CDE to Boost Dialect Proficiency of Migrant Domestic Workers

~ CDE’s MOUs with SHHKCA and TSA to conduct Hokkien and Cantonese classes for MDWs will enhance their ability to carry out caregiving responsibilities more effectively and with greater cultural sensitivity ~

During the annual May Day Domestic Employees’ Celebration, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) expressed appreciation to migrant domestic workers (MDWs) for their invaluable contributions in supporting families in Singapore. Held under the theme “Together We Build, Together We Celebrate”, the event honoured the spirit of unity and partnership between MDWs and the families they care for. The celebration was graced by Senior Parliamentary Secretary (SPS) for Manpower Mr Shawn Huang as Guest-of-Honour.

At today’s celebration, CDE signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) — one with the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Cultural Academy (SHHKCA) and another with The Salvation Army (TSA). These partnerships aim to improve the caregiving capabilities of MDWs by strengthening their language and communication skills through Hokkien and Cantonese dialect training.

Boosting MDWs’ Communication Skills and Dialect Proficiency to Enhance Caregiving Capabilities

These new collaborations build on the success of earlier pilot runs conducted by CDE — two runs of Cantonese classes involving 25 participants and one Hokkien class with 11 participants. Feedback from both MDWs and employers have been encouraging. MDWs shared that they feel more confident and connected when communicating with elderly care recipients, while families noted the classes provided meaningful support in daily caregiving. This initiative also complements CDE’s Eldercare & Self-care Training Programme, which equips MDWs with practical caregiving skills to care for their own mental and emotional well-being. To date, 175 MDWs have completed this training.

This gave impetus to CDE to help MDWs pick up dialects, like Hokkien and Cantonese, to boost their capabilities and confidence in understanding and communicating better with employers and their family members who speak in dialects. Through this effort, CDE wants to enhance MDWs’ ability to carry out caregiving responsibilities more effectively and with greater cultural sensitivity, and build positive MDW-employer relationships.

To further support MDWs in their caregiving roles, CDE also piloted the Caregivers’ First Response Course (CFRC) by NTUC LearningHub (LHUB), a hands-on training covering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), choking response, fall prevention, and other first-aid skills for both elderly and children. Between December 2024 and May 2025, 165 MDWs successfully completed the course. Feedback from both MDWs and employers has been positive, with participants sharing that the course boosted their confidence and readiness to manage minor emergencies at home.

Director of NTUC Migrant Workers Segment Mr Michael Lim, said, “I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our MDWs for the work they do as integral members of Singapore’s caregiving ecosystem. NTUC cares for our MDWs and will continue to work closely with CDE to foster harmonious employment relationships between MDWs and their employers, while also providing the necessary resources to MDWs to support their well-being and health. Today’s MOU signing with SHHKCA and TSA marks an important step in empowering MDWs with language skills to improve communication as they care for the elderly. It reflects CDE’s commitment to upskilling MDWs — not just in caregiving, but also in building confidence and deeper connections with the families they serve.”

The MOU with SHHKCA was signed by Mr Michael Lim, Director of NTUC Migrant Workers Segment; and Mr Perng Peck Seng, Executive Director of SHHKCA. The MOU-signing was witnessed by Mr Michael Tan, Deputy Director of CDE; and Mr Jeremiah Soh, Manager of SHHKCA.

The MOU with TSA was signed by Mr Michael Lim, Director of NTUC Migrant Workers Segment; and Colonel Hary Haran, Territorial Commander of TSA. The MOU-signing was witnessed by Mr Michael Tan, Deputy Director of CDE; and Captain Tan Bee Yit, Regional Officer of TSA.

Fostering Harmonious MDW-Employer Relationships Through CDE MasterChef: Let’s Wok Together

Ahead of the main celebration on 22 June 2025, CDE hosted its first-ever MasterChef-style cooking competition, also known as CDE MasterChef: Let’s Wok Together, on 1 June 2025 at AllSpice Institute. The competition featured 25 pairs of MDWs and their employers, who teamed up to create unique dishes using ingredients from a mystery box challenge.

In line with this year’s theme “Together We Build, Together We Celebrate”, the event showcased how collaboration in everyday moments — even in the kitchen — can strengthen the bonds between MDWs and the families they support. It was a light-hearted, yet meaningful way to highlight the spirit of partnership, cultural exchange, and mutual appreciation that underpins harmonious household relationships. As participants cooked, laughed, and learned together, they embodied the very heart of what it means to build and celebrate as one.

After the participants completed their dishes, a panel of esteemed judges — Chef Valerio Pierantonelli from Four Seasons Hotel, Chef Anup Kumar from AllSpice Institute, and Mr Michael Lim, NTUC Director of Migrant Workers Segment — sampled each creation. From there, the judges selected the top five finalists. The top three winners were then revealed during today’s event and received their prizes from SPS Huang.

Celebrating the Contributions of MDWs

The May Day Domestic Employees Celebration, organised by NTUC and CDE, was held at NTUC Centre and attended by more than 1,000 MDWs, employers, union leaders, partners and guests. Aside from the MOU-signing and announcement of winners for CDE MasterChef: Let’s Wok Together, the carnival-style celebrations featured a myriad of activities for participants, including games, karaoke, cultural activities, stage performances, as well as partner booths and engagement zones.