MINDS and McDonald’s help students be more ‘work ready’

SINGAPORE — To help students with special needs become more “work ready”, the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) and McDonald’s Singapore have embarked on a collaboration which will see 23 students from all four MINDS schools participating in a two- to four-week work attachment programme at seven McDonald’s outlets.

Launched yesterday, the programme provides another platform for MINDS to give some of its students hands-on experience and exposure to actual working environments when they turn 15.

“This is where they also learn how to communicate, how to take instructions from the supervisor, how to communicate with fellow colleagues,” said Mr Keh Eng Song, CEO of MINDS at the launch held at McDonald’s Bedok Bus Interchange.

From tomorrow, the first batch of 13 students in the programme will be familiarised with actual duties on the job, such as packing of condiments and utensils, cleaning of serving trays and greeting customers at the door. Some will be accompanied by their teachers during the programme, which will see them working up to four days a week, four hours each day.

Although no allowance will be provided, their meals and uniforms will be sponsored by the fast-food chain.

Six students participated in a pilot programme last year. After graduation, four found jobs in the food and beverage and hospitality industries and a MINDS sheltered workshop.

Thanks to the programme, these students tend to fare better at job interviews too.

“They used McDonald’s as an example (of the work experience) that they went through, and employers were pretty impressed, in the sense that they knew what the work was all about,” said Mr Keh.

Rejoining the programme is 17-year-old Benedict Chong, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder. His previous stint at the McDonald’s outlet in HarbourFront Centre saw him perform cleaning duties, such as wiping tables and sweeping the floor.

His mother, Madam June Lee, 52, believes the attachment programme will help “build his confidence” in the workplace and added that she hopes the fast-food chain will employ him after he graduates.

Noting how students in last year’s pilot have “progressed significantly in their work and integration capabilities”, Ms Phyllis Cheung, Managing Director of McDonald’s Restaurants, said the global chain hopes “to be able to support more persons with special needs to be work ready for potential future opportunities” with this long-term partnership and commitment.

Besides McDonald’s, MINDS is also working with nine organisations to provide work attachment programmes for its students. Last year, the school had 61 work attachment placements, while it has 88 placements this year.