Opening Remarks by Minister of State Foo Cexiang at ONE APSN Skills Showcase Challenge 2026
Minister of State, Mr Foo Cexiang, APSN Delta Senior School
Dr Anthony Fok, Chairman, APSN,
Board Members of APSN,
Distinguished guests, partners, teachers,
Most importantly, all our students and adult trainees,
A very good morning to everyone.
Celebrating 50 Years of Possibilities
1. I must say I really love the dance performance by APSN Chaoyang School. The dance by the students is really fantastic. The moves, the rhythm, the smiles on their faces and the confidence. I think it is a great testimony to what our teachers have put in, but also to the students’ own inborn talents and passion that APSN has been able to bring out and help to flourish. So, congratulations and well done!
2. I am so happy to join all of you today at the ONE APSN Skills Showcase Challenge 2026, as APSN celebrate your Golden Jubilee. I have been here since about ten in the morning, and I have gone to each station where the students were preparing, and I think they are all looking forward to the results. I am looking forward to the results myself as well. I think the judges must have had a very difficult time, because all of you in the process, you look so committed and the end product looks so beautiful. So whether you win, whether you are second, congratulations! All of you have done wonderfully well!
3. Fifty years is a remarkable amount of time. It is a milestone. But when we think about our support for our children, it is not just about the number of years. It is really through the lives that APSN has touched, the confidence that you have built in your students over the past 50 years, the possibilities that you have opened for them, the comfort and assurance that you have provided their families and caregivers.
4. Today’s showcase captures that spirit. And while I have seen the demonstrations, I have certainly not witnessed the hard work, the many months of preparation that went in behind. Today, the students here are already the individual winning representatives of their respective schools, but you can see so many other students that put in hard work practising. The students are not just showing us what they have learnt. They are showing us what they can do when they enter the workforce. And from what we have seen today, we have every reason to be confident that they will do well in the workforce.
5. As a society, when we think of our children, one question that I think is important for us to think about is: Do we see a person first by the challenges they face, or by their strengths and possibilities that they bring?
The Opportunity to Contribute
6. Every one of us wants the opportunity to contribute. We want to learn. We want to grow. We want to be recognised for what we can do.
7. This is true of any young person who is taking their first steps towards employment. It is also true of every parent. The hope that my child will be able to have a good future and have a good career. It is also a hope of every employer, that we can find good staff who will be able to help the company, who will be able to grow the businesses.
8. Earlier on, when we were having a short discussion, we were saying how resilient and responsible our students from APSN are. This is something that the employers have given feedback. The job retention rate is strong. When our students are on the job, they are focused, they know what needs to be done and they don’t skive. They don’t look for easy way out, because in their minds, they have been trained to do their best, and this is how they can do their best. If you ask me, this is a competitive advantage that our students from APSN have. It is not even about levelling the playing field. You have an advantage, so keep it up and well done for our students.
9. Today, I thought to also share a quick story on one of the students from APSN. He is not here with us today because he is working, and he is called Jeff. And to all the teachers who are familiar with Jeff, Jeff began his training in Facilities and Laundry Operations. During his work attachment, he discovered that his real passion lies in interacting with guests.
10. Jeff later joined Mercure Icon Singapore as a bellman. The working environment was busy, the expectations were higher in the working world, the transition was not an easy one. But he continued to learn. He built his confidence. He grew his stamina and he strengthened his independence.
11. I am very glad to share that Jeff’s efforts were recognised by the hotel, and he was offered open employment at the hotel. And those of you who are not aware of what open employment means, it basically means you are the same as every other person who applies for the job, and you get it fully based on your own merit. So, congratulations to Jeff!
12. Jeff’s story is an example for all of us, for our teachers, our families and most importantly, for our students. All of you can do it because you already have a wonderful start at APSN. You keep it up, you persevere, you never say die, and you will be able to accomplish great things in life.
13. Most importantly, and it comes back to my question about society. Jeff’s story is not about what someone did for him. It is about how he was able to achieve his own opportunities because his abilities were recognised and when he received the right support and the opportunity to prove himself. So what our students need above all is a platform, and this is a platform that the society must be able to give them. It is not just within APSN, it is not just within their house. It is something that the society has to come together to support our students.
From Getting a Job to Growing in a Job
14. Singapore has made encouraging progress in this front. The average employment rate of persons with disabilities has risen quite strongly from about 28 per cent in 2018 and 2019 to almost 35 per cent in 2024 and 2025. This is quite a significant jump. APSN, in particular, you have done really well. Your job-retention rate is close to 85 per cent in 2025. Well done, APSN!
15. While we celebrate these figures, we steer ourselves to do even better because our ambitions must go beyond helping our students secure a job. We want our students to remain in employment, to develop new capabilities and also progress in the workplaces. One of the questions we had over discussion was how our students will be able to continue to thrive in a world with AI, and this is a very complicated question. Our employers are grappling with it. The Government is grappling with it. Everyone is grappling with it. But one thing that we need to have as we grapple with it, is when we put the worker, the student in the middle, how do we enhance the opportunities of our workers across all jobs. When we work together, we will be able to find a solution that grows the Singapore’s economy, and most importantly, to provide better jobs for our workers. This is the approach that we will take.
16. Employment is not just an income, but also confidence, independence, and the dignity of contributing through one’s abilities. Recently, I was having a discussion with several business professionals, and we were talking about what happened if you have growth with no jobs. One solution can be that you grow, and the Government taxes all the companies and distribute the taxes. The problem with this is that you may have income, but a lot of population will not have jobs. That is not healthy. Jobs give us confidence. Jobs give us a sense of belonging. Jobs give us a sense of self-worth. This is for everyone; you and I included.
17. This is why we have to make sure that with economic growth; we continue to have good jobs for all our students. The effort that the entire ecosystem, SG Enable, APSN, have been putting in for our children with special needs. This is the kind of mentality that the whole society will now need to adapt and will now need to adopt.
18. And in that sense, APSN is the front runner in this journey because you have been supporting employers who hire inclusively. I want to thank all the partners and judges who are here today, because your support really goes beyond just providing employment for the students. You have provided a great sense of meaning to them, a great sense of purpose and assurance to their families. Thank you very much to our employers.
19. Every judge that I spoke to earlier, when I thanked them for partnering with us, they said that they were so happy to be here themselves. I can see it in your eyes that you are happy to be here because you want to make sure that our students are given the best, so thank you very much.
Building a “We First” Society
20. This is what a “We First” society should look like, where no one is defined only by their limitations, and no family has to make the journey alone. Together as a society, we make choices that may appear small: an employer who gives someone a chance; a supervisor who adapts the way a task is taught; a colleague who offers patience and encouragement; or a customer who recognises the pride behind a job well done.
21. Our choices tell the people that we love: You are valuable, you are important, and most importantly, you belong here.
22. To our participants and our students, thank you for showing us your skills!
23. To your teachers, families and caregivers, who were so excited and cheering from the outside, thank you very much!
24. And to our employers, I hope today’s showcase gives you even greater confidence to believe in our students and to give them many more opportunities.
25. Ladies and gentlemen, when we open a door for one person, we do more than change one life. We strengthen a family, enrich a workplace. Most of all, we make the society a loving one that all Singaporeans hope to have and deserve to have.
26. Congratulations once again to APSN on your Golden Jubilee, 50 years of transforming lives and opening possibilities.
Thank you.