SINGAPORE - Employers can do more to open up job opportunities for people with disabilities in sectors other than food and beverage, hotel or kitchens, said President Halimah Yacob.
People with disabilities, especially those with tertiary qualifications, are capable of much more, she said, and while many have mobility issues, their intellectual capacity is on a par with any other worker capable of doing complex jobs.
While employers in the healthcare sector, library service and banks are starting to employ people with disabilities, more can be done, she said.
The President was speaking at a masterclass on disability-inclusive hiring by human resource training centre Human Capital Singapore and SG Enable at the Istana on Wednesday. Twenty-three people with disabilities were recognised as HR administrators and 22 companies were honoured for being early adopters of this talent.
The companies include software company Kingsoft Corporation and online education platform Spark EdTech.
The 23 individuals pursued the HR Professional Skills Qualification (PSQ) programme, where they went through 576 hours of classroom training and practicum.
Five of them have been placed in shared services roles at the HR Powerbank, and five more are pending confirmation for employment in outsourced services.
The HR Powerbank, which was launched in 2021 as a surrogate employer for vulnerable groups, plans to train more than 20 HR administrators every year and facilitate their work placements.
Madam Halimah said people with disabilities may require adjustments in the workplace to help them move around or read the computer better. These adjustments are not costly and there are government schemes to help employers put them in place, as well as assistive technologies to help workers with disabilities.
She noted that there is government funding support for employers of persons with disabilities, such as wage offsets of up to 30 per cent through the Enabling Employment Credit for each Singaporean employee with disability earning below $4,000 per month.
The Government also defrays up to 90 per cent of the costs of workplace modifications and equipment to help companies accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities, under the Open Door Programme.
Madam Halimah said feedback from people with disabilities should be part of the Forward Singapore conversation on how to build a social compact that addresses the challenges they face, whether in education, employment or in accessing community facilities.
Caregivers, especially those taking care of loved ones with severe disabilities, should also get the support they need, she added.
“In essence, the question is what kind of society we want to build where people of all abilities can grow and live meaningful and fulfilling lives,” said Madam Halimah.
