Working to get more women into the workforce

Called Step Out For Change, the programme was officially launched yesterday by Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong at a job fair in Jurong East.

It features a series of workshops that teach women a range of skills, from writing a resume to dressing for an interview.

The programme, designed by the Workforce Development Agency, is free and open to women older than 25, without tertiary education and who have been unable to get a job for at least six months.

It targets one of the key problems Singapore faces in coaxing older people to return to work. Latest figures show that not enough older women are doing so. Among the barriers cited as keeping them from working are the need to take care of children and a lack of flexible or part-time work arrangements.

A recent Manpower Ministry report found that two-thirds of non-working women aged 50 to 64 had never worked or had stopped working for at least 10 years.

Their situation was acknowledged by Mr Gan when he spoke to reporters after touring the job fair. He noted that besides being unfamiliar with the work environment, these women 'have inhibitions about going back to work'.

But he is optimistic that the Government's various efforts will bring more women back to work.

Employers like Apex-Pal, which is behind the Sakae Sushi chain, have geared up for the greying population. The company has older-worker friendly policies like an extra day of paid leave a year for grandparents.

Said its vice-president of group human resources, Ms May Foo: 'We find that with mature workers, our turnover is low. They are committed to staying long.'

Article Source AsiaOne. Image Source LDS.org.
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