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Improving Employability: Creating Opportunities for All
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Improving Employability: Creating Opportunities for All

In Singapore’s vibrant economy, employment is a key driver of social mobility and well-being. However, some groups face unique challenges in securing and maintaining meaningful work. At the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS), we recognise the importance of creating pathways to employment for all members of our community. Through strategic partnerships and innovative programmes, CFS is working to enhance employability and open doors of opportunity for those who need it most.

Group photo: The team behind Bettr Academy and Assumption Pathway School, empowering individuals through skills training and support

In Singapore’s vibrant economy, employment is a key driver of social mobility and well-being. However, some groups face unique challenges in securing and maintaining meaningful work. At the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS), we recognise the importance of creating pathways to employment for all members of our community. Through strategic partnerships and innovative programmes, CFS is working to enhance employability and open doors of opportunity for those who need it most.

We invited donors to Bettr Group’s new space to learn more about three impactful initiatives offered by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), Bettr Group, and Assumption Pathway School (APS). These initiatives are making a positive impact on the lives of Singapore citizens and residents by promoting skills development, workplace inclusion, and supportive environments.

Uplifting Lower-Income Families: The ComLink+ Progress Package on Employment by MSF

The Collective for a Stronger Society seeks to empower lower-income families living in rental flats through multiple domains of support

The ComLink+ Progress Package on Employment by MSF is designed to help lower-income families in Singapore achieve financial stability and social mobility. Through financial support and dedicated family coaches, the programme fosters stable employment and creates a foundation for long-term economic independence. This holistic approach addresses the financial challenges faced by these families and empowers them to achieve self-reliance and improved quality of life, ultimately contributing to a stronger and more resilient society.

This programme is part of the Collective for a Stronger Society initiative by CFS, which aims to offer a coordinated series of cross-sector programmes and initiatives to uplift, enable, and empower lower-income families.

Ensuring No Student is Left Behind: Stepping Stones Programme by Assumption Pathway School

Mr Stephen Chin, Principal of Assumption Pathway School, shares a moment of joy and reflection with graduates of the Stepping Stones Programme.

The Stepping Stones Programme by Assumption Pathway School (APS) provides skills training and employment pathways for those who fail their Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). This six-year programme equips students with the essential skills and knowledge needed for stable employment. The curriculum includes literacy, numeracy, health and fitness, baking, culinary arts, facility services, hospitality services, and co-curricular activities (CCA). The first four years focus on building confidence and character through foundational vocational skills, while the final two years offer advanced vocational training and work-study opportunities, preparing students who are unable to progress to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) for the workforce.

Eriq, a beneficiary of the APS Stepping Stones Programme, reflected on his journey. “I was one of the most troublesome students at APS. There was a point when I nearly dropped out because my attendance was so poor,” he admitted. However, with the support and encouragement from APS teachers, he realised the need for change. 

“In my third year, I recognised that I couldn’t keep going down the same path. I was dealing with many family issues, and my teachers were always there to listen. Gradually, I started attending school regularly and noticed improvements in my performance.” Eriq joined APS in 2018 and, after overcoming these challenges, successfully graduated this year. He is now enrolled in ITE. 

The Stepping Stones Programme profoundly impacts students like Eriq, especially those from lower-income families. By providing structured pathways for skills training and employment, the programme keeps at-risk students engaged in education, helps them develop essential life skills, and overcome socio-economic barriers, leading to better life outcomes.

This programme is also part of the Collective for a Stronger Society initiative by CFS.

Empowering Vulnerable Youths and Mothers: The Bettr Holistic Training Programme

Ms Tay Suyin, Assistant Director at Bettr Academy, reflects on the ongoing support received from CFS over the years and how the Bettr Holistic Training Programme has positively impacted their beneficiaries.

The Bettr Holistic Training Programme is supported by the Community Foundation of Singapore’s LIFT Community Impact Fund. It supports disadvantaged individuals, including youths and young mothers. The comprehensive training includes coffee-making and F&B skills, mental and emotional resilience, physical fitness, and employment readiness, culminating in a 7-week work experience with employment partners.

