Budget 2025: $300 monthly allowance for workers on part-time training; SUSS to have new city campus

SINGAPORE - A scheme that provides mid-career workers undergoing full-time training with a monthly allowance will be extended to include part-time training, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in his Budget speech on Feb 18.

Under the

SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme introduced in Budget 2024,

all Singaporeans aged 40 and above will receive up to $3,000 in monthly training allowance for selected full-time courses, up to a cap of $72,000 per worker. Applications open in March 2025.

With the latest announcement, those who prefer to work and learn part-time will be able to receive a training allowance of $300 per month, starting in early 2026.

This will help defray learning expenses for mid-career workers who prefer to continue working while upskilling on a part-time basis, said PM Wong.

He gave the example of Ms Zarina Abdul Rahman, who started out as an intern at recruitment agency Randstad Sourceright and is now an office administrator.

Ms Zarina wanted to upgrade her skills in business operations but was unable to pursue full-time studies due to work and family commitments. She chose to pursue a part-time diploma in business practice at Nanyang Polytechnic.

“While workers like Zarina continue to earn their salaries during part-time training, they incur training-related expenses, such as books and transport,” said PM Wong. “We will therefore extend the training allowance to part-time training.”

There will be a lifetime cap of 24 months of support for both full-time and part-time training.

More details, including information on course coverage, will be shared during the debate on the Ministry of Education’s budget.

While most workers can benefit from monthly training allowances on turning 40, PM Wong announced that lower-wage workers will be able to do so a decade earlier, when they turn 30.

Currently, the Workfare Skills Support (WSS) scheme provides them with an allowance when they go for short courses that are completed in a few days.

But such workers tend to benefit more from longer-form courses that provide more substantial reskilling, said PM Wong.

Thus, the Government will introduce an enhanced tier to the WSS scheme to also provide allowances for selected part-time and full-time courses.

Reiterating the Government’s commitment to supporting the lifelong employability of Singaporean workers, he said: “We cannot stop the waves of technological innovations. Nor can we save every job. But we can and will invest in every worker and every Singaporean.”

More details on the enhanced WSS scheme will be shared during the debate on the Ministry of Manpower’s budget.

New city campus for SUSS

The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) will develop a new city campus with support from the Government, said PM Wong.

Though he did not announce the exact location, PM Wong said the new campus will enable SUSS to champion lifelong learning and deliver programmes with a strong social emphasis for learners of all ages, at an accessible location.

The school, which currently has about 13,200 part-time and just over 4,100 full-time undergraduate students, has been operating on rented premises since 2005. It currently rents space from the Singapore Institute of Management in Clementi Road.

To support the fund-raising efforts of newer autonomous universities like SUSS and the Singapore Institute of Technology, the Government will also extend the Singapore Universities Trust by 10 years, to 2042.

Launched in 2010, this fund aims to strengthen alumni ties and community support for higher education by providing matching grants for donations raised by universities. The Government committed approximately $4 billion to this effort over a 20-year period.

Non-endowed donations raised by the universities are matched dollar for dollar. For endowed donations to the universities, the Government provides $1.50 for every $1 donated.

Correction note: This story has been edited for clarity.

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