Aug 18, 2010

Mentors for white-collars

A MENTORING programme for jobless white-collar workers has worked out so well that its organiser is upping the intake by 50 per cent.

The Northeast Community Development Council (CDC) on Wednesday announced that it will raise the intake of the second run of its mentoring programme to 18.

As part of its programmes to help residents find jobs, the CDC last November launched a six-month programme pairing selected white-collar job seekers with experienced mentors. The mentors, who range from senior business executives to grassroots leaders, will offer the job-hunter advice on his search as well as a sympathetic ear.

The initial run, launched last November, had 12 job-seekers, picked from those who had registered with the CDC asking for help finding work. The 18 selected for the new run will meet their mentors on Wednesday evening at the Safra Tampines clubhouse.

- The Straits Times

More rehiring older workers

UNIONISED companies here are picking up the pace when it comes to rehiring their older workers.

Some 34.5 per cent more people aged 62 and older find work past their retirement age compared to last year. These companies have hired 9,413 older employees as of July 31. Last year, 6,999 workers were offered re-employment.

These workers come from 957 out of over 1,000 companies under the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) that have committed themselves to re-hiring older workers who must first meet performance and medical fitness standards.

'People can no longer assume that they can save enough to retire on, because they are living longer and investments can go awry,' said Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Boon Heng, at a National Day Observance Ceremony for Active Agers on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, Mr Lim has called on employers and workers to prepare themselves for the 2012 law which makes it compulsory for companies to re-employ workers who reach the age of 62. But, even the unionised companies have some ways to go in terms of coming up with a structured process for re-hiring these older workers.

An NTUC survey of 100 unionised companies conducted about two months ago found that only half, or 52 per cent, had made it standard operating procedure to hold consultations with their older workers on what the company can offer them when they retire, and what the worker should do if they want to be re-hired.

- The Straits Times