We thank Ms Jael Ng Ga Aik for her feedback (Give SME employees subsidised skills training rates, Jan 17).

Enterprises play a critical role in supporting their employees' lifelong learning. Likewise, with better-trained employees, enterprises are better able to grow and transform their businesses.

Hence, a key focus under the SkillsFuture movement is to support enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in upskilling and reskilling their workforce.

SMEs can qualify for enhanced course fee subsidy rates of up to 20 percentage points above the baseline subsidy rates, as well as absentee payroll funding.

For example, an SME employee can receive course fee subsidies of up to 90 per cent for courses offered by SkillsFuture Singapore-appointed continuing education and training centres, and the SME can also be considered for absentee payroll funding, capped at $100,000 per organisation per year.

Eligible SMEs may also use their SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit to offset up to 90 per cent of out-of-pocket expenses for various training programmes.

Beyond subsidies, we also support SMEs in raising their capability to deliver training at the workplace. The National Centre of Excellence for Workplace Learning, led by Nanyang Polytechnic and supported by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), works closely with SMEs to build strong workplace learning systems to enhance employee performance, improve talent attraction and retention, and foster a learning culture.

SSG also partners industry leaders to deliver skills development programmes in emerging skills areas, to the benefit of SMEs and their employees within their sectors or business networks.

SSG will continue to support employees' skills development by working closely with enterprises, including SMEs.

We strongly encourage enterprises and employees to tap the various available resources and visit enterprisejobskills.gov.sg for more details.

Peggy Lim

Director, Enterprise Engagement Office

SkillsFuture Singapore