ITE, SG Enable to scale up programme that helps special needs students transit to workplace

More internship and job support will be provided for students with special educational needs (SEN) in Singapore under a new programme, to help them transition into the workplace.

This was shared by Second Minister for Education Maliki Osman during the ministry's Committee of Supply debate on Mar. 6, as part of measures to support students with SEN in Singapore.

Internship and job support for students

Maliki said that the programme, started by the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and SG Enable in 2024, provides students with SEN with internship and employment support.

Students with SEN will undergo training on personal grooming, résumé and interview preparation.

Students will then be placed in suitable internship roles.

Maliki said ITE and SG Enable will also work closely with students and employers to ensure the internships are calibrated to meet students' learning needs.

Maliki raised the example of Joseph, an ITE Year 2 student pursuing a Higher NITEC course in retail and online business, who has autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

ITE helped Joseph get an internship at Uniqlo's Waterway Point outlet, but he initially struggled to adjust to the busy work environment and high footfall.

A job coach from TOUCH Community Services visited Joseph him weekly at the store to train him in skills like communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.

Joseph was also given opportunties by Uniqlo to learn and apply these skills at the store, said Maliki.

Two months into the internship, Joseph had grown into the role and was awarded Best Customer Service Award by the store.

Maliki said that ITE and SG Enable are working closely to scale up the programme to benefit more students with SEN.

This includes expanding the internship support provided so more students can benefit from structured job support.

In addition to specialised training opportunities, MOE is working with training providers to make mainstream training programmes more accessible to persons with disabilities, Maliki added.

MOE looking into digital solutions for SPED schools

To support educators, MOE is working with SPED schools and social service agencies to explore the use of digital solutions, such as extending existing MOE systems to SPED schools.

Maliki noted that a range of technologies and applications are used in mainstream schools. These go some way in reducing teachers' administrative workload, facilitating communication with parents, and tracking students' progress and learning outcomes.

However, some of these processes are done manually by educators in SPED schools.

Maliki said these potential digital solutions will need to be studied carefully, and MOE will share the outcomes when ready.

Milestones in SPED sector

Maliki also highlighted recent milestones in the SPED sector, including the development of a national SPED curriculum and closer networking amongst SPED schools.

From 2020 to 2024, MOE worked with SPED schools to finalise its national SPED curriculum, which was completed last year.

The seven syllabi in this curriculum include visual arts, social-emotional learning as well as communication and language, said Maliki.

MOE has also worked with social service agencies to set up Communities of Practice (COP), where educators, social service professionals and other practitioners in schools can collaborate and share best practices.

One milestone was the inaugural SPED COP for Multiple Disabilities convened in February, which was attended by practitioners from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore, AWWA and Rainbow Centre.

A second SPED COP on autism will be set up in the second half of 2025.

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