By Ryan Chan
The necessary skills, a supportive environment and the correct attitude – these were the three fundamentals that NTUC Secretary-General (SG) Chan Chun Sing highlighted at the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) Appreciation Awards on 20 July 2016 for ex-offenders to succeed in life.
“It is not just about equipping ex-offenders with a certain skillset. It’s about equipping them with the skill to acquire new skillsets and continuously acquire fresh capabilities even as they go on in their journey in life. It is, as they say, learning to learn,” he elaborated.
A supportive environment is also necessary. Society is more accepting of ex-offenders reintegrating back into the community now, and SG Chan said NTUC and government agencies will constantly reach out to more community partners to help in the rehabilitation of ex-offenders.
Lastly, a good attitude is required in order to succeed.
SG Chan said: “We can equip a person with the best skills, have the most supporting environment, but it is the resilience of an individual to cross the last mile that is so important in the rehabilitation of ex-offenders.
“Our efforts is so that every Singaporean has the best chance to succeed in life, regardless of what happened in the past.”
Re-integrating into Society
At the ceremony, SCORE gave out awards to 94 partners and individuals for their contributions towards helping ex-offenders re-enter into the community. These organisations have supported SCORE’s projects for about 20 years.
SCORE offers work programmes in prison, giving inmates a chance to pick up vital skills while serving their sentences. These skills include cooking, kitchen operations and food hygiene practices – all in a bid to boost their employability. SCORE then helps match them with potential employers to secure jobs before their release.
No Discrimination
To date, there are 4,900 employers offering jobs. One of these companies is RedMart Limited, an online grocery delivery service, where 38-year-old Desmond Koh works as a warehouse associate.
“There is no discrimination working here, and people are treated the same. The transition stage was challenging, because the company is continuously growing, but that also means there are opportunities to grow and learn,” he said.
SCORE offers job retention support, and follow-ups with ex-offenders to ensure they have reintegrated well into the job. This year, SCORE will extend its support to 12 months after placement, up from the previous six months.
RedMart is also currently working with SCORE to implement specially-tailored work programmes to make the reintegration smoother.
RedMart vice-president of operations Jamil Khan said: “SCORE does a good job of ensuring the people that come in are well trained… we are working with them to implement programmes so they will be even more ready when they come work with us.
We don’t differentiate between an ex-offender and a regular employee, because we believe in second chances.”
Source: NTUC This Week
