Joining hands to help others help themselves
22 July 2009
Media Release
1 Fancy having asparagus with prawn, double boiled chicken soup or mango cake from behind the prison walls? Sounds incredible?
2 Today, NTUC Foodfare Co-operative Ltd (NTUC Foodfare) and Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) embarked on a collaboration on facility management and training of inmates in culinary skills at the purpose-built food hub at Changi Prison Complex’s Cluster A and B facility. Today’s collaborative agreement signing between NTUC Foodfare and SCORE underscores both organisations’ shared intent in wanting to help inmates help themselves and ultimately, their loved ones
3 Since 2003, SCORE has partnered NTUC Foodfare on some of its rehabilitation programmes involving food manufacturing and production to help prepare inmates for a new lease of life outside the prison after they have been released. This includes NTUC Foodfare managing the prison’s central kitchen facility that supplies meals cooked by inmates for all inmates daily. To date, NTUC Foodfare has helped train inmates in the areas of food hygiene, food preparation and basic culinary skills, and food service training. Upon their release from prison, some of these inmates have successfully found employment or even opened their own businesses in the F&B industry
4 The rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates back into the society through skills training and employment opportunities provided by SCORE and partners like NTUC Foodfare are only a means to an end. These efforts place purpose, hope and confidence in the hands of the inmates by giving them life and employability skills that would help them achieve gainful employment upon their release from prison. This is an important part of easing them back into the society as they can then earn a meaningful living to support themselves and their loved ones
5 Giving his full endorsement to NTUC Foodfare’s partnership with SCORE, Mr Perry Ong, Chief Executive Officer, NTUC Foodfare, said, “As a social enterprise of the Labour Movement, NTUC Foodfare wants to do well, do good and do more for union members, Singaporeans and Singapore as a society. Thus, our partnership with SCORE and our training of the inmates in culinary education and skills, which leads them to the nationally recognised Institute of Technical Education Individual Skills Certificate in Food Preparation Course, is our way of doing good and doing more to help these inmates and their loved ones. We believe that our efforts will benefit these inmates and a wider circle of beneficiaries including their families, potential employers, the F&B industry and society”.
6 As an Approved Training Centre for the Institute of Technical Education Skills Certificate in Food Preparation Course, NTUC Foodfare and its team of chefs, nutritionists and the Quality Assurance department have put in place a six-month curriculum module of off-job and on-job training for the inmates. Managed by Mr Nicholas Tan, Senior Operations Manager and Mr Christopher Lim, Executive Sous Chef, we have also trained the inmates in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Basic Food Hygiene and F&B Service Training, which include the art of fine dining and preparation of tables. Inmates ultimately get to put their skills to the test through On the Job Training, Supervised Field training and Dining Behind Bars (DBB) programme.
7 Through the current certification programmes and with their newly acquired skill sets, inmates can look to joining the hospitality and F&B-related industries, like food manufacturing and restaurants and kitchens, and taking up jobs as commis cooks or cooks.
8 During the collaborative agreement signing ceremony held at the Changi Prison Complex this afternoon, Mr Tan Kian Chew, Chairman, NTUC Foodfare, also presented a $100,000 donation on behalf of NTUC Foodfare to SCORE to kick-start a programme for higher learning in culinary for inmates who show the potential to succeed and progress in the industry. Showing his support to nurture talents, Mr Tan said, “We believed that the pledge to advance the education and training of the inmates by professionals will be invaluable in assisting them with employment opportunities and for them to contribute back to the society upon their release”.
