13 partners join Singapore athletes support scheme

The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) has launched its Sports Excellence Education Scheme and Sports Excellence Career Scheme which will benefit more than 1,000 Team Singapore athletes.

With these schemes in place, Singapore now a formalised system of support for athletes to cope effectively with the dual demands of competitive sport and their careers or studies.

Launching the schemes, Teo Ser Luck, Singapore Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Chairman of the High Performance Sports (HPS) Selection and Performance Sub-Committee, stated "athletes commit much of their prime to help bring glory to Singapore. There are sacrifices and dedication on the part of the athletes.

"While the expectation on them is high, we should assure them they are being taken care of now and in the future after their sports career."

The Sports Excellence (Spex) Career Scheme promotes a flexible work environment combined with a comprehensive support system that will allow athletes to balance their pursuit of high performance sports with career aspirations.

This scheme was developed to ensure a more comprehensive framework to manage both employer and employee expectations and understanding in the area of high performance sports. Flexible workplace practices for these athletes will include the provision of flexi-time work arrangements, flexi-leave and flexi-place work arrangements such as carrying work responsibilities at a location other than the official workplace.

Seven companies from a diverse range of industries have agreed to be part of this landmark career scheme, which will be driven by a strong network of businesses in Singapore known as the Sports Excellence Business Network for Athletes.

The network pioneers are Adecco, Charles & Keith, KPMG, MOH Holdings, MSIG Insurance, Resorts World Sentosa and StarHub.

Teo added "through this business network, we hope to interest companies including SMEs, to share our beliefs in the value of athletes as valuable employees by offering them career development support in jobs and apprenticeship.

"This support will allow our national athletes to achieve their aspirations in sports and a second career after sports.

"I urge more companies to join us in this journey to support our Team Singapore athletes."

KPMG Singapore Partner for People, Performance & Culture Stephen Tjoa agrees and believes that there are mutual benefits for athletes and businesses.

Toja explains "our athletes help to inject more vibrancy to our firm's efforts to develop a supportive environment that plays a key role in motivating and empowering young talents.

"It also emphasises the importance of achieving an optimal and harmonious relationship between pursuing sports professionally and fulfilling one's individual aspirations and potential."

The Spex Education Scheme is designed to provide student athletes sufficient flexibility to enable them to pursue their chosen sport while maintaining a certain academic rigor. It also allows them to leverage on their sporting achievements to gain admission into Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and be merited for their dedication to their sport.

Six Institutes of Higher Learning have come onboard as education partners, which will benefit Team Singapore athletes pursuing their studies with them. The IHLs are Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU), Republic Polytechnic (RP), ITE College East, ITE College Central and ITE College West.

SSC Chief Executive Lim Teck Yin adds "our young athletes and their parents are sometimes in a position where they have to make a choice between pursuing sporting and educational aspirations. It should not be an either or situation. Our athletes have been able to benefit from the best of both worlds.

The Spex Education and Career Schemes are extended to all carded national athletes while partner employers and IHLs are welcome to extend these flexible practices to other athletes working or enrolled with them.

It will be managed by the Athlete Services Department from the Singapore Sports Institute – the nation's premier institute for the development of high performance sports and nurturing of elite athletes.

For more information go to www.ssc.gov.sg 

Image: Participants in the Sports Excellence Education Scheme. 

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