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Business Times
12 hours ago
- Business
- Business Times
Employment agency for persons with disabilities – profitable from Year 2 while doing good
[SINGAPORE] Inclus, a recruitment agency specifically for persons with disabilities (PWDs), has been pretty busy in its seven years of operations, scaling and moving into new areas in which it can be of service. Its founders, Shaun Tan, Anders Tan (who are unrelated) and Arudra Vangal, knew from the start, in 2018, that their end-to-end integrated disability employment services outfit would be run on a social enterprise model instead of a purely non-profit one – in other words, they wanted to generate revenue while doing good. Inclus maintains a single bottom line rather than a double or triple bottom line, because its business model and social mission are intertwined. As Shaun Tan put it, the company has never wanted to be in a position of having to choose between the two. The pair, former schoolmates at the Singapore Management University, might have hit on something right, for the business was profitable from Year 2, drawing its revenue through fees from companies looking to hire PWDs. Inclus has placed more than 200 PWDs in roles in sectors, including finance and food and beverage (F&B), since its inception. It is an issue for PWDs to find – and keep – jobs. The Ministry of Social and Family Development's 2024 disability trend report indicated that in 2022/2023, the average employment rate among PWDs aged 15 to 64 was about a third (32.7 per cent), up from 28.2 per cent in 2018/2019. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Tan said: 'Their high level of unemployment is both a problem and an opportunity to be addressed at the same time.' The rise of artificial intelligence also adds some heat to the problem. Take Michael Ang, a 30-year-old with Down syndrome, but is high-functioning. He works in a restaurant in King Albert Park, and worries that AI would outdo him in productivity and quality of service. 'AI can work more hours and (won't) complain about being tired,' he said. A global survey of 11,000 executives, polled for the Future of Jobs 2025 report, found that 41 per cent of employers plan to downsize their workforce because of AI's potential to replicate job roles. With such findings in mind, Inclus is going beyond matching PWDs to employers willing to take them in – to taking steps to future-proof its job-seeker candidates. It is also helping businesses to tap the potential and benefits of inclusive employment. While Inclus has not leaned towards any industry in particular, it has targeted jobs in administration, logistics and engineering, because PWD placements in these sectors tend to be employer- and industry-driven, said Tan. Even when Covid hit, these industries continued hiring, he said. Technology for good Because some companies view employing PWDs as a box-ticking exercise, a tokenism, Tan said that Inclus 'asks a lot of questions' to ensure that companies are in it for the right reasons. The company is also mindful of its PWD candidates would have to fit in at their workplace. Potential employers, on their part, may expect a PWD's productivity to be on a par with that of other colleagues on the same salary. Recognising that PWD employees 'will take a bit longer to get up to productivity', Tan said Inclus provides training and job support through partnerships with organisations such as SG Enable, the focal agency for disability and inclusion. On the possibility that AI could take over the PWDs' roles in the workplace, Lim Lee Lee, general manager of social enterprise Collective Perspectives, is more sanguine, pointing out that 'AI cannot do all the functions for, or of, a PWD'. She said technology could instead be leveraged to improve lives. This technology could take the form of, for example, AI-powered speech-recognition systems for people with mobility or talking difficulties. 'So instead of viewing AI-powered tools as a threat, we need to embrace and learn to work with them. AI-powered tools are compliments and cannot replace the work entirely.' To prepare the younger generation for an AI future, Inclus is also supporting students with special-education needs through internship placements. In this new area, the company works with institutes of higher learning and specialised secondary schools to arrange for the internships for PWDs aged 17 to their 20s. He added that while Inclus began with adult employment as its focus, the team knew that it had to 'engage them earlier in their lives, when they are (still in school or even) as early as when they get diagnosed'. 'This is so that we work with them as early as possible, with employment and independent living as the end goal.' The company is looking to expand its presence in Asia, and is piloting an after-school care centre in Penang, Malaysia. Tan said: 'The numbers (of PWDs) will not be going away or dropping, and employing (this group) is one of the ways (businesses) can stay relevant in the longer term.' Inclus was one of the 24 companies awarded the DBS Foundation Grant in 2023, and it is using the grant to build a mobile app to scale its outreach.
Mint
26-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Behind the job cuts: Is AI the real reason?
