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NTUC calls for national support framework for unemployed PMEs

aseanpr
5 minutes

SINGAPORE - A support framework that includes financial aid is needed to help unemployed people move into new jobs. The framework should include a basic tier to provide supplementary income relief and assistance, while an additional level could offer more support for union members and vulnerable, mature workers. This was among nine recommendations that the labour movement released on Thursday (Oct 21) after a year-long consultation exercise to pinpoint better ways to assist professionals, managers and executives (PMEs). The initiative, which was carried out by a task force from the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), involved consultations with around 10,000 workers and business leaders. NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng said: "PMEs feel the pressure from foreign competition and for mature PMEs, they find it challenging to bounce back when they lose their jobs. "Thus, we must do more to level the playing field for our local PMEs, while enabling other forms of employment and employability-related support, like unemployment transition support, job search or training support, for them." The task force also called for a tripartite...

JCN Newswire
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Stereo Camera Adopted in Suzuki’s New Wagon R Smile

ruth
3 minutes

TOKYO, Sep 30, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Hitachi Astemo, Ltd. has announced the adoption of its stereo camera by Suzuki Motor Corporation for the New Wagon R Smile city car, launched in September 2021.In a first for Suzuki, the New Wagon R smile adopts a passing assist(1) function to aid in safely passing cars on narrow roads. Hitachi Astemo's high-precision stereo camera features nighttime pedestrian detection function, and supports various Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) along with Dual Camera Brake Support, which detects pedestrians even at night. It also supports lane departure warning system, adaptive cruise control (ACC) capable of following at all speeds,(2) and image-based training data using Hitachi's proprietary machine learning technology, which is capable of detecting the driving environment with high precision. This state-of-the-art technology significantly improves the car's ability to detect pedestrians even during night and low-light conditions.The New Wagon R Smile is categorized by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure as "Safety Support Car S Wide,"(3) the highest safety classifica...

SeaPRwire

Wage support for aviation sector to be extended to March 2022

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Employers in the aviation sector will get six more months of wage support for their workers to help them tide over the continuing Covid-19 pandemic. The Aviation Workforce Retention Grant amounts to about $130 million and is expected to benefit more than 100 companies, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said on Monday (Sept 27). Eligible aviation companies will receive 30 per cent support for the first $4,600 of gross monthly wages paid to each Singaporean or permanent resident employee from October to December this year. From January to March next year, they will receive 10 per cent support of the same amount. CAAS said that as at September 2021, total passenger traffic at Changi Airport is 3.6 per cent of pre-Covid-19 levels. Consequently, aviation companies have reduced manpower in response to decreased air travel. "After 20 months, the aviation sector remains among the hardest-hit of all economic sectors," said CAAS. The grant was introduced in this year's Budget as part of the OneAviation Support Package for the aviation sector and to "safeguard Singapore's position as an aviation hub". Apart from wage support, aviation companies will also continue to...

ACN Newswire
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Agilex Biolabs Announced as Citeline Award Finalist for COVID-19 Vaccine Toxicology Preclinical Research

indie
5 minutes

ADELAIDE, AUS, Sep 24, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Agilex Biolabs, Australia's most experienced and technologically advanced bioanalytical laboratory and the only biolab in the region with a dedicated toxicology unit, has been selected as a finalist for the Most Successful Early Phase Research (Preclinical & Phase I) category in the Citeline Awards 2021.The Citeline Awards were created to recognize accomplishments across the biopharmaceutical industry, providing an opportunity for the industry to honor its highest achievers. Achievements across the spectrum of key R&D activities are celebrated, from successes in early and late-stage research, to advances in technological tools, to innovations in trial design and execution.Agilex Biolabs offers advanced bioanalytical services for biotech companies and delivers toxicology services to support pre-clinical and early phase research within their TetraQ, division.Dr. Peter Tapley, Director Toxicology at TetraQ, said the research submitted for the Citeline Award focussed on preclinical assessment of the safety and tolerability of a SARS-CoV-2 Sclamp protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine in rats."The preclinical toxicity st...

