Written Answer to PQ on Support for employers of Singaporeans with special needs
NOTICE PAPER NO. 3031 OF 2024 FOR THE SITTING ON 9 SEP 2024
QUESTION NO. 6053 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER
MP: Mr Don Wee
To ask the Minister for Manpower in lieu of using of foreign worker quota adjustments as a lever to incentivise companies to hire special needs workers, what alternative measures are being considered to support companies that employ Singaporeans with special needs, particularly in managing operational challenges.
Answer:
There are several measures today that support companies that employ Singaporeans with special needs. The Open Door Programme (ODP) provides employers with up to one year of complimentary recruitment and job support services. SG Enable, the focal agency for disability and inclusion in Singapore, supports companies in adapting the job role and work environment to better suit persons with disabilities. The Job Redesign Grant under the ODP covers up to 90% of the cost of job redesign and workplace modifications for employees with disabilities. The ODP Training Grant provides course fee subsidies of up to 90% for courses such as SG Enable’s High Impact Recruitment and Employment workshops, which provide a comprehensive and structured training framework for employers hiring persons with disabilities. The Enabling Employment Credit, which was enhanced in 2023, provides wage support for employers to offset the cost of hiring persons with disabilities earning below $4,000 a month.
2. We encourage employers to tap on the various measures to support employment of persons with disabilities. The government will continue to review these measures to ensure that we can better support the employment of persons with disabilities and their employers.