Job Hub to help Hougang residents find work

It aims to match them with jobs they can reach within half an hour, so they save on transport
By Andrea Ong, The Straits Times, 15 Apr 2012

Hougang residents seeking jobs now have a job placement centre right in their constituency.

The Hougang Job Hub aims to match such residents with jobs they can reach within 30 minutes of travel from their homes.

The centre, launched yesterday, will be run by the North-East Community Development Council (CDC) together with Hougang grassroots organisations and the Workforce Development Agency. It was initiated by Hougang grassroots adviser Desmond Choo and his grassroots team, as many residents had sought help in finding jobs.

Employment is a perennial concern, Mr Choo said, and as the economy goes through restructuring, many older workers are likely to need more help.

The Job Hub will match job seekers with vacancies near their homes so they can save on transport costs. The jobs available include that of security officer at the bus interchange, and kitchen helper.

The new centre also held its first job fair yesterday. More than 350 vacancies were on offer from nine employers, including Sakae Holdings, Premier Security and Yes Supermarket.

These companies have tied up with the North-East CDC on a Community Aid Programme, where they commit to hiring residents for a year and the CDC subsidises their salaries for the first six months.

Both Mr Choo and North-East District Mayor Teo Ser Luck emphasised that the Job Hub's opening is not connected with the impending by-election in Hougang.

Mr Choo was the PAP's candidate for Hougang in last year's General Election.

He lost to Mr Yaw Shin Leong, who was expelled from the Workers' Party (WP) in February, leaving the Hougang seat vacant.

Yesterday, Mr Choo said work on the Job Hub started nine months ago and is part of his team's long-term plan for the constituency.

He said: 'We are serious about really helping the people. Timing is not an issue. If (the Job Hub) is linked to any major event, this wouldn't be a permanent thing. So we're here to stay, we're here to expand our outreach to the people.'

While insisting that the by-election is 'not the key thing on my mind', Mr Choo said he has built good relationships and hopes to continue serving residents in Hougang, which has become his 'second home'.

When asked if he has approached the WP about the job centre, Mr Choo said he would not be going to any particular party as the job hub is 'apolitical'. The centre will help all residents referred there, he said.

Mr Teo, who is also Minister of State for Trade and Industry, said the Hougang Job Hub is part of North-East CDC's ongoing plans to create a network of local job placement centres around the district.

The CDC supports two such centres in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and Aljunied GRC, and Mr Teo hopes to open more centres in areas like Eunos, where there are concentrations of job seekers.

Such programmes are important in the face of an uncertain economic climate, said Mr Teo. Singapore's gross domestic product in the first quarter of this year grew by 9.9 per cent over the previous quarter, but he said: 'Now you only see a little glimpse of hope. Hopefully that sustains... but we must always be ready.'

The CDC registered some 2,500 job seekers between last September and February this year.

One resident who signed up at the job fair yesterday was retired hawker Lum Lai Chue, 69, who hopes to work at Sakae Sushi.

She said: 'My brother is supporting me now. It would be good to get a job so I can earn money for myself.'

The Job Hub, which is also open to those living outside Hougang, is located at Block 2, Hougang Avenue3, and is open from 9am to 6pm on weekdays.