Job coaches help ITE students with special needs thrive in internships

Mentors help student interns understand social norms and cope with responsibilities

- Elisha Tushara

Standing when others are standing, dressing neatly for work, and asking for permission before taking a break — these may seem like basic workplace behaviour for many.

But for some, learning such conduct requires time and reinforcement.

For 19-year-old Rahmad Nelson Muhammad Edy, who was born with autism, having a job coach made all the difference in his transition from student to working intern. During his six-month internship at Conrad Centennial Singapore as part of his Higher Nitec in Retail and Online Business course at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), his job coach's guidance helped him navigate workplace norms and expectations.

As a member of the hotel's room service crew, Mr Rahmad was tasked with serving food and drinks to guests and managing inventory. He found the responsibilities overwhelming at first.

"There are many things expected of you, like managing the stock, being diligent and preparing guests' orders in 30 minutes," said Mr Rahmad, who had no prior work experience.

To prepare him for his internship, Mr Zuriat Rashid, 44, a life skills coach and trainer at Inclus — a social enterprise that supports workplace integration for people with disabilities — conducted a two-day workshop to teach him about appropriate workplace behaviour and how to communicate effectively with others.

He continued to provide Mr Rahmad with guidance and support throughout his internship.

The initiative is part of the ITE-SG Enable Internship and Employment Support programme, which was announced by Second Minister for Education Maliki Osman during the debate on the Education Ministry's budget on March 6.