Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Support for Retiring SCDF Officers, by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

Question:

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how is the Ministry helping retiring SCDF officers to transit into civil emergencies or fire safety-related industries; (b) how many officers has the Ministry supported in post-retirement career support; and (c) how will the Ministry strengthen its career transition preparation and support.

Answer:

1. SCDF has worked with SkillsFuture Singapore to accredit selected modules of SCDF’s fire-fighting and emergency medical training programmes under the national Workforce Skills Qualifications framework. The competencies acquired by SCDF officers will thus be recognised by prospective employers and improve our officers’ employability when they retire from SCDF.

2. MHA has also introduced a number of initiatives to help retiring SCDF and other Home Team officers prepare for a second career. We provide time-off for them to attend courses to learn new skills, and subsidise the cost of their courses. For example, officers may apply to pursue a Fire Safety Manager (FSM) qualification programme, which will enable them to take up jobs as FSMs for commercial and industrial buildings after retirement.

3. We actively engage prospective employers to source for suitable job opportunities for our retiring officers. We organise regular networking sessions where our officers can interact with prospective employers. We also facilitate officers’ career transition by enabling them to take up a job attachment in a company prior to their retirement to try out the job.This will help both the officer and the prospective employer assess the fit before formal employment.

4. We provide career transition support to all our retiring officers. Over the last two years, more than 200 retiring SCDF officers have participated in these career transition programmes.

5. MHA has recently launched a new career transition resources portal to provide retiring and retired officers with useful information on different job industries, job opportunities, as well as career events and workshops. MHA also offers one-on-one career coaching sessions to our retiring officers to guide them on their career transition journey.