More can be done to maximise impact of SkillsFuture in its next phase: PM Wong

SINGAPORE – In a more advanced economy and with a better-educated population, the SkillsFuture movement must do better in curating courses and helping Singaporeans identify those that will benefit them the most, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on May 23.

Many have benefited from skills development in the past decade, with about one-fifth of Singapore’s workforce signing up for training every year, said PM Wong at SkillsFuture’s 10th anniversary event held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Orchard Boulevard.

“We see more businesses sending their workers for SkillsFuture-supported training, and some of the leading companies now become SkillsFuture ‘queen bee’ companies,” he said, referring to firms that provide industry-relevant training and training advisory. Queen bee companies include Sembcorp, Raffles Hotel Singapore and CapitaLand.

But more can be done to maximise the impact of the national skills movement, PM Wong said.

He outlined three key areas for improvement: making it easier for adult workers to access industry-relevant courses, ensuring courses are designed with industry needs in mind, and strengthening the culture of learning for life.

The SkillsFuture movement was launched in 2015 with the aim of helping Singaporeans learn for life, obtain skills to secure better jobs and grow their careers, said PM Wong, who was the guest of honour at the event.

Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng and Minister of State for Education and Manpower Gan Siow Huang were also present.

From the workforce to businesses, many have benefited from SkillsFuture, and the movement has evolved to include more industry partnerships, PM Wong said.

SkillsFuture said that over the last decade, its initiatives have expanded to more than 28,000 courses, ranging from full qualifications to short courses for specific industry needs. This has enabled more than 500,000 Singaporeans to be trained every year.

Employer participation in the movement doubled from 12,000 companies in 2015 to 24,000 in 2024, and the number of employees sent for SkillsFuture-supported training increased from 160,000 in 2015 to 241,000 in 2024, it added.

PM Wong said: “We have come a long way in this past decade. We empowered everyone to take charge of their own learning through SkillsFuture Credit. We’ve put in place a more vibrant learning ecosystem with a wide range of approved courses, many of which are highly subsidised.

“And we’ve encouraged companies, including many SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), to invest in their workers and workforce transformation.”

But there is still much more that can be done to maximise the impact of SkillsFuture and take it to “even greater heights”, said PM Wong.

The economy is more advanced now, and people have more diverse needs and aspirations, he added.

“As a government, working with our partners, we have to do better at curating the courses, and helping Singaporeans identify the ones that give them maximum benefits and are suited to them,” he said, citing as an example the courses that increase proficiency in artificial intelligence.

More than just broad-based skills, training courses of one to two days are provided as part of the Career Health initiative for Singaporeans to support their careers, he said. These are across industries, and act as a “taster”.

“In order to get a substantial injection of skills, we all need to put in time and effort,” PM Wong said, acknowledging that this may not be easy for mid-career workers with families.

This is why SkillsFuture will support them with the previously announced credit top-up of $4,000 and monthly allowance of up to $3,000 for those pursuing full-time and part-time courses, he said.

The SkillsFuture movement also has to become more “industry-oriented”, said PM Wong, so that courses are designed with industry needs in mind, and businesses will be more likely to invest in training.

Employers have concerns about losing their employees after sending them for training, which is why they tend to “under-invest”, said PM Wong. Employers are also hesitant to take up the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit – a fund for employers that send their employees for training – because they have to pay first and get reimbursed later.

PM Wong added that awareness of the scheme is also low, which is why it is being redesigned as an online wallet. Each company will get $10,000 online credits to offset any training costs, as announced earlier in Budget 2025. The redesign will be ready in the second half of 2026.

The culture of lifelong learning and skills development has to be strengthened, said PM Wong, which requires a “major mindset shift”.

“Learning is not about cramming for examinations or attaining academic qualifications,” he said. “Learning is really about continuous improvements throughout life, whether by learning new things, deepening one’s existing expertise, or putting in the effort to maximise your potential in everything you do across your life.”

Everyone has a part to play, including individuals, employers and trade associations, the labour movement and unions, and tertiary institutions and training providers, PM Wong said.

“It is quite a complex ecosystem, which is why, in countries everywhere, no one really has a good model,” he said.

“We are at the vanguard of this and we have been trying to put together all the different pieces, all the institutions, partners, stakeholders, and fit them all in, align the incentives, get everyone to work together on the same path.”

Good progress has been made in the last 10 years, he added, and the Government will continue to do its part as an employer and policymaker.

The SkillsFuture movement is a “key pillar of our refreshed social contract in Singapore”, PM Wong said. “It’s a major effort to transform our economy and our society.

“We have stepped up significantly our investments in SkillsFuture, but there is still much more to do, and we will continue to do more in the coming years together.”