Inarah, a beneficiary of the programme, struggled with anxiety and depression during her early teens, which impacted her school life. Encouraged by a friend, she decided to try working as a barista and joined the Bettr Holistic Training Programme. “The programme helped me build confidence and learn to express myself. If not for Bettr, I wouldn’t be able to speak up and share my journey like I’m doing today,” she said. Now, Inarah is a cheerful and welcoming presence at The Social Space, thriving both professionally and personally. Her story is a testament to the life-changing impact of the Bettr Holistic Programme, which continues to empower individuals like her to overcome their challenges and build a brighter future.

Join Us in Creating Opportunities for All

CFS is committed to improving employability and creating opportunities for our community. By supporting programmes like the ComLink+ Progress Package on Employment, the Assumption Pathway School Stepping Stones Programme, and the Bettr Holistic Training Programme, we can make a tangible difference to the lives of marginalised individuals and families.

We invite you to join us in this important work. Whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading the word about these initiatives, your support can help us continue to create pathways to employment and build a more equitable and prosperous future for all.

Get in touch: https://cf.org.sg/contact/get-in-touch/

News

The Business Times: New fund to help Singapore’s marginalised groups land jobs

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By Rachel Mui

The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS), which is a non-profit organisation, on Thursday said it has launched a new fund to raise the participation of marginalised groups in Singapore’s workforce.

Among other things, the Lift (Learning Initiatives for Employment) Community Impact Fund will support programmes that provide vocational training for marginalised individuals, and place them in jobs in the open market, CFS said.

These programmes are targeted at four marginalised groups – persons with disabilities, persons recovering from mental illnesses, disadvantaged women, as well as youths-at-risk – with a focus on helping them navigate and overcome barriers to securing sustained employment.

This will be done via equipping them with both hard and soft skills for obtaining jobs in the food and beverage industry, with the possibility of including more sectors in the future, CFS added.

Said Joyce Teo, deputy chief executive officer at CFS: “Marginalised groups have largely been excluded from the labour market because of various stereotypes, stigmas and prejudices. This often leads to economic and social vulnerability that follows them for life. We hope to pilot new pathways to help the vulnerable make a living, improve their self-esteem and become more involved in society.

“Lift meets this need in a holistic manner by concurrently providing participants with technical training, social support and job coaching to help them manage socio-emotional and financial stressors while they learn and work. Ultimately, the aim is to help them get and stay employed with the help of the community.”

The fund aims to support an initial 90 participants with a total of 12,600 hours of WSQ-certified (workforce skills qualifications) vocational training, as well as 5,400 hours of job matching, job placement and on-the-job coaching support.

This works out to an average of 140 hours of vocational training, and 60 hours of post-training support for each participant. During the training phase, participants will also receive social support from charity partners to minimise or resolve family and/or other issues that may otherwise derail their learning, CFS noted.

Potential participants will first be identified and referred by the Institute of a Public Character charities, and then assessed in terms of attitude, aptitude as well as potential for employment.

Successful candidates will then be trained by one of two social enterprises working alongside CFS as programme providers – Project Dignity will train participants for kitchen and service jobs, while Bettr Barista will train participants to be baristas.

Both companies will also provide job attachment opportunities during the training phase.

CFS aims for around 65 per cent of its participants to complete the training, and for about 60 per cent of graduates to be successfully placed into employment for at least three months. To track the efficacy of these initiatives, programme providers will also, where possible, keep in touch with participants for up to two years, CFS said.

While an anchor donor has been secured to seed the Lift Community Impact Fund, CFS is now looking to raise additional funds to cover the estimated S$528,000 required to support the programmes for these marginalised groups.

Potential donors who wish to contribute to Lift may visit Giving.sg, or write to CFS at contactus@cf.org.sg for more information. Read more.

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The competition was organised by City Harvest Community Services Association and received support from FUN! Fund, a Community Impact Fund jointly established by the Community Foundation of Singapore and the Agency for Integrated Care, with the aim of addressing social isolation among the elderly.

Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of National Development Mr Tan Kiat How attended the event. He encouraged the elderly to stay physically and mentally well, as well as urging them to participate in community activities and enjoy their golden years together.

