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Speech by Mr Desmond Lee, Minister For National Development And Minister-In-Charge Of Social Services Integration At Tomo Day 2023, 30 May 2023

Type: Official Speeches (All), Official Speeches: Desmond Lee

Topic(s): Disability Services

Published on 30 May 2023

Mr Joel Leong, Chairman of TomoWork,

Mr Boo Chong Han, Deputy Principal, Republic Polytechnic,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

  1. Good afternoon.

     

  2. I am happy to join you to witness the graduate showcase by the 24 participants of the TomoWork Talent Accelerator Programme (TAP) and celebrate the successful completion of this year’s programme,

     

  3. Congratulations to all participants who have completed the programme, and well done on your project presentations. I enjoyed learning about your innovative ideas and was impressed by the solutions you have come up with to address the business challenges posed by corporate partners. I hope that working together with participants from different faculties and polytechnics has enabled you to learn from one another and spark creative solutions.

     

  4. In the same way, I hope that this experience has also allowed corporate partners to have a better understanding of the value that persons with disabilities can bring to your organisations. Diversity drives innovation, as it encourages different perspectives and ideas to be shared. These interactions help you better understand the views of different stakeholders and come up with innovative solutions for your clients and customers.

     

  5. Persons with disabilities bring valuable and unique perspectives to the table. I hope that all corporate partners present today will tap on this pool of talented individuals, and offer more employment opportunities to persons with disabilities. We encourage employers, especially those in growth sectors, to step forward and partner us in building more inclusive workplaces. You can tap on a range of Government support – from the Open Door Programme to the enhanced Enabling Employment Credit – to do this.

     

  6. Collaboration is key as the journey towards an inclusive Singapore requires the involvement of stakeholders across all sectors. Our latest Enabling Masterplan – EMP 2030 – sets out our vision for a more caring and inclusive Singapore and seeks to enable persons with disabilities across all stages and aspects of life to pursue their fullest potential.

     

  7. TAP is a good example of the positive impact that collaboration among the people, private and public sectors can bring about. TomoWork and its corporate partners, with support from various polytechnics, have brought their expertise and resources to this programme, to support skills development and employment of persons with disabilities.

  8. In closing, I thank the organisers as well as partners for making this programme an ongoing and sustainable one. Your participation in this collaboration speaks of your strong commitment towards supporting an inclusive society. I look forward to your continued support for further cross-sector collaborations to empower persons with disabilities to reach their potential, as we strive towards achieving our aspirational target to increase the employment rate of persons with disabilities to 40% by 2030. 

     

  9. Once again, congratulations to participants for successfully completing the accelerator programme. I wish you all the best in your studies and employment journey, and encourage you to continue to pursue lifelong learning opportunities even after you graduate.

     

  10. Thank you.