Job coaches help students with special needs to prosper in internships

Singapore – standing when others are standing, Dress – well before work and asking for permission before taking a break – they may seem to be basic expectations at work.

But for some, These habits require time and reinforcement.

For Rahmad Nelson Muhammad Edy, 19 years old, who was born with autism, having a work coach made all the difference in his transition from the student to the trainee.

During his six -month -old internship at Conrad Centennial that Part of his higher retail and business selling course at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), the guidance of his work coach helped him to sail on the norms and expectations at work.

As part of the service crew of the hotel rooms, Mr. Rahmad was in charge of serving food and drinks to the guests and to manage the inventory. The responsibilities were overwhelming at first.

“There are many things expected from you, such as the management of the stock, to be diligent and to prepare the orders of the guests in 30 minutes,” said Mr. Rahmad, who had no previous work experience.

In order to prepare for his internship, Mr. Zuriat Rashid, 44 years old, a coach and life skills trainer in includes a social enterprise that supports the job integration for people with disabilities has led a two-day workshop to learn about a proper work of work and how to communicate with others.

He continued to give Mr. Rahmad guidance and support during his internship.

The initiative is part of the internship assistance program and the employment of ITE-SG, who was announced by the second Minister for Education Maliki Osman during the debate on the budget of the Ministry of Education on March 6.

Launched as a pilot in the middle of 2024, the program prepares the students with special needs for the workforce by training in the work place, the resumption of writing and the preparation of the interview.

After they have been placed in internships or jobs, students receive continuous mentoring from job coaches.

So far, about 100 students have benefited, with plans to expand the contribution to 250 annually.

Navigating expectations at work

Beyond job skills, Mr. Rahmad had to learn about emotional regulation at work.

“Sometimes he had to stay for long periods, and when he was tired, he felt frustrated -he showed on his face,” said Mr. Zuriat. “These are common challenges that we work with with the students, so that they can adapt to expectations at work.”

For students with autism, understanding the social norms unspoken at work can be difficult. The behaviors that are acceptable at home may not be translated well into a professional framework, which makes work coaching.

“It is difficult to detach them from these habits. There the coaches can enter, to implement strategies slowly, progressively, to help them. And as we do this, we also monitor their progress ” said Mr. Zuriat.

While providing support is important, Mr. Zuriat said that students with special needs should develop independence over time, by being able to practice learned strategies in the absence of their work coaches.

“One of the things we are trying to do in the first week in itself is to identify the key staff who can provide natural support at work,” he said, adding that it is important to educate collaborators about the strategies they can use and communicate with people with special needs.

By the end of his internship, Mr. Rahmad had grown up in confidence. His supervisor mentioned that he contributed positively during the formation sessions of the department, actively participating and answering questions correctly.

“Any small change is still a good change,” said Mr. Rahmad, who said that support for jobs is important for students like him, so they Do not be overwhelmed by new work experiences and you are successfully completing their internships.

Said Mr. Zuriat, “This is the moment for them to make mistakes. It is still okay, because they get to learn from them before entering the workforce. “

Overcoming communication barriers

For Hriday Thorumuru, 18 years old, the challenge was different. Born with hearing losses in an ear and only partial hearing in the other, he was initially impatient for communication at work.

A student in the ITE’s IT applications development program, Mr. Hriday has worried that his difficulty of following the fast pace conversations will retain him.

“By growing, I could not listen to many people who speak at the same time and I could not catch myself when people were talking too quickly,” said Mr. Hriday, telling his experience of primary and secondary school.

As he learned to overcome these challenges, improving and paying attention when people were talking about a job communication.

During his internship in Chrysalix – an inclusive information technology (IT) – from July to December 2024, Mr. Hriday took tasks such as software installation and hardware troubleshooting.

His job trainer, Mrs. Hillary Lim, 29, from the non-profit research and technology trampo, has provided on-site support to help her adapt.

“In addition to learning how to communicate with my colleagues, supervisors and clients, I also chose organizational skills”, Sirul Hriday He said, adding that he learned to give priority to tasks to improve efficiency.

Mrs. Lim said that, at the beginning of his internship, Mr. Hriday did not trust and guess his work secondly, frequently asking for validation. But over time, it became more independent, even assumed leadership roles.

“This was a new experience for him, because he no longer works alone, but with others and others,” she said, adding that he must be used to his mistakes by his supervisors and clients.

Over time, Mrs. Lim said that Mr. Hriday has grown up in confidence while participating in office activities such as creating office furniture and even designing a guide on How to get to the office space in the Mapex building at MRT Marymount station.

Mrs. Lim has echoed the need for inclusive education at work, mentioning that it can be isolated for people with special needs to be the only ones with such conditions.

“I eliminated the gap between the employer and the employee, acting as an intermediary,” she said. “Our goal is not only placement, but long -term career evolution and continuous improvement.”

• Elisha Tushara is a correspondent at The Straits Times, specialized in the landscape of education in Singapore.

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