SINGAPORE - Construction companies that employ foreign workers who are new to Singapore must now pay an additional $75 per head, for them to participate in a one-day orientation training and to integrate into the local working environment.

The Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC) announced on Sunday (Sept 23) that the Foreign Workers Settling-In Programme will start from Oct 1.

MWC chairman Yeo Guat Kwang told the media during an MWC Mid-Autumn Festival event that the course fee is $75 per person, including consumption tax, which must be borne by the employer.

An estimated 3,600 migrant workers are expected to benefit from the programme in its first three months.

The course contents provide the workers with an introduction to Singapore's work culture, social norms, employment laws, employment and work injury compensation rights, as well as information on SGSecure and other key laws.

Courses will be conducted in six migrant workers' native languages - English, Chinese, Tamil, Bengali, Thai and Burmese.

The Ministry of Manpower announced in November last year that non-Malaysian foreign workers who are new to Singapore must attend the above courses.

MWC also said that foreign construction workers who apply for a work permit from Oct 1 must attend the orientation training within 14 days of arriving in Singapore.

This regulation will be progressively rolled out to employers and foreign workers in other fields such as the marine, processing, manufacturing and service industries.

Said Mr Yeo: "It is important to integrate our migrant friends into society as they are far away from home and may not know how to navigate their new environments when they first arrive.

"With the Settling-In Programme, we hope to ease some of the anxieties that come with settling in to a foreign land, and ensure our workers know they are not alone should they encounter any issues during their time in Singapore."