Looking for a job can be a lonely and frustrating process.
Thankfully, help is available for persons with disabilities.
A key initiative at the Enabling Village – an integrated community space managed by SG Enable where people with different abilities can come together – is SG Enable’s Job Placement Job Support (JPJS) Programme. It works with three partners – the Autism Resource Centre (ARC). Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) and SPD.
These social service agencies are all co-located within the Information & Career Centre at the Enabling Village, making it easier for persons with disabilities to receive effective service.
The programme is a comprehensive service that matches jobseekers to suitable employers, and provides job skills training and on-job support.
Here’s how it works:
Screening & Referral
After a request for employment assistance is received, SG Enable will first check if basic eligibility criteria are met. SG Enable’s services support jobseekers who have physical disabilities, sensory disabilities such as visual or hearing impairment, intellectual disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder.
Application documents required are those that show proof of the disability, such as medical documents or a membership with registered disability groups.
SG Enable will then refer the persons with disabilities to the appropriate programme partners.
Assessment
To make a suitable job referral, specialists from the JPJS partners will work with the jobseeker to understand his or her strengths, job interests and skills, so as to plan his or her career pathway with options and goals. These specialists could include occupational therapists, job coaches and psychologists.
The assessments may include interviews with medical health professionals and caregivers to better understand the profile of the jobseeker.
A job coach will then be assigned to help the jobseeker secure a job. Some jobseekers may be recommended to go for training first to improve their job-readiness and employability.
Training
Jobseekers can explore a holistic suite of training opportunities with SG Enable to enhance their employability. The courses range from essential vocational skills such as human resources and digital marketing to soft skills such as communication and interpersonal skills.
Training courses offered by SG Enable’s training partners can be found here.
Placement & Support
A job coach from the JPJS partner will work with the jobseeker to identify suitable job opportunities and refer him or her to prospective employers. The job coach will be able to advise on the suitability of the specific job tasks, accessibility of the workplace, and recommend assistive technology solutions if needed.
Once a suitable job match is found, the job coach will guide and facilitate the jobseeker through the employment process.
After the job is secured, the job coach will continue to provide up to one year of support to the successful jobseeker. This service is also available to a person with disability who is already employed and needs some help to ease into a new job.
The job coach will act as an intermediary between the person with disability and his or her new colleagues, regularly checking in to help him or her integrate into the workplace and build rapport with colleagues.
In one case, SG Enable and SPD worked with the Ministry of Manpower to make several workplace modifications so that its employment standards officer Nurul Nabilah Mohamad Fu’ad could be more independent and efficient at work.
SG Enable and SPD had earlier engaged Nabilah, who has a physical disability, to understand her needs.
For more information on the Job Placement Job Support programme, click here. SG Enable also offers other employment assistance programmes catered to persons with acquired disabilities; details can be found here.