At present, the outlook is mixed. The World Economic Forum (WEF)'s Future of Jobs 2025 report predicts 170 million new jobs this decade, but 92 million will be lost. One in four jobs globally is exposed to generative AI (GenAI), says a May 20 study by the International Labour Organization and Poland's National Research Institute. Google has laid off 12,000 workers since 2023, including 200 in May. Microsoft, Amazon, and Duolingo are also downsizing, while Meta cut 5% of its workforce in February—even as Mark Zuckerberg has offered $100 million sign-on bonuses to lure top AI talents. Also read | Mint Primer | Family offices total 300 now. What's driving them? Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warns AI could halve entry-level white-collar jobs and push unemployment to 20% in five years. Geoffrey Hinton echoes the risk of mass white-collar job losses. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella links layoffs to AI-focused restructuring, while Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai cites a push for efficiency. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says AI agents will reduce some roles. InMobi CEO Naveen Tewari predicts 80% of coding will be automated by 2025. OpenAI's Kevin Weil and Zerodha CTO Kailash Nadh believe junior developers face the greatest risk. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang believes AI will shift, not erase, jobs. Also read | Mint primer | Air India crash: How is the Indian probe going? Tech layoffs began after the pandemic-era overhiring. Post-lockdown, many reevaluated and downsized. By end-2022, 263,000 global tech workers were laid off, with another 167,600 in Q1 2023, per Statista. While AI's impact on future layoffs remains unclear, automation is expected to replace many manual, rule-based tasks, potentially leading to more layoffs in tech. Also read | Hormuz heat rises: Can India weather an oil shock? Frontline jobs like farmworkers, delivery drivers, and care workers are set to see the highest volume growth, while tech roles in AI, fintech, and big data will grow fastest by rate, according to WEF. Clerical roles—cashiers, bank tellers, and data entry clerks—will face sharp declines. By 2030, 39% of workers' skills will be outdated, demanding constant upskilling. In-demand skills will include AI, big data, cybersecurity, and tech literacy, alongside soft skills like creative thinking, resilience and a commitment to lifelong learning. Also read | What global central banks are signalling about the road ahead WEF says 59% of workers will need upskilling by 2030. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon warns AI-driven job losses, especially in entry-level roles, will become a key political issue by 2028. Karnataka says it will study AI's workforce impact to guide policy. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei proposes a 'token tax" on AI profits for redistribution, while some experts push for Universal Basic Income. Meanwhile, companies may need to rethink fully outsourcing tasks to AI agents that still blur fact and fiction. Also read | Can bike taxis survive India's regulatory crackdown?
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- The Hindu
Beyond connectivity: Rural India's role in building a digitally ready workforce
A recent report from the Ministry of Education highlights that 51% of Indian schools have functional computers, and 53% have internet access. While these statistics underscore the persistent digital divide in our education system, they also set the stage for a more hopeful narrative — one quietly unfolding in the most unexpected corners of the country. In rural India's modest classrooms or via shared screens in households, young learners are showcasing a new kind of digital fluency. One that is not dependent solely on infrastructure or high-speed connectivity, but instead rooted in adaptability, resourcefulness, and desire to explore. These are, in fact, the foundational skills for India's future-ready workforce. As India moves toward a digital-first economy, where an estimated 75% of future jobs will require some level of digital proficiency, as per the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs 2025 report, the urgency to bridge the digital readiness gap becomes increasingly clear. Take the simple act of a child borrowing their parent's phone to listen to a voice note from a teacher. Or the scene of a small group huddled around a tablet, working through lessons together. Or older siblings teaching younger ones to navigate an educational app in their mother tongue. These everyday moments — often overlooked — reflect an early and instinctive digital mindset. Here, learning does not flow in a single direction or medium. It shifts constantly — from textbooks to audio messages, from peer-led discussions to screen-based exploration. This blended approach is not a fallback; it is a preview of lifelong learning in a dynamic economy. Digital literacy is no longer just about operating devices or knowing how to browse the internet or use an app. True digital literacy encompasses agency, confidence, curiosity, and problem-solving — traits that directly impact learning attainment as well as employability. The role of public-private partnerships cannot be understated either. Across the country, we are seeing collaborative efforts to equip teachers with digital tools, integrate STEM modules into rural classrooms, and establish digital labs in resource-poor environments. These initiatives are slowly chipping away at the infrastructural challenges — but the real transformation lies in how children and communities are responding. What began as an access issue is becoming a story of empowerment. India's demographic dividend — with nearly 65% of its population under the age of 35 — offers us an unparalleled opportunity. But it is only meaningful if this generation is equipped with the skills to participate meaningfully in the digital economy. Technology, which allows children to learn in the languages they speak at home, bridge comprehension gaps and foster a deeper sense of belonging in the learning journey. The rural digital learning experience offers more than just inspiration; it offers a scalable, replicable model where curiosity, not connectivity, is the true driver of growth. To build a workforce that is not just employable but empowered, we need to pay close attention to what these children are already teaching us: that the future of digital literacy in India is being written in the homes, courtyards, and classrooms across the country. And if we're willing to listen, we may find ways to create more equitable opportunities to academically build on what is already happening on ground, so that children are not just learning for the future, but are actively building it. (The author is CEO of Bharti Airtel Foundation)
