Participation Rate and Funds Disbursed for Workplace Re-design and Flexi Workplace Schemes

The Government has put in place various policies and programmes over the years, aimed at providing more job opportunities for locals and encouraging locals to work. The ADVANTAGE! scheme, Flexi-Works! scheme and the Work-Life Works! (WoW!) Fund form part of these programmes and are targeted at supporting the employment of older workers and economically inactives, as well as improving work-life harmony for all workers. We have worked closely with our tripartite partners to administer these programmes, which have allowed us to have better outreach and adoption.

The ADVANTAGE! Scheme was introduced in 2005 to help companies recruit, retain and re-employ mature workers aged 40 and above. The scheme offers funding support for companies to enhance the employability of mature workers through training support as well as job and workplace redesign. Over the years, the scheme has also helped companies, especially SMEs, to be ready to implement re-employment.

Close to $57 million has been disbursed under the scheme since its inception, benefiting around 3,500 companies. This works out to an average of about $16,000 per company. In particular, $24 million went towards supporting companies in their job redesign efforts, which improved the employability and productivity of mature workers. Overall, the ADVANTAGE! scheme has benefited more than 25,000 mature workers.

Page: 16

The Flexi-Works! scheme was introduced in 2007 to help companies recruit economically inactive residents who want to re-enter the workforce, by supporting the costs of implementing flexible work arrangements. In total, more than $3.9 million has been disbursed, benefitting over 360 companies and placing over 3,500 residents into jobs with flexible work arrangements. On average, each company received funding support of about $11,000.

Another scheme which helps employers improve work-life harmony is the WoW! Fund. Since its introduction in 2004, over $15 million has been disbursed in total, or about $1.9 million annually on average. To date, about 860 companies have benefitted from the WoW! Fund. This works out to an average funding support of around $19,000 per company.

Through these schemes and our tripartite approach to employers, we have made progress in promoting flexible work arrangements, and supporting the employment of mature workers and economically inactive residents. In 2012, 41% of establishments offered at least one form of flexible work arrangements to their employees, up from 25% in 2007.

Nevertheless, more can be done and we will continue to encourage better working environments and more progressive workplace practices, as well as support employment for locals. We have, and will continue to work closely with our tripartite partners to collect feedback on ways to improve these schemes. We will be enhancing these schemes and more details will be announced at the Committee of Supply debates in March as part of our overall efforts to help employers and workers cope with an ageing workforce and the tight labour market.

Together with ADVANTAGE!, Flexi-Works! and WoW! Fund, the Special Employment Credit (SEC) scheme and Workfare programme encourage local workers to return and remain in the workforce, including the more vulnerable groups of the population. The support that we provide is not restricted to financial assistance alone. Our WDA career centres and tripartite partners also offer guidance and counselling workshops to help jobseekers overcome the social and psychological barriers to employment.

While we have put in place these various measures, employers also have an important role to play to create more progressive workplaces to attract and retain locals. We hope that employers will take advantage of the Government's support and play a key role in supporting local employment.

Page: 17

I would like to ask the Minister of State: for the ADVANTAGE! and Flexi-Works! schemes, what is the matrix?

I thank the Member for his supplementary question. The ADVANTAGE! scheme, Flexi-Works! scheme and WoW! Fund, together with other programmes like Workfare, SEC, the re-employment legislation, as well as our outreach to employers, have helped us to make progress in promoting flexible work arrangements and supporting the employment of mature workers and economically-inactive residents. There are a few indications for this.

In 2012, as I have noted earlier, 41% of establishments offered at least one form of flexible work arrangement to their employees, up from 25% in 2007. The employment rate of older workers aged 55 to 64 has also risen to 64% in 2012, up from 45.2% in 2003. This is comparable to the standards of advanced economies. In fact, it is only 1% away from our target of 65% in 2015. The female labour force participation rate for those aged 50 to 64 has also increased from 50.9% in 2003 to 57.7% as at June 2012.

But we acknowledge that more can be done and we will continue to review and enhance the schemes by working closely with our tripartite partners, taking into consideration the feedback, as well as the many feedback we have received from MPs in this House. As I have noted earlier, we will be announcing revisions to the schemes in the coming Committee of Supply debates in March.

Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister of State for the response. I was just wondering, as a supplementary question, whether we could also target the childcare centres. For example, in my constituency, a childcare centre has opened up specifically targeting mothers who want to go back to work, whether full-time or part-time. If they are putting their children or infants in part-time childcare for half a day, perhaps a role of these ladies could be had or drawn up, and then somehow MOM contact them to see whether or not they have broached the idea of flexible work with the employers. The point that I am trying to get at is: Employment is one thing, and childcare services are another thing, but they are complementary to each other. So would the MOM and possibly the MSF speak with each other?

Certainly. We will take the feedback and the suggestions of the Member's into consideration. In fact, MSF as well as MOM and other agencies do work together on such multi-agency and multi-Ministry issues. Childcare centres – the topic would be better posed to MSF perhaps in

Page: 18

a future PQ. But certainly we will also consider what we can do to improve the range of flexi-work available to economically-inactive residents, including women.