To support the growth of the social services sector in Singapore, the country needs 500 more employees per year, says the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). Currently, the social services sector in the country employs around 16,000 professionals serving different groups of people in need.
NCSS is planning to expand its search to increase number of employees in the workforce. Speaking against the backdrop of Social Service Institute (SSI) Graduation and Awards Ceremony 2016, Mr Fermin Diez, deputy CEO of NCSS said the council is looking into variety of programmes to reach other population sets, and especially those people who want to work part-time in the future.
The event also saw 26 non-profit sector leaders from 25 organisations graduating from the inaugural cohort of ACE Capstone Leadership Programme for Non-Profits. The programme, jointly developed by the Tote Board and the SSI, sets out to groom strategic leaders in the non-profit sector.
It is anticipated that the social services sector would be seeing further boost in the coming years, as this year’s SSI Graduation and Awards ceremony saw more than 300 graduates and scholarship recipients. A total of 87 people were awarded the Diploma in Social Service, while about 100 individuals received scholarships and training awards, such as the Social Service Scholarship.
The ceremony also recognised the inaugural batch of 26 participants from the ACE Capstone Leadership Programme for Non-Profits, which aims to equip senior leaders in the non-profit sector with skills in strategic planning and financial management, Straits Times reported.
NCSS is also facilitating mid-career transfers to the non-profit sector, those in their 40s and 50s to come ahead and help in social support functions as a social worker or a therapist.