JCN Newswire
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AbbVie, Eisai, and EA Pharma Launch “Humira Support Tool Ordering Service for Patients”

ruth
4 minutes

TOKYO, Sep 13, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - AbbVie GK, Eisai Co., Ltd., and EA Pharma Co., Ltd. announced today that, on September 13, 2021, the companies launched "Humira Support Tool Ordering Service for Patients" an initiative intended to improve patients' adherence to Humira therapy. "Humira Support Tool Ordering Service for Patients" is a free-of-charge service that assists patients on Humira therapy by directly delivering support tools to their home or other requested location. Patients can use this service by applying on the website or using a designated form to request support tools such as containers for disposal of used syringes, bags for disposal of used pens, disease-specific health management notebooks, and disease-specific medication guides for patients. The requested support tools are delivered to their home or other desired location free-of-charge. Formerly, patients received the support tools they needed during a clinic visit. When the support tools they needed were not available at the clinic, it took time to deliver the support tools to patients, potentially resulting in unavailability of the tools when needed. In addition, some large-sized tools, su...

SeaPRwire

NTUC calls for unemployment support for PMEs beyond current grants

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The labour movement is calling for monetary support beyond current grants to be given to professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) who have lost their jobs. Speaking to the media on Thursday (Aug 26), Mr Patrick Tay, the assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), said PMEs are worried about job security, and require greater support in employment and training opportunities. Citing findings from a recent study of 9,000 PMEs between 20 and 60 years old, he added: "We sense a lot of anxieties and fears among PMEs, particularly mature PMEs (above 40 years old), and therefore we hope to see some form of (help) while they are in the midst of involuntary transition into new jobs." Mr Tay, who is co-chair of a task force which comprises NTUC and the Singapore National Employers Federation, said mature PMEs in particular need help as they face heavier financial commitments, often providing for school-going children and caring for elderly parents. They also typically take a longer time to find a new job and might experience a pay cut when they re-enter the labour market or a new industry. Mr Tay said monetary support can be given to them when tra...

SeaPRwire

Additional $30 million financial support for taxi and private-hire car drivers to cope with Covid-19 restrictions

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Taxi and private-hire car drivers will get additional financial support till end-September to help ease the impact of the latest set of tightened Covid-19 restrictions. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Friday (July 23) that drivers will get an additional $10 per vehicle per day from July 22 to Aug 31. This will then be reduced to $5 per day in September. The Government is funding these measures by providing an additional $30 million to enhance the Covid-19 Driver Relief Fund. Drivers will receive the payouts through the taxi and private-hire car companies, and there is no need to make an application. The latest round of support measures doubles the payouts that drivers are currently receiving. Under an earlier round of measures in June, drivers were to get $10 per vehicle per day for 60 days from this month and $5 per vehicle per day in September. LTA said a total of $482 million had been set aside to support the taxi and private-hire car sectors since February last year. Explaining the additional support, it said taxi and private-hire car ridership is expected to decline significantly with Singapore entering the phase two (heightened alert) period from July 2...

SeaPRwire

MOF announces $1.1b support package: What you need to know

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Friday (July 23) announced a $1.1 billion support package to help cushion workers and businesses from the impact of phase two (heightened alert) measures in place from July 22 to Aug 18. This will be funded by reallocating underused funds and fiscal resources set aside earlier. Here are the key announcements: 1. Enhanced Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) From July 22 to Aug 18, JSS wage support will be raised to 60 per cent for sectors that are required to suspend many or all of their activities. These include food & beverage (F&B) businesses, gyms, fitness studios, performing arts organisations and arts education centres. Other significantly affected sectors will receive 40 per cent wage support. These include retail, affected personal care services, tourist attractions, licensed hotels, cruise and regional ferry operators, Mice (meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions) organisers, travel agents, museums, art galleries, cinema operators and other family entertainment centres. JSS support for all these sectors will be tapered down to 10 per cent from Aug 19 to 31. 2. Rental relief for commercial properties Qualifying tenants in Govern...

