Labour MP Patrick Tay recently wrote an article in Lianhe Zaobao about SkillsFuture. The commentary is so cheem and so long sia, like composition for university exams like that. There are words like “ecosystem”, “alignment”, “applicability”, and “accessibility”. Wah piang, we read until head pain.
But never mind. Here at Sure Boh, we know not everyone got time to slowly digest all these cheemelogy things. So we help him translate it into Singlish version.
Here goes:
SkillsFuture 10 Years already, still relevant or not?
Answer: YES LAH.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the SkillsFuture movement leh. Wah, time flies sia. But the whole point of it is to encourage Singaporeans to keep learning new skills, so you won’t become outdated in your job.
Since it began, many helpful initiatives have been rolled out, such as:
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Giving $500 SkillsFuture Credit to all Singaporeans aged 25 and above, so they can sign up for courses to learn new skills or upgrade themselves.
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In last year’s Budget, then-DPM Lawrence Wong introduced the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, which:
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Gave an extra $4,000 top-up in credits for mid-career workers.
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Provided training allowances to workers aged 40 and above who went for courses – showing that the Government is serious about helping older workers stay employable.
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Then in this year’s Budget, PM Lawrence Wong announced another new support, that is, starting early next year, workers enrolled in part-time training will get a fixed allowance of $300 a month to help defray their learning expenses.
Why still need training? I already got Diploma/Degree what…
Because the world now got too many changes. The change is faster than the ah beng next door change girlfriends.
And if you look at it, now we have:
- Global trade tensions and protectionist policies
- The climate crisis
- New technologies like Generative AI disrupting jobs
These changes are affecting many workers – especially PMEs (Professionals, Managers, Executives) – so upgrading your skills is more important than ever.
So, looking back at the last 10 years of SkillsFuture, Patrick Tay thinks it is now also a good time for a full review. And that is also why during the Ministry of Education (MOE) Committee of Supply Debate speech in March this year, he made a call in Parliament about this, to see how the system can be improved to respond to workers’ changing needs.
Labour MP Patrick Tay suggest 3 key areas of improvement: Alignment, Applicability and Accessibility
Alignment
Singapore’s lifelong learning system is quite solid. The government, companies, and unions all work together to help workers upgrade their skills. That’s why we do so well globally – second place out of 134 countries for talent development. Not bad right?
But now, we have too many different courses and programmes – from SkillsFuture, e2i, WSG, schools, industry groups… all got their own thing. End up some courses overlap or do similar things. And for workers? Sometimes too many choices until also dunno what to choose.
So the Assistant Secretary-General of the NTUC, who is also a Member of Parliament for Pioneer SMC, say that we need better coordination – different training providers should work together, don’t duplicate, and cover the gaps.
He also suggests having one standard system to recognise skills, whether you learn in school, a short course, or on the job. This way, skills can be officially recognised and linked to job platforms like MyCareersFuture to help people find jobs more easily.
Applicability
Ok, after go course, pass the exam, then what’s next? The course you study also must be relevant to job mah.
To help workers get better pay and grow their careers, the Labour MP said that Singapore’s training system must be more practical and useful for real jobs. That means working closely with companies to design courses that match industry needs.
NTUC’s e2i and WSG’s Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) already help mid-career workers switch jobs. But these can be improved by adding:
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Real-life examples (case studies)
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On-the-job training
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Mentorship
Older workers can also use their SkillsFuture credits for career coaching.
Now, work is not just 9-to-5 – got freelancing, side hustle, part-time, even working overseas. So support must be personalised, and cannot be just one-size-fits-all.
According to Patrick Tay, NTUC has realised the need for this after engaging over 42,000 workers through the #EveryWorkerMatters Conversation and therefore, they now they are now building mentorship networks for groups like PMEs and youths.
Accessibility
In 2024, only 40.7% of workers went for training – the lowest in nine years. During the pandemic in 2021, the number was higher (49.9%) because more people had time or were worried about their jobs.
But Patrick Tay opined that workers cannot wait until got crisis then go upgrade. For SkillsFuture to work, more workers must actively take part, and employers must support them – especially lower-wage and gig workers.
That’s why NTUC set up the Company Training Committees (CTCs) in 2019. These help companies and workers upgrade together. Since the launch of the CTC, NTUC has helped companies form over 3,000 CTCs and helped more than 7,000 workers receive an average of 5% wage increment on top of their annual increments!
All of this is supported by NTUC’s training ecosystem (e2i, LearningHub, etc.) to help workers get better pay, benefits, and job opportunities.
And now, with an additional top-up of $200 million more from the Government to support this, lagi better! Because more support for companies and workers to upgrade and transform together and prepare them for the future.
Bottom line: You don’t learn then you lose out!
Patrick Tay’s original article mentioned a lot of profound things lah. But the main point is this:
“If you want to stay relevant and keep your job, better go upgrade yourself.”
Everything changing very fast. Don’t wait until retrenchment letter come then regret never learn and upgrade yourself earlier.
Got SkillsFuture credit, got support schemes, got allowance some more – why not use?
So whether you are young, mid-career, or more experienced, remember:
Skills = Power
Learning = Job Security
Training = More Pay
Go upgrade yourself lah. The future is in your hands!
