Technology’s impact on the workforce landscape is dramatic worldwide. Without enough funds, things get even tougher. Jobs and even entire industries may become obsolete in just the blink of an eye.
Imagine studying for almost twenty years of your life and then working for another five to build your career. Relying on this fragile stability, you finally settle down and create a family. Things can always change for the worst, though.
If you become complacent and don’t keep up with the new inventions in your industry, you can be demoted. Even worse, your whole position becomes irrelevant, and you’re retrenched. If you only know how to do one job, you will struggle to find employment.
That’s why the government has developed the SkillsFuture platform. Each Singapore citizen over 25 years old receives $500 in credits for classes.
Luckily, this article guides you through all the essential info so you can find and apply for the right SkillsFuture course.
Table of Contents
What Are The SkillsFuture Programmes?
SkillsFuture amasses several programmes to help everyone upgrade their professional skills:
Programme
Audience
Description
Enhanced internships
Poly and ITE students
Well-organised internships to gain more work experience
SkillsFuture Series
General
Targeted training sessions in the most sought-after modern industries (e.g., the digital sector, analytics, tech, finance, etc.)
MySkillsFuture
General
Online portal to manage your education and training goals
SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme
Fresh grads from ITE and poly, plus employers
Employers get subsidies to develop on-the-job training programmes for fresh grads.
SkillsFuture Work-Study Degree Programmes
University students
On-the-job training opportunities at specific companies
TechSkills Accelerator (TeSa)
ICT graduates + professionals
Digital skills for ICT professionals and graduates, split into seven programmes for various levels/interests
Young Talent Programme
University and poly students
Allowance for working abroad
SkillsFuture Study Awards
Entry and mid-level workers
$5,000 grant for workers who want to learn new skills in economic-growth sectors
Education and Career Guidance
Secondary school students
Career and education counselling
P-Max
SMEs and PMEs
SMEs receive matching PMEs, HR & communication training, plus a $5,000 grant when finishing this programme
SkillsFuture Career Advisors Programme
Working adults
Career counselling
SkillsFuture Credit
Singaporeans over 25 years old
$500 in credit for SkillsFuture education and courses
SkillsFuture Advice
Working adults
Programmes and workshops to develop your career
SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace
Working adults and employers
Tech and digital skills in several industries
Skills Framework
Working adults and employers
Database with relevant info on sectors, employment, job roles, and necessary skills, plus the list of training programmes
SkillsFuture Qualification Award
Working adults
Cash prizes for WSQ qualifications
SkillsFuture Fellowships
Mid-career workers
Fellowships for people with a minimum of 10 years of experience
SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy
Workers aged 40 and above
Subsidises up to 90% for SkillsFuture-approved courses
iN.LEARN 2020
Employers
Training for companies and people in innovation for learning design, development, and blended learning
SkillsFuture Employer Awards
Employers
Prize for employees who implement a skills-development and learning culture
SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative
Employers
In-house programmes to create leaders
SkillsFuture SME Mentors
SMEs
Mentorship for SMEs
Training and Adult Education Sector Transformation Plan (TAESTP)
Providers and professionals in the training and adult education sector
Helps TAE providers to use SkillsFuture in the training programmes offered to Singaporeans
How Much SkillsFuture Credits Can You Get?
From the slew of SkillsFuture programmes and opportunities above, the SkillsFuture credit is the most appealing to Singaporeans. Let’s see what it can offer you:
$500 in a one-time deposit, if you’re a Singapore citizen aged 25 years and above
After logging in, the “Submit a Claim” prompt appears automatically.
Fill in your profile details if you haven’t submitted a claim before.
Go to the “Select a Course” section to pick the course you want to follow.
Finish filling in your online form to include the credit amount you’ll use for that course.
Upload the documents that prove you’re doing the training (e.g., receipt, invoice, etc.)
Click to submit the form, and SkillsFuture will send the requested amount to your course provider. You can see your claim’s status in your account settings.
The steps above tell you that you need to choose a course before asking for credit. That brings us to the following point:
How Can You Find SkillsFuture Courses?
We include this section because the SkillsFuture website doesn’t win any prizes for user experience. It’s not the most intuitive website out there, and you’ll soon find yourself swamped in an ocean of information on the Training Exchange Page.
Yes, this is the page you must visit to get that perfect SkillsFuture course.
Your first step is smoothly scrolling to the search bar, where you can filter the courses according to the variables below:
Training area
SkillsFuture series
Supporting public agencies
Specific providers
Provider types
Qualifications
Start date
Facilities (e.g., wheelchair-accessible)
The only missing filter that would have been extremely useful is the courses’ validity date. Instead, you have to click on each class to determine when the claim period runs out.
Each course features information on:
Its full-cost price. Remember to check the course provider’s website for the actual price in case there are any WSG subsidies
Eligibility period. Choose a course for which you can still enrol.
You can complete the shortest courses within a few hours, whereas others last for years.
Training mode. You can pick between full-time and part-time training.
Although most courses are in English, some are in Mandarin and Malay. Ensure you speak the course’s language before enrolling.
Each course has different eligibility standards, such as your education, job experience, and career level. Make sure you meet these conditions.
Best SkillsFuture Courses In Singapore
The best SkillsFuture Courses depend on your interests and career goals. However, it’s wise to choose a practical area of study that can actively support your goals.
You can pick a course to upskill your current knowledge or learn something completely new. Either way, ensure the class can create better opportunities for you in the workforce – and we can’t stress that enough.
Here are some popular options:
1. Big Data Analytics and AI / Machine Learning with Python Coding
The course provided by APPS PTE. LTD. costs $1500 and stretches for 24 hours in a part-time training mode. The training is in English and addresses people who want to learn programming fundamentals.
After finishing this course, you’ll be able to:
Write computer programs using Python
Use Python libraries for data analytics and machine learning
2. Create / Design Website And Online Store / Online Shopping / E-Commerce In One Day
This course is available until the end of February 2023. In just eight hours and a part-time mode of training, you’ll learn to create and change your e-commerce website. This course is helpful if you have an online store or want to upskill your marketing abilities to e-commerce website creation.
You will learn how to:
Add images and text
Create and manage product pages
Monitor delivery
Improve SEO
Best of all, the course only costs $390 – so you can cover its entire price using SkillsFuture credit.
Offered by the Ngee Ann Polytechnic, the Customer Service & Quality Course only costs $430.
After this course, you will learn how to address your customers’ needs by speaking their language. As a result, you will enhance customer retention and loyalty. Even better, you’ll learn how to deal with demanding customers.
You can’t apply on the SkillsFuture platform for the course you want to do; you’ll have to get in touch with the course provider.
It’s easy: Just click on their name on the SkillsFuture course page to find their official website. Go to their website to see other helpful contact information to enrol.
The real problem begins when you find an expensive course you love.
Some AI, machine learning, and healthcare programmes cost somewhere in the four to five-figure range. That price can be discouraging if you have an entry-level salary or looking at being retrenched.
Don’t be disheartened! There are always ways to go around it.
Here are your solutions:
Check the training’s actual price on the provider’s website. Some of these courses are heavily subsidised, and you may be in luck.
Check for an alternative course. For example, your big goal can be a new job as a blockchain architect. However, a specific class is too expensive because it touches too many points. The solution is breaking down your goal into smaller objectives and finding affordable courses for each step of the way. In the meantime, you can keep your current job or find a new work position to save money for future classes.
Check with your employer. If you want to upgrade your skills, maybe they can fund the course or at least part of it.
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