SkillsFuture mid-career support to cover 140 more training programmes, including tech job placements

In financial services, the funding will be for selected courses under the Institute of Banking and Finance’s Standards Training Scheme, which equips workers with key skills needed in the sector.

Ms Lau said this is part of efforts to strengthen the connection between training and real employment opportunities, so that workers feel the time and effort they put in are worthwhile.

“Workers are (more) likely to invest in new skills when they understand the skills their industry needs, when employers give them opportunities to learn and apply these skills at work, and of course when their efforts translate into meaningful career progression,” she added.

Apart from these sector-specific courses, another 80 or so courses that offer Workforce Skills Qualification across various sectors will also be eligible for SkillsFuture mid-career support.

In total, about 140 courses will be added to the roster of more than 7,000 already covered by the SkillsFuture mid-career training credit from Dec 1.

The Skills and Workforce Development Agency said participants in some of these additional courses will be eligible to receive mid-career training allowance at a later date.

They will also qualify for Workforce Skills Support (Level-Up), which supports lower-wage Singaporeans aged 30 to 39 enrolled in long-form training.

Ms Lau was speaking at the SkillsFuture Fellowships and SkillsFuture Employer Awards ceremony, which recognises workers and employers engaged in or supporting lifelong learning.

While workers may feel anxious that the skills they picked up early in their careers are no longer enough to carry them through their working lives, she said, technology can also “open doors”.

“(Technology) can free workers to take on new tasks and higher-value roles, at every stage of their careers,” she said.

“The question isn’t whether change will come. It’s whether we are prepared to keep learning, keep adapting throughout our lives.”