THE National Healthcare Group (NHG) and Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) have become the first healthcare providers to step up and tap into the silver force of older workers - specifically those approaching the retirement age.

Putting into action a government scheme - named Advantage! - to re-train and re-employ older workers, the healthcare clusters will be offering some 28,000 staff the option of re-employment in the same job or a different job when they reach the age of 62.

Chief Executive of the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), Mr Ong Ye Kung, said that 'adapting early would give them the advantage of putting in place systems and processes' such as an adjusted physical working enviroment that would enhance the work performance of older workers.

Currently, about 40 per cent of both clusters' staff strength is above 40 years old and more than 700 workers will reach the retirement age of 62 within the next five years.

So retaining older workers is also the solution to meet growing demand for healthcare services, the clusters say.

Older re-employed workers can also look forward to plans to make their work or workplace more conducive.

For a start, they are encouraged to participate in health and lifestyle management programmes such as those launched by Alexandra Hospital.

They could also learn about financial planning and personal effectiveness through SingHealth's Silver Connection movement launched last September.

Retired healthcare professionals looking for non-full-time jobs can also be employed for various short and long-term projects like conducting patient surveys and post-natal homecare initiatives.

To make the workplace more physically suited for older workers, SingHealth institutions have also looked into automation and investing in equipment to make the elderly workers' jobs less physically demanding.

Patient care and health care assistants - who are generally in their 40s and 50s - will have to undergo advanced skills and developmental training programmes to equip them with more in-depth knowledge and take on expanded roles and responsibilities at work.

The Advantage! scheme by the WDA, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) offers companies grants of up to $400,000 per company to help them implement re-employment policies, and recruit, retain and re-employ mature workers.

The deadline for the implementation of this scheme is 2012, when a compulsory re-hiring law is expected to take effect.