Speech at Launch of The Centres for Training and Integration @ Holiday Inn Orchard City Centre

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Manpower, Holiday Inn Orchard City Centre Singapore

1. Nine months ago in October 2009, I launched the Enhanced OPEN DOOR Fund to incentivise employers to create job opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs). I am heartened by the progress reported earlier by Shantha. Today I am pleased to join you for the launch of yet another initiative to help Persons with Disabilities, or PWDs, integrate into the workforce and our economy.
2. One of the key recommendations in the Enabling Masterplan for 2007 to 2011 called for the implementation of a value-chain employment framework to help PWDs to better achieve self reliance through work. The framework consists of several components; from vocational assessment, vocational training, job placement to job support.
3. To develop this framework, government ministries and agencies like the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Education, the National Council of Social Service and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, together with voluntary welfare organisations, the corporate sector and the Singapore National Employers Federation, have been making concerted efforts to leverage on each other’s strengths and expertise. Two workgroups were set up. One workgroup, chaired by MOE, looked into establishing prototype vocational training in Special Education Schools to prepare the students for employment upon graduation. The other workgroup, chaired by NCSS, looked into enhancing employment opportunities for PWDs.
4. Today’s launch of the new training initiative, the Centre for Training and Integration, or CTI, is part of the vocational training framework aimed at enhancing the employability and job readiness of PWDs. The CTIs provide specific skills training for PWDs from special education schools and voluntary welfare organizations, after which they will undergo on-the-job training.
   
   Two companies to pioneer the Centres for Training and Integration (CTIs)
5. I am happy to announce that two members of the EEN, namely Eureka Call Centre Systems and Holiday Inn Singapore, have been appointed to pioneer the CTIs in the call centre and hospitality sectors respectively. These two sectors have great potential to provide productive and sustainable job opportunities for PWDs. The two CTIs will provide pre-employment on-the-job-training for PWDs to enable them to fill vacancies in these sectors.
6. The efforts of both companies in integrating persons with disabilities into the workplace are most laudable. Eureka Call Centre Systems started its own initiative in 2007 to modify its call centre to facilitate employment of persons with disabilities. The initiative has since paid off with more than 10 PWDs having been trained and hired at the call centre since 2009. One such employee is Ms Tan Lee Juan, a Senior Call Agent. When she first started, she was only able to make around 30 appointments for their financial advisors in a month. After she went for training in outbound cold calling and objection handling, she became more proficient in securing cold call appointments. She is now able to double the appointments made in a month and has seen her salary almost doubled.
7. Holiday Inn Singapore employs persons with disabilities in many of their operations, from housekeeping, laundry to F&B services. Their endeavour started with Mr Edward Wong who first joined Holiday Inn Singapore as a runner in the housekeeping department in 1989. Through hard work and self-motivation to learn and improve, he has been promoted to a houseman and recognized for his service excellence for several years. Holiday Inn Singapore has gone on to work with the Delta Senior School since 2003 to jointly formulate the basic Housekeeping Certificate for their students aspiring to develop careers in the hospitality sector.
8. With the appointment of the two CTIs, more persons with disabilities can be equipped with relevant vocational skills through on-the-job training and become contributing members of the workforce. The 2 CTIs aim to train at least 150 persons with disabilities for the 2 sectors by year 2013.
   
   Conclusion
9. Finally, I would like to congratulate Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre and Eureka Call Centre Systems Pte Ltd on their appointment under the CTI initiative for better integration of persons with disabilities into the workforce. I commend both companies for taking up the pioneering mantle and encourage more companies to support the efforts of the CTIs and offer employment opportunities for the trained persons with disabilities. This will enable more of them to not only contribute to the economy, but also attain self-reliance through employment and integrate more fully into society.
10. Thank you.