Awards For Factory-Converted Dormitories To Recognise Exemplary Efforts In Foreign Worker Housing And Well-Being Management

1. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is introducing the Dormitory Awards for Factory-Converted Dormitories (FCDs) to recognise exemplary efforts in foreign worker housing and well-being management. In conjunction with the launch of the Dormitory Awards, MOM is also organising a “Home Away From Home” photo competition for foreign workers who live in FCDs to share their personal, positive experiences staying in FCDs through photographs.
2.  The Ministry has invited all 1000+ FCD operators and FWs who stay at the FCDs to submit their entries for the award and the photo competition.  A ceremony will be held in February 2017 where Minister of State for Manpower, Mr Teo Ser Luck, will present the prizes to the winners.
   
   Dormitory Awards for FCDs
   
   
3. Through the conferment of awards to deserving FCD operators, MOM aims to encourage all FCD operators to adopt good dormitory management practices and raise overall housing standards. Other than looking out for FCDs with exemplary housing standards, MOM will also assess the efforts of FCD operators in going the extra mile to provide facilities beyond the minimum required standards, to meet the social and recreational needs of their residents or just adding the extra touch to create a comfortable living environment for workers.
4.  The panel of judges will comprise representatives from the industry – the Dormitory Association of Singapore, migrant worker rights advocacy group – Migrant Workers’ Centre, and MOM.
   
   Home Away From Home: A Photographic Story by Our Foreign Workers
   
   
5. Foreign workers who live in FCDs are also invited to submit to MOM, photos of their favourite spaces in their dormitories, and describe their personal experiences of staying in these dormitories. The objectives are to showcase and promote good housing standards at FCDs, and celebrate the “Home Away from Home” experience of our foreign workers, as they work and live in Singapore. Workers are free to give us their accounts in their native language.
6. Commenting on the inaugural dormitory award and the photo competition, Ms Jeannette Har, Director, Well-Being of MOM’s Foreign Manpower Management Division, said, “We hope these new initiatives will nudge operators towards going beyond the minimum. While enforcement remains a mainstay of MOM’s approach to regulating dormitories, we believe that continuous engagement and recognition of good efforts will spur FCD operators to adopt good practices to improve the well-being of their residents. Over time, we will also include other dormitory types, such as the purpose-built dormitories.”
7. The closing date for entries for the Dormitory Awards and the photo competition is 2 December 2016. More details can be found in the Annex.