New employment support office to offer greater job support for persons with disabilities

A new Employment Support Office (ESO) will be launched to better support employment for persons with disabilities, according to the Taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities.

It is part of the taskforce's recommended measures, after looking at how Singapore can better support persons with disabilities (PwDs) throughout different life stages, they said in a press conference on Friday (Oct 1).

Throughout their engagements with over 200 individuals, including PwDs, caregivers, employers and community partners, the taskforce found that many families expressed concerns over the uncertainties in their future.

In particular, families shared their worries about the "post-18 cliff" — when PwDs graduate from schools — and whether PwDs would be able to secure and retain employment as well as live independently.

According to the Comprehensive Labour Force Survey by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), only 34.7 per cent of PwDs aged 15 to 64 are employed. Of this group, only 24.4% of employed residents with disabilities worked for the same employer for at least one year, as of 2025.

MOM also shared that most PwDs were most commonly and consistently employed in the Community, Social & Personal Services, Food & Beverage Services and Wholesale Trade sectors.

The taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities is chaired by Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming.

Other members include Minister of State for Health and Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mahzam, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development and Law Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower and Finance Shawn Huang as well as Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and National Development Syed Harun Alhabsyi.

The taskforce identified three key shifts to provide greater assurance for PwDs and their families: Planning for the future, finding and growing in a job and living well in the community.

One of the measures recommended by the taskforce is putting in place Future Care Planning support from 2027, so that PwDs could map out their plans and next steps with their families and care support planners to make informed decisions.

To help PwDs live well in the community, Rahayu shared how the government will be equipping polyclinics with the capabilities to support and better address the needs of PwDs from 2027 onwards.

Frontline healthcare professional will be trained on how to better communicate with PwDs and a Health Communication Passport will be introduced in selected polyclinics in 2027 for persons with intellectual disabilities and autism.

One-stop job support

SG Enable will establish the ESO, which will serve as a one-stop touchpoint for all employment-related guidance and support for PwDs throughout their employment journey.

It will facilitate access to various services including skills upgrading, career advisory and employment support services.

The ESO is slated to be fully operational by the second half of 2027, said the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

It builds on SG Enable’s existing Job Placement and Job Support (JPJS) services to support PwDs beyond job placement and navigate their longer-term career and skills development, said a SG Enable spokesperson.

The ESO will focus on providing longer job support, especially for those with higher work support needs. It will also provide continued help when workplace challenges arise.

Employers can also turn to the ESO for guidance on how to define and redesign roles when hiring PwDs.

This includes developing sector-specific playbooks, co-developed with Trade Associations and Chambers, with a step-by-step process on how to hire and integrate PwDs. The ESO will also provide employers with hands-on guidance.

The ESO is a move to reach the 40 per cent employment rate target for PwDs as part of the Enabling Masterplan 2030, an SG Enable spokesperson told AsiaOne.

MSF will also streamline and enhance existing funding support for employers with the new Enabling Employment Grant, which will be launched in the first half of 2027.

This single grant will combine and replace the three current schemes: Open Door Programme Job Redesign Grant, Open Door Programme Training Grant and Employer Development Grant.

In 2025, the three above-mentioned grants supported about 100 employers, collectively disbursing around $220,000 in total, an MSF spokesperson told AsiaOne.

The new Enabling Employment Grant will support employers with the hiring of in-house job coaches, customised in-house training for employees with disabilities, more inclusive training courses for employers and a wider range of workplace accommodations.

Being employed and being able to do a single task is just one aspect of employment.

"How the employer works with the employee, together with the co-workers, then create a conducive environment for them to gain skills [over] time and have a meaningful career," said Huang.

MSF and SG Enable will also establish a new Supported-Enterprise Enabling Grant later this year to support enterprises that employ a significant proportion of PwDs with moderate support needs.

Funding from this grant can be used to support measures such as hiring of training officer and allied professionals.

Work readiness, upskilling and wage support

The Ministry of Education (MOE) will build work readiness in PwDs' schooling years by providing more opportunities for applied learning and soft skills development.

More work exposure opportunities will be introduced for students in special education (SPED) schools that offer the national curriculum as well as for students with disabilities in Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and polytechnics.

From 2027, MOE will also offer more targeted career and planning guidance starting from SPED schooling years, as well as introduce transition support programmes to support the growing number of SPED graduates entering ITE and polytechnics.

Upskilling will become more accessible as SG Enable extends the 95% course fee grant to eligible courses delivered by training providers accredited by the Skills and Workforce Development Agency, with the first batch of expanded accredited courses expected by the first half of 2027.

The Ministry of Manpower will increase wage support for employers hiring PwDs by raising the income ceiling and increasing the quantum and duration of the temporary wage offset.

This will be done through the enhancement of the existing Enabling Employment Credit, which will be implemented from 2027.

"Ultimately, an inclusive Singapore is built upon what each of us does on a day-to-day basis in our community, in our workplaces, and in the neighbourhoods that we live in," said Chua.

The report detailing the taskforce's recommendations can be accessed here .

