By Clarissa Oon, Senior Political Correspondent

HOUSEWIFE Serene Goh is going back to the classroom to acquire basic workplace skills to help her land a job.

She now pays just 10 per cent of the fees of these government-funded Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) programmes. With new help measures introduced by the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), the 40-year-old will soon pay even less.

Instead of $136, she will pay half the amount, or $68.

The CDAC, a self-help group, announced this additional help for low-income Chinese Singaporeans and permanent residents yesterday, as an extra safety net for those who cannot turn to employers to co-sponsor their training.

This will complement existing programmes by the national labour agencies, said the chairman of the CDAC board, Mr Lim Swee Say, who is also labour chief.

The new aid is part of the CDAC's $23.2 million worth of schemes for helping workers, families and the elderly this recession year. Called the CDAC Opportunity Programme (Cope), the aid amounts to an increase of 15 per cent in its budget.

The CDAC expects to help 64,000 people this year, compared to the annual average of 52,000, said Mr Lim.

With Cope, people like Mrs Goh will pay just 5 per cent of the fees to learn workforce skills like effective communication. The Government foots 90 per cent, under its $600 million Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience, or Spur.

The CDAC will also reward people when they complete their WSQ courses. They will get up to $400 in cash when the courses certify them as career-ready.

Mrs Goh, a mother of two girls aged eight and 10, said: 'I'm not working and have no income, so such help makes the courses very affordable.' Her husband earns $1,600 as a warehouse supervisor.

If she gets a job, the CDAC will also give her a $25 ez-link card for transport.

Other new help measures the council will offer this year are:

# Extra subsidy for needy Chinese Singaporeans attending its tuition classes; and

# Finding part-time jobs or flexi-work for the elderly whose children may be struggling to support them.

Mr Lim said other self-help groups, such as Mendaki for the Malays and Sinda for the Indian community, would roll out similar aid schemes soon.

The Government said during its January Budget statement that a total of $9 million will be given annually to community self-help groups for the next two years. It did not give further details.

As the downturn is hurting a growing number of families, 'we would rather give help now than wait until the details are finalised', said Mr Lim.

The CDAC is drawing on its reserves to do so. When the extra Government funding comes, it will help offset its projected deficit of $4 million, he said.

The bulk of CDAC's funds comes from the contributions of working Chinese residents. They give between 50 cents and $1 a month, depending on income level.

Mr Lim said the council is working with the Workforce Development Agency to identify people on Spur training who would benefit from its Cope programme.

The CDAC will also partner Community Development Councils to subsidise tuition classes for needy students at community clubs and centres.

Quoting the Chinese proverb 'zili gengsheng' (regeneration through one's own strength), Mr Lim said the overall aim is to give needy Chinese Singaporean families a further boost towards self-reliance.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.