By Ramesh Subbaraman
Jointly developed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and NTUC, the WorkPro Age Management Grant and Job Redesign Grant aim to support the employment and employability of older workers by fostering progressive and age-friendly workplaces and jobs.
To support this, MOM and WDA are setting aside $66 million over three years for companies to tap these WorkPro grants.
Introduced in April 2013, WorkPro is a scheme for employers to augment local manpower, foster progressive and age-friendly workplaces and jobs and strengthen the Singaporean core.
From 1 July 2016, WorkPro will be enhanced to further encourage employers to implement age-friendly workplaces to benefit Singaporeans through job redesign and age management practices for older workers.
NTUC’s Director (U Live@ Work), James Tan said the new WorkPro is more focussed on helping workers aged 50 years and above.
Details of the revised WorkPro were announced during a learning journey to a food and beverage company on 18 May 2016.
Age-Friendly
The F&Bis a sector that often struggles to attract Singaporeans to take up jobs.
However, one company has found a way around the problem with an open door policy on hiring older workers.
Lawry’s The Prime Rib Singapore Director Kevin Koh Chook Hang shared the company’s policy with Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say and his team of visitors in the recent learning journey.
He said 20 per cent of the company’s workforce is made up of matured workers this year, a 300 per cent increase compared to 2013.
Also, there is no retirement age for workers in the company with the oldest workers currently 67.
Lawry’s has a welcome policy for older workers who want to join the company, with a few re-joining after leaving.
Older workers at the company can also choose the hours they want to work.
“The training time and efforts needed for mature workers are relatively shorter and smaller, as some already have the basis knowledge or the skills needed to perform their respective tasks,” said Mr Koh.
He added that they were dependable in terms of punctuality and attendance.
“Our statistics show that the number of Medical Leave (MC) taken for 50 years and above are 3.6 days in a year on average, whereas the below 50’s are 8.4 days on average,” he added.
Joy To Work
Mescon bin Abdul Razak, 62 and Raymond Ong, 67 work as buzzers in Lawry’s, helping to clear and set the tables for diners.
Mr Mescon, who works the evening shift from 6pm to 10 pm said: “The working shift for me is flexible, I have been working here for under two years. The trolleys are also not heavy to push and if there is any need to carry, the younger workers are friendly and helpful.”
Mr Raymond Ong has been with the company for just two months and he is glad that he can choose the number of hours he can work in a week.
Changing Attitudes
Meanwhile, the tripartite partners emphasise that raising the re-employment age is just one side of the coin. It is also important to change the nature of jobs and the working environment for older workers.
Ulive@work shared that it will be working closely with unions and companies to brief and assist the companies on the new criteria for age management grant and job redesign to create an ageless workplace.,
“Together with the Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers, we have developed a job redesign portal to be launched soon. This will be an interactive portal to help company with job redesign,” said U Live@ Work Director James Tan.
Source: NTUC This Week
