north east heartbeat nAugust – eNovember 2016 NE STARS Generation Green Hawker – Entrepreneur NE CELEBRATES NATIONAL DAY 2016 Red and White Dinner SMART LIVING Life Made Easy Learn how different agencies work together for a better community nnorth easte heartbeat August – November 2016 08 NE COMMUNITY NE LEISURE 4 Mayor's Message 17 Upcoming Events Feature Story NE Celebrates 6 Joining Forces to Help Residents National Day 2016 8 Our Tampines Hub: 2 Perspectives 18 Red And White Dinner NE Stars Smart Living 10 10 Generation Green Hawker- 19 Life Made Easy Entrepreneur 11 A New Lease of Life for His Xchange Career 20 Sudoku Challenge and Spot The Locations Adviser Q & A 12 A Small Move Makes a Big 21 Makan 2 Difference 13 Closer to Residents, Closer to 22 Coupons Solving Issues Together 19 14 Happenings in the Neighbourhood For advertising enquiries please contact Diana Teo Tel: 9389 5235 Fax: 6489 1354 Email: [email protected] North East Heartbeat is published quarterly by the North East Community Development Council, 300 Tampines Ave 5 #06-01, NTUC Income Tampines Junction, Singapore 529653. North East CDC is part of People’s Association Network. Copyright is held by the publisher. All rights reserved. Production in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The views and opinions expressed or implied in North East Heartbeat are those of the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Printed by Times Printers Pte Ltd. ISSN 0219-3876. North East Heartbeat is printed on environmentally-friendly paper which comes from forests with re-planting programmes. 270,000 copies are distributed free to all homes in Aljunied, Pasir-Ris Punggol and Tampines GRCs, as well as Hougang and Punggol East SMCs. You can also pick up a copy of North East Heartbeat at all community centres and clubs in the North East district. mayor's message Dear residents, You may have heard of the saying “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. North East CDC and its partners have been working with this principle in mind when it comes to helping our needy residents. We provide them with immediate relief to tide them over for the short term, such as providing short-term financial assistance and temporary community jobs through our Community Employment Programme (CEP). At the same time, we also want as Workforce Development Agency, every month and in total, we have to ensure that residents are able to WDA) and Ministry of Social and helped more than 1,500 residents to gain self-reliance in the long run. Family Development (MSF) to help date. This can be done by referring them our residents. Cases were referred to North East CDC’s Job Placement by MSF and WSG to our CEP, which You can find out more about how Centres (JPCs) which will help them allows our needy residents to work North East CDC has been working find full-time employment. When in various temporary community with our partner agencies in the residents become self-sufficient, our jobs. At the same time, our JPCs and feature story of this issue. resources can be freed up to help WSG would work closely in assisting others in need. these residents to find a permanent job. This tripartite partnership means With this holistic approach in that the cases are being assisted in a Mayor mind, North East CDC has been more holistic manner. An average of working our partners, Workforce 40 cases are referred to CEP by WSG Singapore (WSG, formerly known and the Social Service Offices of MSF Teo Ser Luck 亲爱的居民， 我们都知道“授人以鱼不如授人 的居民推荐给东北社理会的职业配对中 北区的社会服务中心接获40个案，由 以渔 "的道理。 心（JPC）,我们希望居民最终都能自 东北社理会配对参与社区就业计划。到 秉持这样的信念，东北社理会与 食其力，让资源用在其他最需要的人身 目前为止，我们已经协助了1500多名 我们的伙伴机构携手合作，向弱势东北 上。 东北居民。 居民伸出援手，并帮助他们最后达到自 我们采取多管齐下的策略，与我 您可以在这一期季刊的专题报道 力更生的目标。 们的伙伴劳动力发展局和社会及家庭发 中，进一步的了解社理会如何与伙伴机 我们的社区就业计划（CEP）就 展部携手合作。在东北区，我们设立了 构合作，协助东北居民。 是一个很好的例子，这个计划为需要协 多个职业配对中心，与劳动力发展局共 助的东北居民提供短期就业机会，让 同跟进个案，以确保他们求职、工作能 他们通过社区工作赚取基本生活开支 够渐上轨道。每个月我们平均从新加坡 东北区市长 应急，同时我们也把有意寻求全职工作 劳动力发展局以及社会及家庭发展部东 张思乐先生 4 AUGUST – NOVEMBER 2016 ne Para penduduk sekelian, Anda mungkin pernah mendengar contohnya dengan merujukkan mereka Secara purata 40 kes dirujukkan peribahasa "Berikan seseorang ke Pusat Pemadanan Kerja yang akan setiap bulan ke CEP oleh WSG dan itu ikan dan anda memberinya membantu mereka mencari kerja Pejabat Khidmat Masyarakat MSF, dan makan untuk sehari; ajarkan orang tetap. Apabila penduduk mampu sehingga hari ini kami telah membantu itu cara menangkap ikan dan anda berdikari, sumber terhad kita boleh lebih 1,500 penduduk. Kami akan memberinya makan seumur hidup". dimanfaatkan untuk membantu orang terus meneroka peluang kerjasama Dalam membantu golongan lain yang memerlukan bantuan. dengan rakan-rakan akar umbi kita yang memerlukan, CDC Timur Laut Dengan pendekatan menyeluruh untuk meluaskan rangkaian kita. dan rakan-rakannya telah mendukung sebegini, CDC Timur Laut telah Anda boleh mengetahui dengan prinsip