This young Singaporean is on a mission to fight ageism and help older workers restart their careers. At 28, she started a social enterprise to fight ageism. She built a community of more than 800 members, comprising former managers, directors, and general managers aged 40 to 73. Lim Kai Ning, now 30, is the founder of The Courage Chapter, which organizes transition workshops and short-term and longer-term employment opportunities for members at organizations like consumer goods giant Unilever, St Andrew’s Autism Centre, and Lions Befrienders. It was a fleeting encounter in university that made her realize ageism exists, said Lim. The then-Nanyang Technological University accountancy and business undergraduate had co-founded CareerSocius, a social initiative that helps job seekers maximize their career potential, which she still runs today. At one of Lim’s community resume writing workshops, as she was helping some 50-year-olds review their resumes, one spoke bluntly. "No matter how well you write my resume, I still won’t be able to find a job. Employers will reject me because of my age," he declared. "I was shocked," recalled Lim. "Because I was trying to do this thing, and this guy tells me it is useless." What struck her most was his sense of hopelessness, and she wished she could do something. That feeling stayed with her throughout her career in human resources at Unilever. Then, in 2023, after returning from an 18-month-long job posting to South Korea, Lim found herself at a crossroads. "I was 28 years old. I asked myself if it was crazy to give up the best years of my career (to start a social enterprise). I was very torn and cried frequently about it," she told CNA Women. Ultimately, she took that leap of faith. In November 2023, she started The Courage Chapter, initially taking a sabbatical with her director’s blessing before finally resigning in September this year. THE MIDLIFE PAUSE NO ONE PLANNED FOR The Courage Chapter was created to champion inclusive employment, specifically to help midlife and older professionals overcome age-related barriers at work, said Lim. The co-founder was selected for this year’s National Council of Social Service’s annual 40 Under 40 leadership program, which recognizes outstanding young leaders in the social service sector. One of Lim’s members is an ex-GM who got retrenched in his late 50s during the pandemic. When his search for a similar role failed, he looked for managerial roles. And people questioned why a former GM would take a step down and huge pay cut. He then tried a different industry, still with no success. He even applied for an administration job but was rejected on grounds that he had no administrative experience. "It was mind-blowing because there is literally no option for him," Lim said. With layoffs on the rise, mid-career workers find themselves more vulnerable. Lim said that as mature workers tend to be at middle management or above, jobs are simply scarcer and competition, stiff. Even those willing to take a more junior role may not find one. "I feel that there’s definitely ageism," Lim said. Even where jobs are available, they may be a poor fit. A chief financial officer was asked to be a receptionist when she went for career coaching, where all her past experience "would be moot," Lim said. OPENING DOORS FOR OLDER WORKERS What is lacking in the market are skilled positions for this displaced group, said Lim. And she has made it her mission to open up opportunities. She began by pitching a reternship program to her former director at Unilever. "The idea is for mature workers to return to the workforce with the experience of a mentor, but the humility and collaborative nature of an intern, paving the way for longer-term employment," she said. Her former director liked the idea and created four short-term projects, including procurement and high-performance coaching roles. Lim also works with Japanese optical brand Hoya, as well as the social service sector, where there are manpower shortages. This includes St Andrew’s Autism Centre, Daughters of Tomorrow, Lions Befrienders, and United Women Singapore. To help corporate executives transit to the social sector, Lim created a three-day program with Singapore Polytechnic, where social service leaders share insights about the sector, their organization, and roles, culminating in a small charity project. This gives candidates face time with senior leaders, which is invaluable, said Lim, who also organizes networking events for her community. It beats online applications where candidates come up against hundreds of candidates and may sometimes be disadvantaged because of their age, she added. "A CEO of a charity met The Courage Chapter members over a networking dinner. After dinner, she interviewed four of them, scheduled second interviews within the week, and offered three of them jobs," said Lim. One of them was Joe Lee, 42, a former general manager at a bakery-cafe chain. Passionate about social services, Lee has been pursuing a part-time social work degree at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. In October 2024, she left her job to focus on her studies and make a career switch to the social service sector. However, she described her job search as "much harder than expected." "I couldn’t quite understand why. Was it my age, corporate background, or lack of sector experience? I even questioned if I had made the right decision in making this career change," she said. After a networking dinner with The Courage Chapter, she was introduced to the CEO of Lions Befrienders, and landed a role as management associate there, giving her meaningful exposure to the sector. For companies that do not need full-time help, Lim pitches fractional roles, which allow senior executives to work part-time for proportionate pay. To help mature workers adapt to these newer employment models, she organizes half-day transition workshops run by The Courage Chapter’s mentors, which also serve as a community and support system for them. "Retrenchment ... is not something you should be ashamed of because I don’t believe that any role is fully stable these days. The upside of having a community is that you realize you are not alone," she said. RETIREMENT NEED NOT BE ‘SLEEPY’ Lim said that mature workers are a precious, untapped resource in Singapore – they bring strong technical skills, life experiences, and an invaluable network to any new role. One example is Lee Poh Wah, 55, a former director of systems engineering at a software and computing firm who lost his job when his company was acquired in end-2023. The father of four planned to spend a few months homeschooling his 18-year-old son who has autism. The teenager had just completed his special education schooling and had yet been placed in any of the centers at that point. However, after his son was admitted into MINDS Sheltered Workshop, Lee started looking for similar tech roles. He landed many interviews with reputable companies. But after intensive interviews, some of which lasted for months and ran up to seven rounds, he has yet to secure a job. He attended The Courage Chapter’s social service webinars and was inspired by his personal experience of having two adult children with autism to join the reternship program at St Andrew’s Autism Centre in October for a stipend. He now helps the charity oversee the migration of their volunteer management system into a modern, efficient system. To better understand and manage the project, he also helps out at the day activity center, residential home, and special school. "We have seen the support for special needs and autism in Singapore improve tremendously over the past few years. But it’s far from enough. I think more can be done and I hope to play a part," he said. Another talent in Lim’s community is 56-year-old Hao Kui. An ex-GM in a creative training company, and currently running his own consultancy, Hao joined Lim’s network in November 2024 and began a Unilever reternship program. He works two days each week supporting Unilever’s international teams in running digital projects more efficiently and effectively, and has worked so well with the team that his contract has been extended. "In general, ageing is seen to be a very sleepy, downward spiral," said Lim. But this is shifting with older workers intending to continue working, she noted. "I don’t plan to retire," Hao said. "Many of my peers in their 60s and 70s are still actively contributing – not only for benefits, but, more importantly, for purpose and growth. Work has evolved; flexible and fractional roles have become a natural way to stay engaged, apply experience, and make a meaningful impact." CNA Women is a section on CNA Lifestyle that seeks to inform, empower, and inspire the modern woman. If you have women-related news, issues, and ideas to share with us, email CNAWomen [at] mediacorp.com.sg.
