A new army of seniors will be roped in to spread the word about SkillsFuture deeper into the heartland.

The SkillsFuture Advice @ CDC programme will tap up to 3,500 new ambassadors from RSVP Singapore, an organisation that promotes volunteering among the elderly. They will be deployed depending on where they are needed.

South West Community Development Council (CDC) will train the seniors, according to a memorandum of understanding signed between the organisations yesterday.

The programme, which began last month, has already trained 50 ambassadors. Their roles include helping SkillsFuture trainers during workshops and speaking to residents in the heartland at SkillsFuture roadshows.

South West District Mayor Low Yen Ling announced the memorandum signing at the RSVP Singapore Volunteer Appreciation Day event yesterday at Suntec Singapore.

"As SkillsFuture Advice Ambassadors, you play an important role in spreading the culture of lifelong learning by example and in deed," she told the volunteers.

The SkillsFuture Advice @ CDC programme was launched late last year, to train ambassadors and also to give the public information on skills training and job openings.

The ambassadors will go through a 90-minute workshop and other courses on industry trends and SkillsFuture news.

RSVP Singapore president Koh Juay Meng said: "As SkillsFuture ambassadors, our seniors will now be empowered to encourage their peers to join them on a lifelong learning journey."