Istana Open House features inclusive employment for the first time

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse Jane Ittogi speaking to Fathima Zohra, an inclusive employment recruiter at social enterprise Inclus, at the Istana open house on Nov 1.

Published Nov 01, 2026, 05:00 PM

Updated Nov 01, 2026, 05:00 PM

The Istana Open House highlighted inclusive hiring for the first time, with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Jane Ittogi meeting employers and groups supporting jobseekers.

SBF Foundation said EmployWell has helped over 2,700 people since 2022, with more than 1,250 finding jobs; it raised over $1 million at the charity walk.

The event also added live narration for the changing of guards ceremony and a ReadSG reading space, alongside music and cultural acts.

SINGAPORE - Inclusive employment for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups took centre stage at the Istana open house , which was held on Nov 1 ahead of Deepavali.

It was the first time the open house - usually focused on live performances and family-friendly activities - had showcased such efforts.

At the event, visitors learnt more about the communities in need of help, as well as the employment barriers faced by such jobseekers.

Also present were President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife Jane Ittogi, who interacted with community organisations and inclusive employers who had set up booths there.

These included social enterprise Inclus, which helps persons with disabilities gain meaningful employment, and New Hope Community Services, which provides shelter and employment support for the disadvantaged.

New Hope, for instance, worked with two hotels - Novotel Singapore on Stevens and Mercure Singapore on Stevens - to secure employment for disadvantaged individuals.

Leslie Lenus, who is area director of people and culture at both hotels, said rather than searching for the perfect candidate, the hotels started from what each role requires, and matched it to individuals’ strengths.

They also broke roles into clear, manageable tasks, and provided structured onboarding, consistent routines, and regular guidance from supervisors and peers.

“Inclusive hiring does not mean lowering standards. Inclusive hires are held to the same expectations for performance and service,” he added.

The community marketplace at the Istana was organised by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) Foundation, the social impact arm of SBF .

Yap Su-Yin, the foundation’s chief executive, said: “For some individuals, the barriers to employment begin long before they reach the job interview, and may continue after they are hired.”

Visitors taking part in activities at the community marketplace organised by the Singapore Business Federation Foundation during the Istana open house on Nov 1. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Visitors taking part in activities at the community marketplace organised by the Singapore Business Federation Foundation during the Istana open house on Nov 1.

Jobseekers might be rough sleepers, distressed women facing family challenges, or those recovering from mental health conditions. All these groups could benefit from tailored coaching, skills preparation, confidence-building and support to navigate the job market, she added.

“Employers, in turn, may need guidance to redesign roles, adapt workplace practices and support employees as they settle into work. These are areas where collaboration between businesses and community organisations can make a real difference”, said Yap, who is also the federation’s chief social sustainability officer.

Earlier in the day, the President - who is also the patron of SBF Foundation - flagged off the EmployWell: Walk for Work 2026.

More than 1,000 participants from over 110 companies took part in the charity walk - held for the first time at the Istana - through various points around the premises .

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse Jane Ittogi flagging off the EmployWell: Walk for Work 2026 at the Istana on Nov 1. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse Jane Ittogi flagging off the EmployWell: Walk for Work 2026 at the Istana on Nov 1.

The walk raised more than $1 million, which will go towards Foundation’s community partners and jobseekers, including strengthening partnerships with social service agencies.

Yap also said that the EmployWell programme has helped over 2,700 individuals get employability support since 2022, of whom more than 1,250 managed to secure jobs with over 200 inclusive employers.

SBF intends to scale up the programme to include mature workers, as there is a growing need to support them and create “meaningful pathways for continued purpose, employment and contribution”.

Another first was live narration during the changing of guards ceremony, for visitors to understand the significance of the longstanding military tradition.

The Open House also featured a dedicated reading space by the National Library Board as part of its ReadSG initiative, including a selection of books recommended by the President and Ittogi.

Visitors also enjoyed various music, dance and cultural performances, featuring local singer-songwriters Ahmadul Amin and Heema Izzati, and students from Singapore Polytechnic.

