ED 49: May-June 2013

12
sp E C i a l
May | Ju n 2013
En t r E p r E n E u r s’ Di g E s t
Step fWD
Companies are in need of both PME and
non-PME labour sources to augment or
staff their operations, but with the recent
foreign worker levy hikes and tightening of
restrictions, it has become tough to find
workers to take on semi-skilled or unskilled
jobs. These jobs are typically shunned by
the local labour pool, and smaller set-ups
are fighting an increasingly uphill battle to
secure workers from a constrained labour
market. Yet, the alternative workforce may
be able to open some doors of opportunity
in this manpower crunch.
An initiative by the Boon Lay Grassroots
Organisation (BLGRO) supported by the
Boon Lay Merchants’ Association and
the Boon Lay Youth Executive Committee
(BLYEC), Step FWD (Families with
Dependents) aims to find jobs for adult
members of low-income families who are
unable to perform typical office hour jobs
due to dependents (young, elderly, people
with disabilities or major illnesses, etc.) at
home. These workers have employable
skillsets, but are only able to leave the
house to work during certain hours of the
day due to their caregiving commitments.
Step FWD hopes to link such workers with
SMEs through flexible work arrangements
or FWAs, a mutually-beneficial
arrangement. On the one hand, SMEs can
alleviate their manpower woes while also
exercise corporate social responsibility
by employing such workers with familyoriented
schedules. On the other hand,
these workers are able to obtain gainful
employment and receive income to
augment their living expenses. These
caregivers are also less selective of jobs,
as long as these jobs allow them to take
adequate care of their dependents.
To this end, FWAs remain the core of the
Step FWD project. These arrangements
will allow the caregivers a certain degree
of flexibility while remaining in the SMEs’
employ. For example, the workers can