Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts, 36th Storey, PSA Building, 460 Alexandra Road, Singapore 119963. Tel: 3757794/5

Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen

I am happy to be here today to launch the Corporate Assistance for Rehabilitation (CARE) Scheme. It has been 15 years since SCORE first organised vocational and skills training for inmates to help them secure employment and return to the mainstream of society. SCORE started with only one course - electrical wiring, but now offers 29 different courses. Over 11,000 inmates in the Prisons and Drug Rehabilitation Centres (DRCs) have benefitted from these courses.

In addition, inmates can get the opportunity of practical experience through company attachments in electrical wiring, hairstyling, pipe-fitting, bar-bending and carpentry courses.

The CARE scheme builds on SCORE’s existing links with these companies. Under the scheme, companies will provide inmates with skills training while they are still serving time in Prisons or DRCs. In this way, the companies are involved in SCORE’s training programme from the start and can help tailor the courses to their needs. They can also help inmates to consolidate their skills by letting them work in their companies for a period of time.

This scheme benefits everyone. Besides helping to rehabilitate inmates, companies can alleviate their own manpower shortages with this pool of trained workers. For the inmates, it means opportunities to hone their skills and give them the confidence to join the regular workforce when they are released. . Some of them will also be employed by the companies who have trained them.

I am pleased that two organisations -- Far East Organisation and Industrial and Services Co-operative Society (ISCOS) – are already involved in the CARE scheme. They are sponsoring the Industrial Painting and Cleaning Operators’ Proficiency courses and work attachments respectively. As of June 1997, 556 ex-inmates have benefited from their sponsorship. I understand that SCORE is discussing with other companies to sponsor the Electrical Wiring and Hairdressing courses.

I congratulate SCORE for coming up with the CARE scheme and thank Far East Organisation and ISCOS for their participation in the scheme. I urge other companies to join them in this worthwhile effort.

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