12/3/2020 Determined to find a job despite facing cerebral palsy, Economic & Work News - BeritaHarian.sg https://www.beritaharian.sg/ekonomi-kerja/tekad-cari-pekerjaan-walau-hadapi-palsi-serebrum 1/2 Economics & Work Premium Determined to find a job despite facing cerebral palsy Less Efforts Get this article to republish BORN with a physical disability, Mr. Muhammad Shamin Sharin Pitchai Abdullah is often worried about the fate of his job. He is especially concerned about employers who do not want to give him the opportunity to get to know the skills, talents and abilities he possesses. He faced the challenge of finding the job after he completed his National Service (NS) in 2016, with him unemployed for more than a year even after sending resumes to various government agencies and private sector companies to get jobs. Mr Shamin, 28, suffers from cerebral palsy, with his right leg shorter than his left leg, but he is independent and does not need any help or depend on a caregiver for daily activities. "Employers are still hesitant to hire physically disabled employees like me because many feel that we will not be able to do the job we are given," he said. Dec 03, 2020 | 05:30 AM GRATEFUL: Mr Muhammad Shamin's employer, Hatecke Service Singapore, created and designed the role of administrative and technical assistant in their company especially for himself as part of their efforts to support and encourage individuals with disabilities to work. Mr. Shamin suffers from cerebral palsy, with his right leg shorter than his left leg. - BH photo by TIMOTHY DAVID 12/3/2020 Determined to find a job despite facing cerebral palsy, Economic & Work News - BeritaHarian.sg https://www.beritaharian.sg/ekonomi-kerja/tekad-cari-pekerjaan-walau-hadapi-palsi-serebrum 2/2 Despite having a Higher Nitec certificate in mechanical engineering, Mr. Shamin did work in a variety of different industries including healthcare and information technology (IT) because he could not find a job that suited his abilities. But in March, he finally managed to get a job that he was interested in as an administrative and technical assistant at the rescue boat industry company Hatecke Service Singapore with the help of a diploma course administrator he joined. After trying out jobs in various industries, Mr. Shamin decided to join a diploma course in business practice (administration and management) under the Work and Learning Program at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. There, a course administrator referred him to Hatecke Service Singapore to apply for a job. Initially, he applied for a rescue boat technician job because the role matched his knowledge in the field of engineering. However, due to his disability, the company instead created and designed the role of administrative and technical assistant especially for himself. "This is part of the company's design and job modification scheme to support and encourage individuals with disabilities like myself to work and do part-time studies so that I can gain practical work experience while still studying," he said. As an administrative and technical assistant, Mr. Shamin supports various departments within the company, such as the administration, sales and marketing departments and technical departments so that he can learn and understand the various roles and functions in the company. He is thankful that the company gave him the opportunity to do the job even though he has no experience or knowledge in administration, with his colleagues all giving a lot of support and patience in guiding him to understand and learn the work process. In order to provide more support to individuals with disabilities in the workplace, Mr Shamin said employers, managers and colleagues could take the time to understand the soft skills and talents of the group, and pay attention to their ability to work rather than their physical disabilities. "Employers can undertake efforts, such as redesigning jobs, so that disabled individuals can also contribute to the workforce. Employers can also approach organizations such as SG Enable for advice on job support and become an inclusive employer," he said. Sales manager at Hatecke Service Singapore, Mr Ashwin Sivadass, said everyone has the right to prove themselves and disability does not determine their fate. "Some groups of individuals with disabilities can still work as efficiently as others. If most employers can be inclusive in hiring, many people with disabilities will be able to lead normal lives. There is no room for discriminatory recruitment practices," a spokesman said. that.