ini. Kami menyediakan bekerja sama dengan rakannya seperti lebih lanjut tentang bagaimana CDC bantuan segera demi memastikan Workforce Singapore (WSG, dahulunya Timur Laut telah bekerjasama dengan mereka mampu mengharungi dikenali sebagai Agensi Pembangunan rakan-rakan agensi dalam rencana kesukaran yang dihadapi untuk Tenaga Kerja, WDA) dan Kementerian yang terkandung dalam isu Heartbeat jangka pendek, misalnya dengan Pembangunan Sosial dan Keluarga kali ini. Kami harap anda seronok menyediakan pekerjaan sementara (MSF) untuk membantu penduduk membacanya. dalam lingkungan masyarakat, seperti kita. Kita mempunyai lima Pusat Program Pekerjaan Masyarakat (CEP), Pemadanan Kerja dalam kawasan yang bermula pada 2011. Pada kita untuk menangani kesemua kes masa yang sama, kami juga ingin yang dirujukkan kepada kita dan kami memastikan bahawa penduduk akan menghubungi para penduduk Salam hormat, dapat menjaga diri mereka untuk kita untuk memastikan mereka dalam Datuk Bandar jangka panjang. Ini boleh dilakukan, keadaan baik. Teo Ser Luck AUGUST – NOVEMBER 2016 5 feature story Joining Forces to Help Residents A Case Study Mr Tee (not his real name) is the sole breadwinner of a small family. He recently lost his job due to company downsizing, and when he was unable to find a similar job in the same industry for months, he became worried about household expenses and his children’s education costs. A neighbour referred him to the Tampines Social Service Office (SSO), which provided him with short-term financial support so that his family’s basic needs could be met. The Tampines Social Service Office also referred him to North East CDC, which found him a temporary job near his home so he could earn some money while looking for a permanent job. Concurrently, the Workforce Singapore (WSG) provided him with career counselling and coaching, helped him polish his resume and guided him in looking for a permanent job in another industry. Mr Tee found a permanent job five months later. The new job didn’t pay as much as his previous one, but because of the training and skills upgrading he received under WSG’s WSQ framework, he can look forward to career progression and eventually, a substantial salary increment. Mr Tee’s future is looking much brighter, but what makes him most satisfied right now is that he is once again self-reliant. 6 AUGUST – NOVEMBER 2016 ne “Residents come to us distressed because they have many problems and don’t know where to begin. Our job is to listen, help them prioritise and solve their problems.” Ms Farihana (MSF) orth East residents full-time jobs and will also give in need of a job can them a hand in their long-term find relief through job career development. placement scheme made Mr Kelvin Tan, a career coach at possibleN by a partnership between WSG’s Career Centre, works with a North East Community Development diverse group of jobseekers ranging Council (CDC), Workforce Singapore from retrenched workers to women (WSG) and Ministry of Social and going back to work on their career job agencies, MSF also assesses its Family Development (MSF). planning and job placement needs. clients to determine if they need These three organisations work The 38-year-old Mr Tan has any other forms of financial or social closely together to ensure no worked in both the public and assistance. The three agencies will vulnerable resident falls through the private sectors and his vast follow up with the cases to ensure cracks. experience has helped him residents are fully receiving the help To help job seekers, North understand the requirements of they need and making progress. East CDC has two programmes. Its a variety of jobs. This has proved Since the scheme started in Community Employment Programme useful in providing career advice to 2011, it has helped many residents (CEP) places eligible job seekers in cases under his care. become self-sufficient. To date, temporary positions for up to six Meanwhile, social service more than 1500 residents have months, which helps them to earn officers from the MSF complete the been assisted by North East an allowance while looking for a framework, playing a key role in CDC’s Community Employment permanent job. Meanwhile, another supporting the scheme. Ms Farihana, Programme. North East CDC programme the CDC supports is the 32, a social service officer from continues to see an average of 40 Job Placement Centres (JPCs), which Tampines, says: “Residents come cases a month which have been help job seekers find permanent to us distressed because they have referred by MSF and WSG. North employment. many problems and don’t know East district’s residents who need At the same time, job seekers where to begin. Our job is to listen, help can either walk in to their who approach North East CDC and help them prioritise and solve their nearest community centre or e-mail MSF will also be referred to WSG.