Firms will automatically get higher wage support for new hires, said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo
Employers in Singapore will be eligible for 50% wage support for hiring ex-offenders, announced Manpower Minister Josephine Teo.
The initiative is applicable for employees of all ages.
“For ex-offenders placed through the support of Yellow Ribbon Singapore, Industrial and Services Co-operative Society (ISCOS), or halfway houses in contract with Singapore Prison Service, employers will automatically receive the higher tier of Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI),” Teo wrote in a Facebook post seen by HRD.
“For all other employers of ex-offenders, the higher tier of support would be provided upon application.”
Read more: Further initiatives set to enhance ex-offenders’ employability
If employers hired workers through Yellow Ribbon Singapore, the company will be supported for up to a year, including the sourcing of suitable candidates.
As part of the partnership, Yellow Ribbon will facilitate interviews and the selection of candidates, as well train them with the help of WSQ-certified vocational and employability skills trainers.
They will also be on hand to assist employers on employment-related matters for up to 12 months.
Read more: Ex-convict's job rejection letter goes viral
Singapore has been gradually expanding the JGI, which was formed to accelerate the hiring of local employees amidst the crisis – from September 2020 to February 2021.
The JGI promises to provide one year of salary support for each new hire during the six-month period.
Since its inception in August, JGI has offered to co-pay salaries various groups of employees:
- 25% for local hires aged below 40
- 50% for mature hires
- 50% for persons with disabilities
Ex-offenders were the latest addition to the initiative.
“Each year, around 10,000 offenders leave our prisons to start a new life,” Teo said. “They face challenges, among which is getting back to work. Yet it is so important that they do, to return as full members of society again.
“I urge employers to be inclusive. Give an ex-offender that second chance at rebuilding a new life.”
