PLANS TO ENSURE ADEQUATE AND QUALIFIED WORKFORCE FOR COMMUNITY CARE SERVICES FOR AGEING POPULATION

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2621
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 1 MARCH 2024

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Yip Hon Weng
MP for Yio Chu Kang

Question No. 5591

To ask the Minister for Health (a) what the Government’s specific plans are beyond reviewing salary guidelines to ensure there is an adequate and qualified workforce to meet the expanded increase in demand for community care services as Singapore’s population ages; and (b) whether the specific milestones or progress indicators to achieving this can be outlined.

Answer

1    Community care sector manpower grew by some 9% per annum between 2018 and 2022. MOH and our agencies provide funding support for a suite of initiatives to attract, develop and retain workers in the community care sector. For example, the Senior Management Associate Scheme (SMAS) facilitates the training and induction of mid-career professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMETs) to join the sector as centre managers and operations directors.

2    We also ensure that our current workforce is future-ready through training and development programmes and provide subsidies such as the Community Care Training Grant (CCTG). We have also worked with community care organisations (CCOs) to redesign CCO job roles, to elevate community care careers and improve their attractiveness.