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S’pore public to weigh in on rehabilitation of ex-offenders during 3-day virtual summit

aseanpr
5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Members of the public here will be given the chance to weigh in on strategies to help former offenders stay on the right path and not return to a life of crime during a three-day virtual summit which kicked off on Tuesday (July 13). The event is organised by the Community Action for the Rehabilitation of Ex-Offenders (Care) Network and about 500 participants, including university students and faculty members, are expected to tune in. Discussions will cover topics such as employment for former offenders, support for their families, and catering to the needs of different groups of former offenders such as youth, the elderly and those with mental-health concerns. The dialogue sessions are part of the network's efforts to adopt a whole-of-community approach to help former offenders rehabilitate and reintegrate into society. During her opening address at the launch of the summit on Tuesday, Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo discussed initiatives to strengthen support for ex-offenders and their families beyond employment opportunities amid the Covid-19 pandemic. "This past year has been challenging for all of us. This includes ex-offenders and their families, who...

SeaPRwire

Man jailed for forging retrenchment letter to cheat MSF into disbursing Covid-19 Support Grant

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A man who resigned from his job last July forged a letter claiming that he had been retrenched to dupe the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) into disbursing the Covid-19 Support Grant. Benny Ong Hong Beng was unsuccessful as the ministry was able to detect that the letter was a forgery. MSF did not disburse the pay-out, which would have seen him receive a total of $2,400 over three months. The 44-year-old, who used to work for a company called Davis Guitar, pleaded guilty on Thursday (July 1) to committing forgery for the purpose of cheating and was sentenced to 10 weeks' jail. The financial support scheme was announced by the Government in March last year as part of the Resilience Budget to deal with the economic and social impact of Covid-19. It was administered by the MSF and targeted employees affected by the economic impact of Covid-19. An applicant must have experienced, among other things, involuntary unemployment due to retrenchment or contract termination after Jan 23 last year. They must also submit documents including a retrenchment letter. On July 6 last year, Ong tendered his resignation at Davis Guitar, which sells musical instruments, as he ...

ACN Newswire
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Global IT Consultancy Xebia Acquires coMakeIT to Support Clients’ Continuous Innovation

indie
3 minutes

Hilversum, the Netherlands, 22 June 2021 - Xebia, the global IT consultancy firm, has acquired software product engineering company coMakeIT to support clients' continuous innovation and business growth.coMakeIT, founded in the Netherlands in 2006, helps product and software companies thrive by providing software product expertise, people and tools needed to meet ambitious objectives. Today, the company's primary focus is on product software companies creating the right mix of technology and teams support with the right talents so that its clients can achieve sustainable growth. CoMakeIT has profound knowledge of software development, product engineering, application modernization, digital transformation, and recruitment and operates from offices in the Netherlands, the UK, India, and Australia.Xebia is a fast-growing digital leader known for helping companies worldwide digitally transform by offering high-quality IT consultancy from its offices in the Netherlands, India, the UK, the US and Dubai. The company has successfully launched several brands and continues to expand in line with its 'buy and build' strategy: partnering with thought leaders to gain additional footing in the d...

SeaPRwire

$2.2b in JSS payouts to support wages of more than 2m workers from June 30

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - More than 140,000 employers will receive Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) payouts totalling more than $2.2 billion from June 30. This will support the wages of more than two million local employees, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) in a statement released on Tuesday (June 22). With this payout, more than $26.7 billion in JSS support would have been disbursed since the introduction of the scheme at the Unity Budget in February 2020. Employers who have made mandatory Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions for their local employees for the months of January to March 2021 by the stipulated deadlines will qualify to receive the payout, said the MOF and Iras. For the payout in June, employers in the aviation, aerospace and tourism sectors will receive 50 per cent support for the first $4,600 of gross monthly wages paid in January, February and March 2021. Those in food services, retail, arts and entertainment, land transport, built environment, and marine and offshore sectors will receive 30 per cent support for wages paid during the same period. Employers in all other sectors — excluding biomedical sciences, precision engineeri...

