At the same time, the Government aims to raise teaching standards to world-class levels and make sure the qualifications adult workers receive are good enough to pave the way for them to get a diploma or university degree.

These goals form the backbone of a 10-year masterplan, details of which were made public yesterday by Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen.

'The masterplan aims to prepare Singaporean workers to remain competitive in the future. We should not be stuck in today's mindsets based on today's scenarios and present concerns,' he told Parliament during the debate on his ministry's budget.

Last month, the Government announced funding for this masterplan.

It included an $800 million top-up of the Lifelong Learning Endowment Fund to expand training programmes.

Yesterday, the focus was on training infrastructure.

In all, 19 existing centres and the 10 new ones will ramp up training in the next two years. The target is 80,000 workers a year, against the current 22,000.

Dr Ng highlighted these efforts when replying to Mr Seng Han Thong (Yio Chu Kang) and Dr Ahmad Magad (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC), who is also the chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee on Manpower.

They had asked about the relevance and effectiveness of the training system.

The minister outlined several steps to ensure training remains industry-driven and suited to adult learners.

They include: industry players teaming up with the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and universities to develop new centres and introduce new courses. The aim is to have first-class training providers. Hence, from this year, the best centres will be identified and awarded national status.

Also, a new institute for adult learning is to be set up to help improve teaching methods. It will research into the best ways to teach adults, who learn differently from young students.

Links between the formal school system and adult working training will also be strengthened.

A worker with the national-level Workforce Skills Qualifications certificate should eventually be able to earn a polytechnic diploma or even a university degree, Dr Ng said.

This is vital as workers become more educated. Currently, 36 per cent have at least a diploma. By 2020, it will be nearly 60 per cent.

And as more industries become more advanced, workers must be more highly skilled, said the minister. They should expect more mid-career switches and their skills will turn obsolete more quickly, unless they go for training, he added.

These trends apply to other countries, such as Britain, which are also improving their adult worker training system.

'I do not want to underestimate the challenge in building a first-class continuing education and training system.

'It will take time and effort of the Government, unions, employers and workers themselves,' said Dr Ng.

chinlian@sph.com.sg

Manpower Ministry

FY08/09 budget: $725 million

Up 183.6%