PROVISION OF PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRAINING FOR PERSONS RETURNING TO WORK

Mrs Lim Hwee Hua asked the Minister for Trade and Industry to update the House on the status of proposed plans by the Government to provide pre-employment training or orientation for housewives and older persons seeking to return to work.

Mr Lee Yock Suan: The BACKtoWork (BTW) Programme was launched on 13th September 1996 to encourage economically inactive persons such as housewives and older persons to rejoin the workforce. It is a tripartite effort by MOL, PSB, SNEF and the NTUC.

The BTW programme was piloted over a six-month period from September 1996 to March 1997. The response has been encouraging. Some 1,900 housewives and retirees have registered to re-enter the workforce. Of these, 63% were housewives, 21% older persons and 15% were displaced workers. Of the 1,900, 700 have been successfully placed in companies. The number of participating companies has also increased from the initial 18 to 80.

Most companies provide orientation training to the re-entrants to help them build confidence, acquire communication skills and develop positive attitudes towards work and quality. To supplement this, PSB offers a Core Skills Training Programme. The SDF provides 100% grant for the programme. To date, more than 60 housewives and retirees have completed the course.

To further develop the BTW Programme for the next phase, an Advisory Committee was set up in September 1997. This Committee aims to identify the needs and constraints of housewives and older persons returning to work, encourage employers to offer innovative part-time and flexible employment schemes, including redesigning of jobs; and identify the incentives to attract the target group.