S’pore workers aged 40 and above can use SkillsFuture credits for 140 more courses from Dec 1 - The Straits Times

The SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme will be expanded to include 60 courses in sectors like financial services, infocomm technology, maritime and offshore.

SINGAPORE – Mid-career Singaporeans aged 40 and above can use their SkillsFuture credits for about 140 additional courses from Dec 1.

The SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, which subsidises training and provides financial support for those seeking to upskill or reskill, will be expanded to include 60 courses in sectors such as financial services, infocommunication technology, and maritime and offshore.

Sector agencies involved include the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore.

Mid-careerists looking to move into the tech sector, for instance, can take courses under IMDA’s Tech Immersion and Placement Programme, which combines training with job placement.

The remaining courses comprise about 80 Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) full qualification courses across various sectors, including healthcare, engineering, media and early childhood.

Workers complete a full set of WSQ modules to acquire the skills and competencies required for a specific job role, earning a full qualification that can help them move into a new sector or role.

The SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme was introduced in 2024 to help those aged 40 and above remain competitive and relevant in a rapidly changing economy.

The Skills and Workforce Development Agency said on Oct 28 that some of these long-form courses under the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme would also be eligible for the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance at a later date.

These courses will also be made available for Workfare Skills Support (Level-Up), which supports lower-wage workers aged 30 to 39 with training allowances.

“The skills we picked up early in our careers may no longer be enough to carry us through our working lives, and that can be very unsettling. But technology also opens doors,” said Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau at the SkillsFuture Fellowships and SkillsFuture Employer Awards Ceremony, held at Gardens by the Bay on Oct 28.

“So the question is not whether change will come. It is whether we are prepared to keep learning and adapting throughout our lives.”

Lau cited the example of Singapore Aero Engine Services, a gold employer award recipient, which showed dedication in training employees in areas such as artificial intelligence and industrial automation, and supported those making career transitions.

The firm, which maintains and repairs aircraft engines, has welcomed 30 employees through its career conversation programmes since 2024.

“As the company adopts more advanced manufacturing technologies, it is investing in its workers to keep pace,” she said.

Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau speaking at the SkillsFuture Fellowships and SkillsFuture Employer Awards Ceremony on Oct 28.

Lau added that she was encouraged by the take-up for these courses. As at June 30, about 80,000 individuals had benefited from the SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) scheme, and over 11,000 individuals had received the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance.

At the award ceremony, which celebrated companies and individuals who had invested in training and pursued mastery in their craft, Lau also highlighted an employee who had switched to the healthcare sector at the age of 41.

Bernadette Castro used her SkillsFuture credits to complete a healthcare operations course after taking a career break to care for her children and working part-time as a private-hire driver. She is now a healthcare professional at HMI OneCare Clinic.

In all, 14 individuals and 28 employers received awards. Among the gold award recipients were Landscape Engineering, NHG Health and STMicroelectronics.

Individual award recipient Janice Leong was recognised for her efforts in mastering her craft as a speech-language therapist at Rainbow Centre, working with children with complex needs, including those with autism, cerebral palsy and genetic disorders.

Since she joined the centre in 2010, she has completed more than 650 hours of formal training in clinical, pedagogical and leadership areas.

“It’s important that when it comes to learning, it’s not just about gaining knowledge for ourselves, but about how we share it with others around us.

“Our line of work may be meaningful, but it’s also a very challenging area of work. There’s a lot more we can do to support people working in the field,” she told The Straits Times in an interview after the award ceremony.

Lau said that as jobs evolve, the Manpower Ministry will continue to work with industry and sector agencies to refresh these courses.

“We want workers to feel that the time and effort they put into training is worthwhile, and to have confidence that the skills they acquire will open up career opportunities.”

Sharon Salim is a business correspondent at The Straits Times, with a focus on jobs, workplace culture and trends.