NTUC and CDE launch dialect training to help migrant domestic workers connect with elderly

NTUC and the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) have signed partnerships with two organisations to boost migrant domestic workers’ (MDWs) communication skills through dialect training programmes.

At the annual May Day Domestic Employees’ Celebration held on 22 June 2025, CDE, the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Cultural Academy (SHHKCA), and The Salvation Army (TSA) have committed to working together to conduct Hokkien and Cantonese classes for MDWs.

The initiative aims to enhance MDWs’ ability to carry out caregiving responsibilities more effectively and with greater cultural sensitivity, particularly when caring for elderly family members who primarily speak dialects.

Building on successful pilot programmes

The new collaborations build on encouraging results from earlier pilot runs conducted by CDE. Two Cantonese classes involved 25 participants, while one Hokkien class had 11 participants.

Feedback from both MDWs and employers has been positive.

MDWs reported feeling more confident and connected when communicating with elderly care recipients, while families noted that the classes provided meaningful support in their daily caregiving.

For Enik Suparmi, a 49-year-old migrant domestic worker from Indonesia who has worked in Singapore for over 25 years, learning Cantonese became essential when she started caring for her current employer’s family.

“It helps me a lot, especially to communicate with grandma,” said Enik, who attended the pilot Cantonese course last July.

“When my grandma orders things from me, asks me to cook, or cook rice or cook porridge, I can say yes, okay.”

Enik discovered the course through CDE’s social media channels.

“I want to improve myself, how to communicate better in different languages,” she explained.

Even though the grandmother passed away three years ago, Enik continues to use her Cantonese skills with other family members, including her employer’s brother, who has dementia and communicates primarily in the dialect.

Her enthusiasm for language learning extends beyond just Cantonese.

“Whatever course I can take – Hokkien course, English course – I will try,” she said, demonstrating the commitment to continuous improvement that the training programmes aim to foster.

Comprehensive training approach

Beyond language skills, CDE has also expanded its training offerings to include practical caregiving capabilities.

The centre piloted a Caregivers’ First Response Course by NTUC LearningHub, covering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, choking response, fall prevention, and other first-aid skills for both the elderly and children.

Between December 2024 and May 2025, 165 MDWs completed the course, with participants reporting boosted confidence and readiness to manage minor emergencies at home.

Evelyn Paracueles, a 57-year-old migrant domestic worker from the Philippines, exemplifies how these training programmes are making a difference.

Having cared for her employers’ elderly parents since 2018 – a 96-year-old grandfather and an 87-year-old grandmother with dementia – she was eager to improve her caregiving skills.

“I am very interested because I look after grandma with dementia,” said Evelyn, who discovered the Eldercare & Caregiver’s Self-Care course through CDE’s Facebook page.

“I learned how to properly use a walking stick, walking frame and other mobility aids. I also acquired skills in effective communication between seniors and their helpers.”

The course proved highly practical for her daily responsibilities.

“I learned about transferring patients from bed to wheelchair, from wheelchair to bed, and about food preparation, especially communication,” she explained.

What resonates most with Evelyn is the personal connection to her work: “Every time I see them every day, I remember my grandparents. My grandma looked after me since young, so this is giving back to other people.”

Evelyn has become an advocate for the programme, actively encouraging other domestic workers to participate.

When she was featured on CDE’s Facebook page, many Filipino domestic workers contacted her for guidance. She even recorded a video showing the route to the training centre to help others navigate there.

“Very important because we can also use when we go home, when we go home for good, we can also use for our relatives, our parents and to other people,” she said.

This initiative complements CDE’s existing Eldercare & Self-care Training Programme, which equips MDWs with practical caregiving skills while supporting their own mental and emotional well-being.

To date, 175 MDWs have completed this training.

NTUC Migrant Workers Segment Director Michael Lim said: “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.”

The May Day celebration, held under the theme “Together We Build, Together We Celebrate,” was attended by more than 1,000 MDWs, employers, union leaders, partners and guests, and was graced by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower Shawn Huang.

Migrant domestic workers interested in CDE’s training programmes can find more information on the Centre for Domestic Employees’ Facebook page or visit their website. Employers who wish to support their domestic workers’ participation in these courses can also contact CDE directly for guidance on available programmes and schedules.