SINGAPORE - Former offenders will get more help to enhance their employability, including extended support from a job coach and the use of a jobs profiling tool.

These measures were announced by Mr Amrin Amin, Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs, during the debate on the ministry's budget on Friday (March 2).

These come under the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (Score), which provides services such as skills training and job placement to help former offenders reintegrate into the workforce.

Score will be introducing a job profiling tool to assess and coach inmates more effectively.

It will also extend job retention support for former offenders from six to 12 months.

"In other words, inmates can have a job coach for a year after their release," said Mr Amrin.

Another measure is to offer advanced culinary skills training to inmates under the WSQ (Workforce Skills Qualifications) framework.

This will equip inmates with vocational skills in demand by potential employers in the food and beverage sector, said Mr Amrin.

There are plans to offer advanced WSQ training in other areas, he added.

He noted that over the last year, more than 5,500 employers have supported Score.

With their support, 97 per cent of inmates who were referred to Score last year, or 2,143 inmates, secured a job before their release.