers who have supported this Fair. Inclusive hiring is a journey, and I hope that PC2020 can continue to empower persons with disabilities to achieve their fullest potential, where they can participate as integral members of society. Together, we can build a more inclusive Singapore. Thank you.