THE Government is stepping up efforts to get more companies to redesign jobs for older workers as the population ages, including beefing up grants for employers.

This comes ahead of legislation to raise the re-employment age ceiling from 65 to 67 next July.

Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say yesterday announced that the Government will be enhancing the WorkPro scheme, which was first introduced in 2013 to boost local manpower, and will now focus more on making the workplace age-friendly.

More funding will be available under the Job Redesign Grant, which supports companies in adapting jobs to older workers’ needs.

Starting from this July, a company can receive up to $300,000 for job redesign projects targeted at workers aged 50 and above – twice the funding previously available.

Previously, funding for these projects was capped at $150,000 for workers aged 40 and above.

Companies can also apply for a top-up of up to 80 per cent of project cost if they are already tapping the Capability Development Grant and Inclusive Growth Programme.

Under another scheme, the Age Management Grant, they can get $20,000 in funding if they adopt four workplace and hiring practices that directly benefit older workers.

A total of $66 million will be made available to companies over three years under these enhanced schemes.

Speaking at a learning journey to restaurant Lawry’s The Prime Rib yesterday, Mr Lim stressed the need for companies to prepare in advance for a higher re-employment age.

He said Singapore needs not just “more awareness but focused action” in making workplaces age-friendly.

“As our workforce continues to age, we are going to see more and more mature workers over 60 years old,” he added. While this group was 5 per cent of the workforce 10 years ago, it is now 12 per cent.

Mr Lim said that adopting better measures need not mean grand schemes but “small ideas that mean a lot to these mature workers”.

Lawry’s had three older workers in 2013 and now has 13. It uses measures such as flexible work arrangements to retain its mature workforce, and hopes to turn to the enhanced WorkPro scheme to fund improvements to its e-menu system.

The system, which will debut in the third quarter of this year, automates the sending and delivery of customer orders between the servers and the kitchen and makes service 30 per cent more efficient.

A tripartite committee has also revised guidelines on the re-employment of older workers, such as adjusting the recommended payouts to workers whom employers cannot re-hire.

oliviaho@sph.com.sg

Get MyPaper for more stories.

FOR the last two years, the National University of Singapore (NUS) has allowed its freshmen a grade-free semester to help them transition into degree studies – a scheme which has proven very popular.

Now, it wants to take it further, by allowing a virtually grade-free first year.

Currently, the university allows its students to write off their less-than-stellar grades in up to five modules in their first semester.

From this August, first-year students can write off grades for up to eight modules – just two short of the 10 modules they take.

Under the scheme, all students, even if they have an A, may choose to include or exclude the grade in their final grade point average. But those with a D+ and below, who want it crossed out, must retake the module or take another.

The scheme applies to nearly all NUS faculties and schools, including arts and social sciences, business, computing, engineering and science.

The law and medical faculties already have a grade-free system for freshmen.

NUS provost Tan Eng Chye said the scheme has proven to be a hit with its first-year students.

Around 87 per cent took up the option to drop their grade for at least one module. A small proportion, around 5 per cent, did so for five modules.

He said the aim was to reduce academic stress and encourage students to explore subjects outside their specialisation, including areas they are less confident in.

But those who do well will still be rewarded as they can keep their grades.

Prof Tan reported that students have become more adventurous in their choice of modules, venturing beyond their “academic comfort zones”. Nearly a third of the modules read by first-year students last year were non-core types, outside of their immediate field of study.

In the previous year, the figure was about a quarter.

“This is a positive development. Students are increasingly making good use of the opportunities of being in a comprehensive university, to broaden their perspectives and horizons by reading modules beyond their degree discipline.”

Highlighting the Education Ministry’s push to reduce the over-emphasis on grades, he hopes that the further extension of the scheme will create even more time, space and opportunities to pursue “adventurous and deep learning, and to move away from the over-emphasis on grades”.

“In the same spirit, the freshman year is an opportune time to immerse oneself in the social and academic culture of university life, to uncover, discover and pursue one’s intellectual curiosities and passions.”

English Literature student Samantha Nah, 19, said she would not have taken a course in Chinese linguistics if not for the grade-free semester scheme.

“I wanted to take up the course as it would allow me to compare Chinese linguistics to English linguistics.

“But my Chinese is not that strong and I didn’t think I would do well in it. So if not for the fact that I could write off the grade, I would not have taken up the course.”

sandra@sph.com.sg

Get MyPaper for more stories.

An animal welfare activist recovered his stolen car, roughly 24 hours after it vanished in Johor Baru on Monday evening.

But Derrick Tan, who had bought the second-hand silver Toyota Mark X just weeks ago, paid a heavy price to get it back.

A source told The Straits Times that the 35-year-old paid a four-figure sum in Singapore dollars to a car theft syndicate.

And, while his car was intact, barring some damage to its ignition system, the cash and personal belongings that had been in it were gone.

Only his passport, identification card, driving licence and some insurance papers remained.

Mr Tan’s ordeal began when he went for a massage with three friends at Yisheng Reflexology in Jalan Serampang, about 7km from the Woodlands Checkpoint, at 8.15pm.

As it was late and the parking lots near the massage parlour were full, he parked a little further away. But when he returned two hours later, his car had disappeared.

Mr Tan, who has a substantial following on Facebook due to his animal welfare work at Voices For Animals, posted a plea for help on Facebook on Monday night.

The post, which had more than 8,000 shares, was subsequently deleted.

A new one – just after 2am yesterday – said his car had been retrieved and that he had returned to Singapore.

Speaking to The Straits Times on Tuesday afternoon before his car was recovered, he said many people – even strangers – had offered him money and help.

The car thief had also been using his credit card which Mr Tan quickly cancelled.

But, before he did that, he received a few SMS messages about the transactions made.

Some of his Facebook friends suggested that he trace the shops where the transactions were made, and ask them for CCTV footage of those who used the card.

This was Mr Tan’s third trip to Johor with the Mark X.

When he reported the case to the Malaysian police, they guessed that it was a Mark X once he told them it was a Toyota.

“The police said they (the thieves) love Toyota Mark Xs as the parts are easy to sell,” he said. The police told him that the thieves have a device that can unlock and disarm the sirens on Toyota and Honda cars quickly.

He said: “It’s scary to lose your car in Johor Baru.

“I just want people to be more aware of the danger when they drive here.”

chuimin@sph.com.sg

mklee@sph.com.sg

Get MyPaper for more stories.