No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.

laili.abdeen@asiaone.com

据残疾人家庭保障工作组称，将成立一个新的就业支持办公室（ESO），以更好地支持残疾人的就业。

他们在周五（10 月 1 日）的新闻发布会上表示，这是工作组在研究新加坡如何更好地支持残疾人士 (PwD) 度过不同人生阶段后提出的建议措施之一。

在与包括残疾人士、护理人员、雇主和社区合作伙伴在内的 200 多人接触的过程中，工作组发现许多家庭对未来的不确定性表示担忧。

尤其是一些家庭表达了他们对“18岁后悬崖”（即残疾人从学校毕业后）的担忧，以及残疾人是否能够获得并保住工作以及独立生活。

根据人力部发布的《综合劳动力调查》，15至64岁残疾人士的就业率仅为34.7%。截至2025年，该群体中仅有24.4%的残疾就业居民为同一雇主工作至少一年。

人力部还表示，大多数残疾人士最常且最稳定地受雇于社区、社会及个人服务、食品饮料服务和批发贸易行业。

残疾人家庭保障工作组由社会及家庭发展部高级政务部长吴佩明担任主席。

其他成员包括卫生及数字发展和新闻部政务部长拉哈尤·马赫扎姆、社会及家庭发展和法律部高级政务次长埃里克·蔡、人力及财政部高级政务次长肖恩·黄以及教育及国家发展部高级政务次长赛义德·哈伦·阿尔哈布西。

工作组确定了三个关键转变，以更好地保障残疾人士及其家庭的权益：规划未来、寻找和发展工作以及在社区中安享晚年。

工作组建议的措施之一是从 2027 年开始实施未来护理计划支持，以便残疾人士能够与家人和护理支持计划员一起制定计划和下一步措施，从而做出明智的决定。

为了帮助残疾人更好地融入社区生活，拉哈尤分享了政府将从 2027 年开始为综合诊所配备相应的能力，以更好地支持和满足残疾人的需求。

一线医护人员将接受培训，学习如何更好地与残疾人士沟通；2027 年，将在部分综合诊所为智力障碍和自闭症人士推出健康沟通护照。

一站式就业支持

SG Enable 将设立就业服务中心 (ESO)，作为残疾人就业过程中所有与就业相关的指导和支持的一站式联系点。

这将有助于获取各种服务，包括技能提升、职业咨询和就业支持服务。

社会及家庭发展部（MSF）表示，ESO计划于2027年下半年全面投入运营。

SG Enable 的一位发言人表示，该项目以 SG Enable 现有的就业安置和就业支持 (JPJS) 服务为基础，旨在为残疾人士提供就业安置以外的支持，并指导他们进行更长期的职业和技能发展。

就业支持办公室（ESO）将致力于提供更长期的就业支持，特别是针对那些工作支持需求较高的人员。此外，当工作场所出现挑战时，ESO还将提供持续的帮助。

雇主还可以向就业服务办公室 (ESO) 寻求指导，了解如何在雇用残疾人时定义和重新设计职位。

这包括与行业协会和商会共同制定针对特定行业的操作手册，其中包含雇用和融入残障人士的详细步骤。就业服务办公室（ESO）还将为雇主提供切实可行的指导。

SG Enable 的一位发言人告诉 AsiaOne，ESO 是为实现 2030 年赋能总体规划中残疾人就业率达到 40% 的目标而采取的举措。

无国界医生组织还将通过新的“就业促进补助金”来简化和加强对雇主的现有资金支持，该补助金将于 2027 年上半年推出。

这项单一拨款将合并并取代目前的三个计划：开放之门计划工作重新设计拨款、开放之门计划培训拨款和雇主发展拨款。

无国界医生组织发言人告诉亚洲新闻网，到 2025 年，上述三项拨款将为约 100 家雇主提供支持，总共发放约 22 万美元。

新的就业扶持补助金将支持雇主雇用内部就业指导员、为残疾员工提供定制的内部培训、为雇主提供更具包容性的培训课程以及更广泛的工作场所便利措施。

拥有工作并能够完成一项任务只是就业的一个方面。

黄说：“雇主如何与雇员以及同事们一起努力，从而创造一个有利于雇员逐步获得技能并拥有有意义的职业生涯的环境。”

今年晚些时候，无国界医生和SG Enable还将设立一项新的受扶持企业扶持基金，以支持雇用大量有中度扶持需求的残疾人的企业。

这项拨款可用于支持诸如聘用培训官员和相关专业人员等措施。

就业准备、技能提升和工资支持

教育部将在残疾人学生的求学阶段培养他们的就业能力，为他们提供更多应用学习和软技能发展的机会。

将为提供国家课程的特殊教育学校的学生以及技术教育学院和理工学院的残疾学生引入更多工作实践机会。

从 2027 年起，教育部还将从特殊教育阶段开始提供更有针对性的职业和规划指导，并推出过渡支持计划，以支持越来越多的特殊教育毕业生进入工艺教育学院和理工学院。

随着 SG Enable 将 95% 的课程费用补助扩大到由技能和劳动力发展局认可的培训机构提供的符合条件的课程，技能提升将变得更加容易，第一批扩大的认证课程预计将于 2027 年上半年推出。

人力部将提高对雇用残疾人士的雇主的工资补贴，具体措施包括提高收入上限，增加临时工资补贴的金额和期限。

这将通过加强现有的就业补贴来实现，该补贴将于 2027 年开始实施。

蔡先生说：“归根结底，一个包容的新加坡是建立在我们每个人在社区、工作场所和居住的邻里中每天所做的事情之上的。”

详细列出工作组建议的报告可在此处查阅。

未经AsiaOne许可，不得转载本文任何部分。

laili.abdeen@asiaone.com