IMPROVING EMPLOYABILITY

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.

Set up during the covid-19 pandemic, Sayang Sayang Fund raised $9.7m over three years, supporting over 400,000 lives
应疫情设立 Sayang Sayang基金三年筹970万元惠及40万人

Established in 2020 as an emergency response fund during the covid-19 pandemic, the Sayang Sayang Fund (SSF) raised $9,700,000 in three years, supporting over 276 organisations and touching over 401,000 lives. 互助团体Mum’s Collective主办康乐与交流活动，旨在为低收入家庭的母亲建立支援网络，去年获得Sayang Sayang基金的部分资助。（中南社区家庭服务中心提供） Established in 2020 as an emergency r

Supporting Disadvantaged Students: Assumption Pathway Academy

The Collective for a Stronger Society aims to uplift, enable and empower lower-income families, and one area of focus is education. Assumption Pathway School (APS) offers an alternative route for students who face barriers to completing mainstream secondary school education. As a specialised school, APS offers vocational programmes accredited by ITE, and foundation and character development programmes developed in collaboration with MOE.Ms Gan Hui Xin's life took a turn when she

FutureChina Global Forum: CFS CEO Advocates for the Integration of Philanthropy into Wealth Management Strategies

What is the civic responsibility of wealthy individuals and corporations?What are the ways they can include philanthropy in their wealth management strategies to create a lasting impact on society?These thought-provoking questions were discussed in a dynamic panel session titled “Strategic Philanthropy – Enabling Wealth for Lasting Impact” at the FutureChina Global Forum 2023, which was attended by over 800 business leaders. The panel comprised CFS CEO Ms Catherine Loh, M

a person in a mask mixing food in a mixer

Championing inclusive employment for youths with special needs

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 gui

a group of children sitting around a table with books

Shining a light on early childhood literacy

Our donors have long been a pillar of support for the charity SHINE Children and Youth Services, especially their Reading Odyssey. This programme builds reading skills and confidence in disadvantaged children. 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.While most children in Singapore are able to read when they start primary school, some have very l

Charitable Business professionals standing before a screen.

CFS Change Matters Series: Mens, Manus and Machina – How AI Empowers People, Institutions & the City in Singapore

Artificial intelligence (AI) will be a disruptive influence on society, for good as well as ill – and there is a duty to provide a sense of hope, upfront, that humans will be able to prevail.That was the core message of the inaugural CFS Change Matters Series talk, “Mens, Manus and Machina – How AI Empowers People, Institutions & the City in Singapore”. It was delivered on 21 June 2023 by Professor Jinhua Zhao, Associate Professor of Transportation and City Planning a

Four people in green shirts working on soil in a gardening project.

Four critical gaps in improving employability for all

A person in a wheelchair with much to give. A stay-at-home mum who misses working. An ex-offender who yearns for a second chance. A senior forced to retire early. These are some examples of people who want to work. They believe they can contribute to society. They also deserve the basic right to work and should not be denied from doing so.Yet, many of them face difficulties in securing decent jobs. In recent years, the gig economy opened up opportunities for individuals facing

A woman diligently operating a computer amidst the bustling environment of a factory, focused on her tasks.

Tertiary-educated adults with autism receive training for jobs in engineering sector

Tertiary-educated adults with autism are being trained and placed in jobs in the engineering sector under a new programme by research and technology non-profit organisation Trampolene.The Gates (Growing Autistic Talent for Engineering Sector) programme was started in May 2022, after research showed that people with autism have one of the lowest employment rates among people with disabilities. Read Next Those with tertiary qualifications also face underemploym

#MyGivingJourney X Ivy Tse: Going the distance for youths

In our #MyGivingJourney series, CFS features extraordinary women in Singapore and their efforts in philanthropy. This story features Ivy Tse, CEO at Halogen Foundation Singapore. At 35, Ivy Tse must be one of the youngest CEOs around. But the unassuming head of Halogen Foundation Singapore quips that she is more a “Chief Everything Officer”. In a day, her job can take her from fundraising to building partnerships to staff development – or even tackli