ACN Newswire
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Wintermar wins 5-year contract for 2 OSVs supporting Indonesian Oilfield

indie
3 minutes

JAKARTA, May 25, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Wintermar group has been awarded a 5 year contract to provide 2 Offshore Support Vessels for a multinational oil and gas company in Indonesia.Wintermar will supply 2 units of Anchor Handling Tug Supply vessels to support production off the northern coast of East Java for a period of 5 years. The vessels will support an FPSO (Floating Production Storage Offtake) unit in a producing field. The total contract value of the contract for this project amounts to US$ 22 Million."We are pleased to have been selected to support this project by a leading multinational oil and gas company. This affirms our clients' recognition of Wintermar's committed efforts to ensure high standards of quality, health and safety," said Sugiman Layanto, Managing Director of PT Wintermar Offshore Marine Tbk. "This long term contract underlines the Indonesian government commitment to invest heavily to raise the country's output of oil and gas after some years of decline. Wintermar as the leader in the domestic offshore vessel industry is ready to play our role."As at 24 May 2021, the Company's contracts on hand amount to USD 76.7 million.--Building growt...

SeaPRwire

Lower fees for adult day activity centres for lower-income persons with disabilities

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Persons with disabilities from lower-income families will pay less for services at adult day activity centres from October this year, as part of plans to improve their quality of life and services received. Adult day activity centres and disability homes will also receive more funding, meant to raise the standards of care and services, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) announced on Tuesday (April 20). The ministry is also piloting a new disability case management programme meant to better support persons with disabilities who have higher support needs and their caregivers. These moves come about a week after MSF unveiled a slew of recommendations put forth by two work groups under the Third Enabling Masterplan to improve the lives of persons with disabilities here. MSF said that from Oct 1, 2021, a fee cap will be introduced for day activity centre clients from households with gross per capita household income of $2,800 a month or less. Over 500 of the more than 1,300 existing clients, who currently pay between $106 and $754 monthly, will see their fees reduced. The reductions range from six to 81 per cent depending on income tier, and this means the n...

SeaPRwire

New pilot to better support persons with higher need disabilities and their caregivers

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - In 2019, Mr Singam Murugiah twice tried to enrol his adult daughter, who has intellectual disability, at a centre where she could pick up skills and learn to be more independent. She dropped out both times within a month of enrolling. Ms Shantini was too afraid and uncomfortable because of the unfamiliar surroundings, said the 66-year-old. Due to issues with his own health as well as caregiving duties, Mr Singam does not work. It has him worrying for his 31-year-old daughter's future. He is the main caregiver for his family. His 51-year-old wife has health issues and 28-year-old daughter does not work. He also has a 35-year-old son who is married and does not live with them. When social workers stepped in, they identified Ms Shantini as having a form of social anxiety. She is also afraid of loud noises and having strangers around her. As a result, she avoided leaving her home in Chua Chu Kang, said Ms Jocelyn Tan, head of social work at Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (Minds). "Her father, the main caregiver, was facing a significant amount of caregiver stress and burden as Shantini was fully dependent on him for daily necessities," she added. Over...

SeaPRwire
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Me & My Career: She left comfort zone in banking to pursue passion in nursing

elean
9 minutes

SINGAPORE - The death of a friend in 2014 was not just a stark reminder to Ms Vivian Leong Wan Yee that life is short, it also pushed her to start a new career that she had always wanted to try - nursing. Her family had not wanted her to pursue nursing after her O levels as it was perceived back then as a "dirty job" dealing with other people's body waste and hygiene, so she worked as an engineer and then went into banking. Her opportunity to take up nursing came in 2015 through a Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) run by what is now Workforce Singapore, and, this time, she had the full support of her family as they saw how passionate she was. "We will never know what will happen next, so why not try out something that I had always wanted to do. At least, I will not have any regrets even if I tried and failed," says Ms Leong, 43. She now works as a senior staff nurse in a renal medicine ward at Singapore General Hospital (SGH). She took a pay cut when she switched careers, but enjoys her job as she feels satisfied when patients get better or when she helps fulfil their last wishes. The 2018 gross median monthly salary for local nurses who joined healthcare institutions that ye...