Learn more about FUN! Fund at https://www.cf.org.sg/fun-fund/.

 

The programme provides the children with a non-threatening platform to connect with peers and have positive conversations. In addition, it exposes them to different people who can assist to broaden their perspectives.

L.S., a volunteer with the Reading Odyssey programme @ Spooner Road

中心“常胜将军”胡锦盛:比赛限时反应要快

现年92岁的胡锦盛是最年长的参赛者。自2017年退休后,他几乎每天都到活跃乐龄中心报到,从此爱上了玩拉密,每次可玩上三个小时,在中心是“常胜将军”。

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News

Cellist wins Goh Soon Tioe Award

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2015 winner, cellist Theophilus Tan

Theophilus Tan is the first cellist to clinch the Centenary Award since it was established in 2011. Cellist Theophilus Tan started piano lessons at the age of seven but was never very enthusiastic about classical music. But through a combination of emotional support from his secondary school teacher mother, strict discipline from his pastor father and from listening to his father’s collection of CDs by Russian violinist Jascha Heifetz, he fell in love with classical music. Read more.

Speaking after the association’s annual general meeting at Kallang Netball Centre on Friday, Liang-Lin, a fund manager for a US$7 billion (S$9.5 billion) firm focused on green real estate investments in Asia, hopes to bring her expertise to the table and increase the amount of financial support for Singapore netball during her four-year term.

The 53-year-old took over from Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jessica Tan, who has been the association’s president since 2012. Tan had reached the end of her tenure, which saw the national team make several breakthroughs, including a gold medal at the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore.

Liang-Lin holds various appointments such as being Singapore’s representative to the G20 for Women appointed by the Ministry of Finance. She is also a board member of the Community Foundation of Singapore, which promotes philanthropy through facilitating the establishment of charitable funds.

She said: “One of the things that is overlooked when we look at philanthropy and fundraising is that sport is not really part of the things that people will automatically think about.

“Less than one per cent of the funds that we raise in the Community Foundation goes to sport. The values that sport brings need to be amplified more, so that corporates… see the need to support sport. I think that link needs to be stronger so that we get not just more corporate sponsors, but also they can come in for longer periods of time.”

While national agency Sport Singapore provides funding to netball, corporates can also do their part, she added.

She said: “If we play our cards correctly, we can get corporates to come in and hopefully support them, to see the wider purpose of sport and bring the nation together.”

She also hopes the association can be proactive in looking for financial support, adding: “We must work more strategically with governing bodies on educating corporates on the importance of really supporting sport.”

The former netball player also made references to the recent Women’s World Cup for football, noting the “ability for a game that focuses on women in the sport to bring global attention”.

She said: “I want that kind of trajectory of the limelight going to women’s sport. I think that is a trend that will continue, and I hope that netball will be part of that trend.”

Meanwhile, Tan was satisfied that she has achieved the three objectives she had set out to do when she came on board – to improve quality of play, build a fan base and create an ecosystem which involves coaches and players.

The 57-year-old added: “As much as I do feel sad about having to step down, but at the same time, leadership renewal is very important.

“I think Trina will help to galvanise the team together, and bring a lot of new perspectives and quality to the association.”

Join us in making an impact on Singapore sports scene! Reach out to us for more information.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction

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The competition was organised by City Harvest Community Services Association and received support from FUN! Fund, a Community Impact Fund jointly established by the Community Foundation of Singapore and the Agency for Integrated Care, with the aim of addressing social isolation among the elderly.

Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of National Development Mr Tan Kiat How attended the event. He encouraged the elderly to stay physically and mentally well, as well as urging them to participate in community activities and enjoy their golden years together.

Learn more about FUN! Fund at https://www.cf.org.sg/fun-fund/.

 

The programme provides the children with a non-threatening platform to connect with peers and have positive conversations. In addition, it exposes them to different people who can assist to broaden their perspectives.

L.S., a volunteer with the Reading Odyssey programme @ Spooner Road

中心“常胜将军”胡锦盛:比赛限时反应要快

现年92岁的胡锦盛是最年长的参赛者。自2017年退休后,他几乎每天都到活跃乐龄中心报到,从此爱上了玩拉密,每次可玩上三个小时,在中心是“常胜将军”。

Picture of admin bluecube
admin bluecube

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.