The Open House is held till 8pm today, with the last entry at 6.30pm. Entry to the Istana grounds is free for Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and migrant domestic workers accompanying families. Other visitors are required to pay an admission fee.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam

11 月 1 日，总统尚达曼和夫人简·伊托吉在总统府开放日与社会企业 Inclus 的包容性就业招聘人员法蒂玛·佐拉交谈。

发布于2026年11月1日下午5:00

更新于2026年11月1日下午5:00

总统府开放日首次重点关注包容性招聘，总统尚达曼和简·伊托吉会见了雇主和支持求职者的团体。

SBF 基金会表示，自 2022 年以来，EmployWell 已帮助超过 2700 人，其中超过 1250 人找到了工作；该基金会在慈善步行活动中筹集了超过 100 万美元。

此次活动还增加了卫兵换岗仪式的现场解说、ReadSG 阅读空间，以及音乐和文化表演。

新加坡——在11月1日举行的总统府开放日上，残疾人和其他弱势群体的包容性就业成为焦点，此次开放日是在屠妖节前夕举行的。

这是该开放日活动（通常以现场表演和适合家庭的活动为主）首次展示此类成果。

在活动中，参观者更多地了解了需要帮助的社区，以及这些求职者面临的就业障碍。

总统尚达曼和夫人简·伊托吉也出席了活动，并与在现场设立展位的社区组织和包容性雇主进行了交流。

其中包括帮助残疾人获得有意义工作的社会企业 Inclus，以及为弱势群体提供住所和就业支持的新希望社区服务中心。

例如，新希望与两家酒店——新加坡史蒂文斯诺富特酒店和新加坡史蒂文斯美居酒店——合作，为弱势群体提供就业机会。

莱斯利·莱纳斯是这两家酒店的人力资源和文化区域总监，她说，酒店并没有寻找完美的候选人，而是从每个职位的要求出发，将职位与个人的优势进行匹配。

他们还将角色分解成清晰、可管理的任务，并提供结构化的入职培训、一致的日常流程以及来自主管和同事的定期指导。

他补充说：“包容性招聘并不意味着降低标准。包容性招聘的员工在绩效和服务方面同样需要达到同样的标准。”

在总统府举办的社区市集是由新加坡商业联合会（SBF）基金会组织的，该基金会是SBF的社会影响力部门。

该基金会首席执行官叶素茵表示：“对一些人来说，就业障碍早在他们参加面试之前就开始了，甚至在他们被录用之后也可能继续存在。”

11月1日，在总统府开放日期间，新加坡商业联合会基金会组织了社区市集活动，图为参观者参与活动。（海峡时报摄影：金泰）

11月1日，在总统府开放日期间，参观者们参加了由新加坡商业联合会基金会组织的社区市集活动。

她补充说，求职者可能是露宿街头者、面临家庭困境的女性，或是正在从精神健康问题中康复的人。所有这些群体都能从量身定制的辅导、技能培训、自信心培养和就业市场支持中受益。

“反过来，雇主可能也需要指导，以重新设计岗位职责、调整工作场所做法，并在员工适应工作期间为他们提供支持。在这些领域，企业和社区组织之间的合作可以发挥真正的作用，”该联合会的首席社会可持续发展官叶先生说道。

当天早些时候，总统（同时也是 SBF 基金会的赞助人）启动了 EmployWell：2026 年就业步行活动。

来自 110 多家公司的 1000 多名参与者参加了在总统府举行的慈善步行活动，这是该活动首次在总统府举行，参与者途经总统府周围的各个地点。

11月1日，尚达曼总统及其夫人简·伊托吉在总统府为“EmployWell：2026年为工作而行”活动鸣枪发令。（海峡时报摄影：金泰）

11月1日，尚达曼总统和夫人简·伊托吉在总统府为“EmployWell：2026年为工作而行”活动鸣枪发令。

此次步行活动筹集了超过 100 万美元，这些资金将用于支持基金会的社区合作伙伴和求职者，包括加强与社会服务机构的合作。

Yap 还表示，自 2022 年以来，EmployWell 计划已帮助超过 2700 人获得就业能力支持，其中超过 1250 人成功在 200 多家包容性雇主处找到工作。

SBF 计划扩大该计划的规模，将年长员工纳入其中，因为越来越需要支持他们，并为他们创造“有意义的途径，以继续实现目标、就业和做出贡献”。

另一个首创是在卫兵换岗仪式上进行现场解说，以便游客了解这一悠久军事传统的意义。

开放日活动还设有国家图书馆管理局的专门阅读区，作为其 ReadSG 计划的一部分，其中包括总统和 Ittogi 推荐的一系列书籍。

游客们还欣赏了各种音乐、舞蹈和文化表演，其中包括当地歌手兼词曲作家艾哈迈杜尔·阿明和希玛·伊扎蒂，以及新加坡理工学院的学生的表演。

开放日活动持续至今日晚上8点，最后入场时间为下午6点30分。新加坡公民、永久居民以及随行家属的外籍家庭佣工可免费进入总统府。其他访客需支付门票。

尚达曼