Future Plans Towards Education and Training Initiatives Based on SkillsFuture's Success and Effectiveness

40 Mr Shawn Loh asked the Minister for Education (a) whether there are any plans to top up the SkillsFuture Credits; and (b) if not, whether the Government will pivot to other more targeted forms of support for continuing education and training initiatives in the next phase of the SkillsFuture movement.

41 Mr Shawn Loh asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry has compared the effectiveness of SkillsFuture programmes that are not directly linked to employment with other forms of support for continuing education and training programmes, such as subsidies for employers to place workers in jobs for on-the-job training.

Mr Desmond Lee: My response to these two questions will also address the other oral Parliamentary Question filed by Mr Shawn Loh, which will be taken in a subsequent Sitting.

SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) supports a wide range of programmes to meet the diverse needs of Singaporeans in lifelong learning and skills development, across different life stages.

The broad-based SkillsFuture Credit of $500, given to Singaporeans at age 25, is intended to foster a lifelong learning culture and encourage individuals to take ownership of their own learning and skills development. It can be used to offset the out-of-pocket fees for a wide variety of courses ranging from placement-related programmes and shorter skills-based courses that can enhance one's employability to those that cater to individuals' personal learning interests. Even though the programmes might not be directly related to their current areas of employment or lead directly to employment outcomes, they can help individuals to cultivate an interest and take the first step towards lifelong learning.

Beyond the broad-based SkillsFuture Credit, SSG also provides more targeted SkillsFuture Credit top-ups, such as the recent $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) top-up under the SkillsFuture Level Up Programme. This targets mid-careerists aged 40 and above and can only be used for curated courses with stronger employment objectives. In addition, SSG offers other targeted training support, including course fee subsidies of up to 90% for industry-relevant programmes with good manpower outcomes, as well as incentives for place-and-train Work Study Programmes co-delivered by the Institutes of Higher Learning and employers.

Where appropriate, we look at employment and wage outcomes to evaluate training impact. For example, econometric studies have shown that Institute of Technical Education and polytechnic graduates who upgraded via Work-Study Programmes enjoyed wage premiums of around 6% to 11%, compared to those who transited straight into employment. To complement these indicators, SSG also requires all learners taking SSG-funded programmes to rate the course quality and perceived outcomes, for example, whether the course has helped them improve their work performance or take on enhanced responsibilities at work. These ratings are published on the MySkillsFuture portal to help individuals to make informed training decisions.

We have no immediate plans to top up the SkillsFuture Credit, having just provided a significant top-up of $4,000 to mid-career Singaporeans last year. We will continue to monitor the training needs and calibrate our training support between broad-based and targeted measures, and between supporting individual-led versus employer-led training, to meet the diverse needs of individuals and employers.