Previously, firms would have to send their workers to certified training centres before they could qualify for funding under the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur).

Mr Lim noted that this initial approach was 'quite restrictive' and said that after listening to feedback from companies since Spur was launched on Dec 1, the Government and the unions have decided to take the 'realistic approach'.

'So if companies are able to put in place a well-structured training programme, even though they may not be conducted in the Continuing Education and Training Centres (CET) in fact, we are now also supporting it under Spur,' he told reporters after a Chinese community event.

'In other words, we are saying Spur is a good programme and we are prepared to continually adapt the programme depending on the feedback of the industry.'

The $600 million Spur programme was launched to help companies cope with the economic downturn, in the hope that they will send workers for training instead of retrenching them.

Companies are able to claim up to 90 per cent of training fees and part of their worker's salaries while they are on training. The amount they can claim is capped at $6.80 per hour of a worker's training.

Mr Lim said that Spur started off with designated training centres for workers.

It was then expanded to institutions like polytechnics, before the Government decided to certify the training programmes of industry associations so that companies can go to these associations to train their workers.

'So now, we are taking the next step because there are companies where they have an in-house training programme so we are saying, look we will sit down with the companies and look at what kind of training programme they have,' he said.

Read the full story in tomorrow's edition of The Sunday Times.