Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on the Number of Ex-offenders Who Have Secured Employment Through Yellow Ribbon Singapore for Each of the Past Three Years, by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

Question:

Mr Abdul Samad: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) for each year in the past three years, what is the number of ex-offenders who have secured employment through the Yellow Ribbon Singapore; and (b) whether the Ministry is considering to provide incentives for employers to hire ex-offenders.

Answer:

1.   The number of ex-offenders who secured employment through Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG) is shown in the table below.  Many others secure employment on their own.

Ex-offenders who secured employment through YRSG in 2018-2020

2.   As of September 2021, more than 6,000 employers have registered with YRSG to offer jobs to ex-offenders. YRSG helps employers understand the support ex-offenders need at the workplace. For example, YRSG’s career coaches work with both ex-offenders and their employers to set behavioral goals, resolve work-related issues, and develop ways to create and sustain an inclusive work environment. YRSG and the Institute for Human Resources Professionals will be running a Project Beyond Hiring initiative to develop the coaching competencies of employers and workplace supervisors.

3.   YRSG also works with other public agencies to encourage employers to hire ex-offenders. For example, YRSG has collaborated with Workforce Singapore since 2019 to offer the Career Trial programme to employers and ex-offenders. This allows both ex-offender job-seekers and employers to try out work opportunities for up to three months and assess if there is a job fit. While on the trial, the job-seekers will receive a training allowance, and those employed for at least three months after the trial will receive a retention incentive. As of September 2021, the Career Trial has supported around 70 employers and benefitted more than 280 ex-offenders.

4.   Amidst the uncertain economic conditions posed by COVID-19, additional measures have been introduced to encourage employers to continue hiring local workers, including ex-offenders. Employers who hired ex-offenders through YRSG, the Industrial and Services Co-operative Society (ISCOS), or halfway houses engaged by the Singapore Prison Service, will automatically receive the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) if they meet the eligibility criteria. Employers hiring ex-offenders receive the higher tier of support of up to $36,000 per hire. Between September 2020 and May 2021, the JGI has supported around 1,000 ex-offender hires by 380 employers.  The JGI has been extended by another six months, and will cover eligible hires until March 2022.