SeaPRwire

950,000 HDB households to get additional GST rebate in April as part of Budget support package

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - About 950,000 households living in Housing Board flats will be receiving their regular goods and services tax (GST) rebates this month, and additional rebates to support them during this period of uncertainty. The additional rebates will amount to 50 per cent of their regular GST rebates over this financial year, as part of the Household Support Package announced at Singapore's 2021 Budget. These rebates will be disbursed through the GST Voucher (GSTV) U-Save and U-Save Special Payment initiatives, and will be credited in offsets to household utility bills. There will be four rounds of GSTV – U-Save rebates this financial year - in April, July, October and January 2022. The U-Save Special Payment will be given this month and again in July. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Kiat said in a Facebook post on Thursday (April 1): "At #SGBudget2021, I announced that households will receive 50 per cent more rebate this year to provide additional support for households during this period of economic uncertainty." "The additional amounts will be paid out in April and July. So effectively, households will receive double their regular amount in these two quar...

SeaPRwire
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27,000 employers hired 2 locals each on average in first 3 months of Jobs Growth Incentive scheme

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Some 27,000 employers hired an average of two locals each between September and November last year, with support from the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI). This is higher than the median of one local hire by the same employers in the same period in 2019, said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo during the 20th edition of her jobs situation report on Wednesday (March 31). In all, the JGI supported the hiring of about 130,000 locals between September and November last year, in the first three months of the scheme, said Mrs Teo during a visit to local company Pacific Logistics Group. Nearly all, or 99 per cent, of the employers were small and medium-sized enterprises. About six in 10 of them hired one to two local workers each. The remaining four hired more. The $1 billion wage subsidy scheme was launched last August to spur the hiring of locals. Eligible employers receive up to 12 months of wage support of 25 per cent for each local hire. Last month, the Government announced a seven-month extension of the scheme until September this year, with an additional $5.2 billion allocated. The JGI was also enhanced from March 1 for employers who hire mature workers, people with disabilitie...

SeaPRwire

Over 150,000 employers to get more than $3b in Jobs Support Scheme payouts from end-March

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - From March 30, more than 150,000 employers will receive payouts of over $3 billion under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) of wage subsidies. The payment will benefit over two million local employees. Employers who have made mandatory Central Provident Fund contributions for their local employees for the months of September to December 2020 by the stipulated deadlines will qualify to receive the payout, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) in a joint statement on Thursday (March 25). With this payout, over $24.5 billion in JSS support would have been disbursed since the introduction of the scheme at the Unity Budget in February 2020. For the upcoming payout in March, employers will receive up to 50 per cent support for the first $4,600 of gross monthly wages paid in September, October, November and December 2020. Employers in the hardest-hit aviation, aerospace, and tourism sectors will get 50 per cent support; while those in food services, retail, arts and entertainment, land transport, and marine and offshore will get 30 per cent support. Employers in the built environment sector will get 50 per cent support for wages paid in...

SeaPRwire

First non-profit to support men from low-income families unveiled

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Men from low-income families in Nee Soon South can receive support in finding employment and navigating mental health issues, among other challenges, through a new non-profit dedicated to them. The first organisation to focus on men from low-income backgrounds, Rise Community is the brainchild of Ms Carrie Tan, an MP for Nee Soon GRC. The non-profit was unveiled on Saturday (March 20) at the PAP Nee Soon South branch in Yishun. Its name - Rise - stands for resilience, integrity, strength, and energy. The organisation will work on improving the men's socio-emotional, physical, and financial well-being through peer support groups and by creating employment opportunities. For a start, in a two-year pilot, Rise Community aims to reach out to 500 men between the ages of 20 and 59 who live in Nee Soon South. These will include men who are the sole breadwinners of their family and live in rental flats, those who have lost their jobs, or have always been in low-wage, unstable employment and are looking to gain social mobility. The non-profit, which started work a few months ago, has about 50 members for now. Employees and members of Rise Community will work with community partn...