YMCA raises $163k for vocational training of at-risk youth and those with special needs
At-risk youth and young people with special needs will get more support for arts, sports and vocational training programmes with the help of a fund that has raised $163,000 from a gala dinner.
YMCA chief executive Wu Mei Ling said 740 young people at risk have gone through YMCA’s six-month intervention programme, which aims to help them secure jobs or continue their studies.
She was speaking at the gala dinner on Friday night, which was attended by President Halimah Yacob.
The six-month programme, which was launched in 2011, equips out-of-school youth with skills that they can immediately put to use in a job.
Skills taught include hairdressing, culinary arts and digital marketing, as well as soft skills such as interview and conflict management skills.
YMCA president Tony Soh said the charity’s collaboration with social enterprise Inclus, which started in 2022, has managed to train and place people with autism and intellectual disabilities in food and beverage and hospitality jobs with seven employers. YMCA has partnered over 15 companies on the programme.
Twenty young people with special needs have been enrolled in the five-week training programme, with 10 landing full time jobs after completing their training.
YMCA trains them in hard skills such as housekeeping, general cleaning and customer service. Specialists from Inclus assess and support the trainees, from matching them to suitable jobs to accompanying them for job interviews.
Inclus also follows up with the graduates and their employers for a year, working with their families to tackle any issues that come up during their employment.
Homemaker Celine Chan, 53, has an autistic daughter who went through the housekeeping course and found a full-time job as a waitress in Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview hotel.
Ms Clarissa Ng, 19, does kitchen duties such as polishing cutlery, cleaning tables and serving guests, with the support of a job coach.
Ms Chan said her daughter enjoys the work, and has helped to clean the table at home ever since she attended the training programme.
Ms Ng, an aspiring cook, also helps her mother to bake cupcakes for her home business.
“I’m happy she secured a full-time job and it’s something she wants to do,” said Ms Chan. “I hope she can sustain the job and earn a salary, and be able to manage work stress and social communication.”
YMCA’s other programmes for young people with special needs include dance, swimming and climbing courses.
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