Forum: Government support in place to help job seekers and the unemployed

We refer to the letter “Do more to raise awareness of support schemes for the unemployed” (April 23).

There are support schemes available to those making career transitions. The SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance partially offsets income loss for individuals when they take time away from work for training. Eligible Singaporeans aged 40 and above may receive up to $3,000 monthly when they pursue full-time training, including SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme courses; and full-time, MOE-subsidised full qualifications offered by institutes of higher learning.

As the scheme is designed to support individuals who take time off from work to pursue full-time training, applicants must have earned income in the 12 months before the course start date.

Those who have been out of the workforce for a longer period may tap other forms of support. Eligible individuals can receive up to 90 per cent subsidies for SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)-supported programmes, with the remaining fees being offset using SkillsFuture Credit, including the $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) for eligible courses.

They can also explore work attachment and placement opportunities such as the Career Conversion Programme and Mid-Career Pathways Programme to ease their transition back into employment. Information on training grants and employment facilitation programmes can be found at www.skillsfuture.gov.sg

Additionally, individuals can receive personalised job search support from career coaches at Workforce Singapore’s (WSG) Career Connect centres, career matching providers, or NTUC’s e2i centres. They may also receive guidance on training pathways and career planning from SSG’s skills and training advisers.

We recognise that awareness is key to ensuring job seekers can benefit from the full range of support available. SSG and WSG adopt a multi-channel outreach approach, including digital platforms, partnerships with community and industry organisations, and roadshows and career fairs, to connect job seekers with opportunities and available support. We will continue to strengthen our awareness and outreach efforts to help people understand and navigate the support available to them.

We commend the writer’s sister for her efforts, and have reached out to her to see how we can further assist.

Just as lifelong learning is a continuous process, the SkillsFuture movement is a constant work-in-progress with room to do better. The upcoming merger of SSG and WSG will further enhance support for all Singaporeans, including job seekers, by providing a more seamless experience across careers and skills services. This will enable closer integration of jobs and skills data, and more comprehensive, end-to-end support delivered with our community and industry partners.

Pao Jia Yu
Deputy Chief Executive, Planning, SSG-WSG