Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) Programme

The Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) is a national credential
system that trains, develops, assesses and certifies skills and competencies for the workforce. As a continuing education and training (CET) system, WSQ supports the SkillsFuture movement to:

• Promote recognition of skills and competencies to facilitate progression, mastery and mobility
• Promote holistic development of the workforce through technical and generic skills and competencies;
• Support economic development by professionalising skills and competencies to drive industry transformation, productivity and innovation efforts and
• Encourage lifelong learning.

Training programmes developed under the WSQ system are based on skills and competencies validated by employers, unions and professional bodies. The WSQ programmes are funded and quality-assured by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), which awards the WSQ certifications. APSN DSS is an Approved Training Organisation
(ATO) with SSG since 2008.

Every student who qualifies for the certification track at APSN DSS will have the opportunity to attempt and obtain the Statements of Attainment (SOA) for all the modules offered in one of the following four WSQ vocational training programmes provided at APSN DSS:

• Hotel and Accommodation Services
• Food & Beverage
• Retail Operations
• Horticulture

Students are assigned to one of the four vocational training programmes based on a rigorous profiling process conducted by staff (trainers, psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists) with the aim of preparing them for a career in the industry that suits their strengths and skills.

APSN DSS has put in place the following framework of progressive periods of work attachment to facilitate students’ transition from school to work. The maximum age for students to complete the WSQ programme is 21 years old.

Year 1 & 2	School – Based Vocational Training
Year 3	150 Hours of On-Site Training (OST) 600 Hours of Work Experience Programme (WEP)
Year 4	48 Weeks of Work Experience Programme (WEP) 2
Year 5	48 Weeks of Work Experience Programme (WEP) 3 This programme is only for students who require the extra runway to complete the training in their respective vocational programmes.

Food & Beverage

Students in the Food & Beverage programme will be placed in one of the specialisation areas – Culinary Arts, F&B Service or Pastry and Baking – based on an internal assessment by the trainers at the end of Term 1 / Year 1. As part of the programme, students will be awarded Statements of Attainment (SOA) for completing each of the following modules within their areas of specialisation.

Core Modules:

• Food Safety Course Level 1
• Workplace Safety and Health for Food and Beverage Operations

Culinary Arts WSQ Modules:

• Western Cold Dish Preparation Level 1
• Western Cold Dish Preparation Level 2
• Specialty Cuisine Preparation and
  cooking
• Seafood and storage Fabrication
• Western Moist–Heat Dish Preparation
  and Cooking
• Meat Storage and Fabrication

Food and Beverage Service WSQ Modules

• Prepare Mise En Place for Service
  (Food and Beverage Service) Level 1
• Prepare Mise En Place for Service
  (Food and Beverage Service) Level 2
• Prepare and Serve Standard Nonalcoholic
  Beverages Level 2
• Prepare and Serve Standard Nonalcoholic
  Beverages Level 3
• Service Challenges

Pastry and Baking WSQ Modules

• Bread Preparation Level 1
• Bread Preparation Level 2
• Pastry Preparation Level 1
• Pastry Preparation Level 2
• Pastry Preparation Level 3

Hotel and Accommodation Services

Students in the Hotel and Accommodation Services programme will be awarded Statement of Attainment (SOA) for completing each of the following modules. As part of the programme, students will receive training in multiple areas of housekeeping work involving the cleaning of public areas, performing tasks in the laundry room, servicing guest rooms in a hotel setting. Apart from the above, they will also be trained in handling guest’s feedback effectively and other areas in a typical Housekeeping setting including the role of a Housekeeping Coordinator. Selected students will be exposed to the area of Bell Service Delivery.

Hotel and Accommodation Services WSQ Modules:

• Workplace Safety and Health Performance Management
• Laundry Operations Management
• Public Areas Housekeeping Operations Management
• Linen and Uniform Room Operations Management
• Customer Challenges Management
• Housekeeping Operations Management 1
• Housekeeping Operations Management 2
• Bell Service Delivery (for selected students)

Retail Operations

Students in the Retail Operations programme will be awarded Statements of Attainment (SOA) for completing each of the following modules. As part of the programme, students will receive training in performing tasks within various contexts to prepare them for work in retail outlets and warehouses.