Stories Of Impact

Championing inclusive employment for youths with special needs

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For more than 10 years, CFS donors have supported the Metta Welfare Association and its trailblazing Metta Café through the Work Readiness Programme, which equips youths with special needs with the vocational and soft skills they need for the workplace. CFS is commemorating 15 years of giving and this story is one of a three-part series that highlights the strong relationships CFS has fostered with charities over the years.

I am grateful to my trainers for guiding me along patiently. I’ve learnt many things here and I hope to become a baker one day.

Toh Ming Yi hopes to become a baker one day. The 26-year-old is an apprentice at Metta Café. Under the guidance of patient teachers, he is learning to make cookies, muffins and other baked goods. He is also picking up valuable and complementary life skills like managing money and communicating with customers, which will help him in the working world. 

Like the other Metta School graduates with mild intellectual disability and/or autism who work at this inclusive café, cheerful Ming Yi has the right support to help make his dreams come true.

Building a long and fulfilling relationship

Metta Café is part of Metta Welfare Association (MWA), a charity set up in 1992 which has uplifted countless lives of those with special needs. The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) has had a long and valuable relationship with MWA since 2011. To date, CFS donors have generously contributed over $736,000 to MWA and have been a pillar of support for Metta Café’s Work Readiness Programme.  

CFS’ continued support has enabled us to continue empowering more individuals in need. Besides equipping our youths with life skills that will better facilitate their integration into society, we were also able to fund programmes that develop social and communication skills to increase their employment opportunities.

Felicia Wee, Deputy Executive Director

Creating employment opportunities through the Work Readiness Programme

The Work Readiness Programme provides apprenticeship opportunities, on-the-job training, job attachments, life-skills training, internship training and open employment to young adults with special needs to prepare them to contribute to the workforce. 

Initially offered solely to Metta School graduates, the programme has delivered such positive outcomes that students with special educational needs from other institutes such as the Institution of Higher Learning and the Institute of Technical Education also seek out internships at Metta Café. 

In 2020, the café became a WSQ In-house Approved Organisation to conduct the Food Safety Level 1 certification. This enables a wider range of participants to upgrade their skills, creating greater inclusiveness and opportunities for them in society. 

Metta Café’s Work Readiness Programme resonates with CFS as it is designed to improve employability, one of our key focal areas for grant making. We look for causes that empower marginalised job seekers to become contributing members of society. This can be through education, exposure to career pathways or advocating for more inclusivity.

CFS has been giving out grants to the programme since it began in 2016 and this enduring support has enabled Metta Café to increase its apprenticeship numbers.

“We value CFS as our long-term partner,” says Felicia Wee, Deputy Executive Director of MWA. “Their donors’ contributions to MWA have been significant. With their collective support, we have been able to help more youths with special needs maximise their potential.”

Encouraging long-term support through legacy giving

More recently, CFS and Metta have been working closely to encourage more legacy giving. Legacy gifts are planned future gifts such as bequests of assets or memorial funds, which offer a more sustainable and reliable source of fundraising for charities. It also opens up ways for donors to create an impact well beyond their lifetime.

With guidance from CFS, Metta has been actively engaging donors on its long-term plans and accepting all forms of legacy gifts including CPF and insurance nominations.

We are proud to maintain a long-term relationship with Metta and are committed to working with other like-minded charities to bring greater impact to youth with special needs under the CFS cause Improving Employability.

CFS is celebrating our anniversary throughout 2023—15 years of empowering donors to make a meaningful impact. Since our inception in 2008, we have received over S$292 million in donations in Singapore and disbursed over S$157 million in grants to over 400 charity partners.  

To discover how you can make a difference, please visit www.cf.org.sg/contact-us/get-in-touch/. 

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The New Age Parents: Interview With Leading Foundation Teacher Award Winners Jenny Tan And Chen Yit Toun

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One has been an early childhood educator for over a decade, while the other works with children with special needs. TNAP speaks to two early childhood educators on the biggest misconception people have about their jobs and what inspires them. Read more.

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