SINGAPORE: The newly minted Silver Generation Office (SGO) is ramping up efforts to recruit more volunteers reach out to seniors with a new training facility.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong officiated the official opening on Friday (May 4) of the SGO Training Facility located at the SGO’s headquarters at the Ministry of National Development’s Tower Block on Maxwell Road.
AdvertisementThis comes after the Pioneer Generation Office was renamed SGO and merged under the Agency for Integrated Care, a move announced during this year’s Budget. The move is part of a larger scheme to expand the Community Network for Seniors (CNS) programme nationwide by 2020.
The SGO trains and mobilises volunteers, known as Silver Generation (SG) Ambassadors. These SG Ambassadors go door to door to explain policies and schemes to seniors, connect seniors with community activities and events, and help them to apply for assistance where needed.
In order to do this, they need to undergo the proper training, which not only equips them with the relevant knowledge, but also the soft skills to connect with seniors.
The SGO Training Facility provides 12 hours of classroom training. This consists of eight hours of basic training where topics such as the Pioneer Generation Package, MediShield Life and support schemes for seniors. There remaining four hours are for CNS training, which covers active age of programmers, health services and engagement skills.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe SGO said the opening of the new training facility will allow it to continue to upskill and build the capability of SG Ambassadors to sense and respond to the social and health needs of seniors.
Since it began operations in January this year, over 1,700 SG Ambassadors have been trained at the new facility. In total, the SGO currently has 3,000 volunteers, which it hopes to grow by 10 per cent this year.
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