More should support pilot project 
to train foreign domestic workers

I refer to the report “Non-profit offers training courses for foreign domestic workers” (Aug 30). The pilot programme is a new way for domestic workers to get better equipped with skills to help care for a wider spectrum of families. Both employers and maids can benefit from such courses.

Family needs today have moved beyond basic ones such as cleaning to include more complex ones such as caring for the elderly with dementia. More employment agencies and training providers should come forward and partner with organisations such as the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training to develop domestic workers’ skill sets.

The programme should also include courses such as communication skills and how to care for family members or loved ones who have special needs or a mental illness, so maids are prepared to face more complex situations.

These courses should have different levels of difficulty to ensure that the domestic workers are able to learn the skills properly. The maids should also be assessed on whether they have been able to competently apply the skills taught.

With first-time domestic workers, it is important that they are allowed time to adjust to Singapore’s culture and the demands expected of them in the household, so they can better understand their employers’ points of view. This adjustment period should not be rushed.

Skills enhancement and training are necessary to help domestic workers stay relevant. Through such courses, they can learn new skills and relieve stress felt by their employers. The latter also need to give their maids a better work-life balance and appreciate their efforts in caring for their family members, especially those who are ill or elderly.

Perhaps agencies could consider absorbing the cost of the courses after the pilot phase to give their domestic workers an advantage and help them face challenges in the course of work.

I hope employers and foreign domestic workers will build greater understanding in their working relationship to meet the expectations of their households. Respect and recognition should be accorded to foreign domestic workers for their contributions and I hope employers will support this pilot project to develop the skills of their domestic workers.

CORRECTION: The author’s name was previously misspelt in this letter. We apologise for the error.