Retail Operations WSQ Modules:

• Store Security Policy
• Inventory Control
• Sales Closure
• Service Excellence
• Comply with Workplace Safety and Health Policies and Procedures
• Food Safety Course Level 1

Horticulture

Students in the Horticulture programme will be awarded Statement of Attainment (SOA) for completing each of the following modules. As part of the programme, students will receive training in performing tasks to support and execute horticulture, turf and general landscape work in landscape settings.

• Hazards and Risk Control and Policy Management
• Plant Health Management and Disease Control
• Horticultural Chemical Usage
• Soil and Media Assessment and Remediation
• Plant Propagation and Production

LEAD Programme

The LEAD Programme provides a progressive competency-based curriculum that covers various aspects of students’ development. This includes life-skills development through vocational training and other key learning areas to develop students to be competent in terms of knowledge, skills and character. The key learning areas of the LEAD Programme are as follows:

• Work Skills Training (Year 1 and 2)
• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Fitness and Health (includes community-based training)
• Personal Management
• Computer Skills Training
• Vocational Experience Programme (Year 2)
• LIFE curriculum
• Mobility Training
• Fundamental Skills Training
• Visual Arts

Literacy	The literacy curriculum is designed to prepare our students with a range of transferrable skills and knowledge essential for personal and job success. Students are provided opportunities to read, listen, speak, and write texts for a range of purposes in the workplace and in daily living situations. The Workplace Literacy (WPL) test helps to validate the competency of students’ literacy skills. These skills are significant for students to sustain their employment, career advancement, as well as skills upgrading through lifelong learning. The curriculum also prepares students for the 21st century workplace by equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to develop personal effectiveness and communication skills.
Numeracy	The Numeracy Curriculum is designed to equip every student with numeracy skill sets that are required at their future workplaces as well as in their personal lives. The numeracy curriculum includes the “I’M Ready For Life” programme, which adopts a multi-pronged approach to incorporate the numeracy knowledge, skills and attributes identified under the SPED Living, Learning & Working outcomes. Numeracy lessons are made relevant and students get multiple platforms to apply the skills learnt in authentic setting. In addition, the “I’M Digital Plus” programme in the numeracy curriculum provides basic digital training to help students navigate the digital environment with ease, so that they can enjoy the convenience and benefits that technology brings to their daily lives.
Student Character Development	The Student Character Development (SCD) curriculum serves to nurture students with good values, sound character, and the ability to serve the community. The key programmes of SCD are Personal Management (PM), Service Learning (SL) and National Education (NE). In addition, the Healthy & Safe Relationship course is offered to selected students. In Personal Management lessons, students learn the importance of self-regulation and how to manage their emotions to ensure personal and social well-being. Service Learning develops students to be socially responsible citizens who contribute to the best of their ability to the community. National Education aims to provide opportunities for students to take pride in our national identity, have a sense of belonging to Singapore and be committed to nation-building. They learn to value Singapore’s socio-cultural diversity, and live in harmony and care for others.
Fitness and Health	Through a number of platforms, the Fitness & Health (FH) department seeks to inculcate in students, the skills needed to lead dignified, fulfilling and independent lives. This is achieved through building up the students’ skills in: • Self-Care, e.g. Nutrition Management, First Aid, Sports Safety • Character Development, e.g. Sportsmanship, Teamwork • 21st Century soft skills, e.g. Problem-Solving, Collaboration • Community Integration, e.g. Use of Public Fitness facilities
Job Support Unit	The Job Support Unit team takes a progressive approach to support students to become dignified and contributing graduates. Employer Relations 1) Establish and maintain relationships with employer partners 2) Conduct school tours for employer partners 3) Manage student employment-related concerns 4) Main point of contact with employers at the HR level Job Coaching 1) Provide on-site job coaching. 2) Act as a liaison between employers and student. 3) Educate employers through workshops. 4) Create person-centred intervention strategies for students. 5) Conduct vocational and site assessment.
Allied Professionals (AP)	The Allied Professionals (AP) team comprises of Speech and Language Therapists, Psychologists, Social Workers and Occupational Therapists, who provides goal-directed individual and group intervention programmes specifically tailored to the students’ overall functionality and job sustainability. Other Services of the AP team 1) Employer Education 2) CARE Kit Training 3) Group Work 4) Vocational Profiling 5) Student/ Family Engagement Programme 6) Festive Celebration cum Family Bonding Workshop 7) Site Assessment 8) Ergonomics Workshop