Employer buy-in crucial for success of SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme
To foster a nationwide culture of lifelong learning, the government, employers, industry associations and individuals should work in tandem
FROM early next year, Singaporean employees aged 40 and above who take time off from work to study full-time will get an allowance of up to S$3,000 a month for a maximum of 24 months under the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme.
Upskilling contributes to professional growth, job security and industry relevance. The rapid speed at which technology evolves means that new tools and systems are constantly being developed, leading to a dynamic job market where skills must also advance as swiftly for individuals to remain relevant. The government’s move thus underscores the importance it has paid to upskilling, with focus on a mature and experienced workforce.
On a macroeconomic level, upskilling contributes to a more globally competitive talent pool for the country and prepares the economy for a highly digital future.
While the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme is centred on an individual’s initiative to gain the capability to tackle future job challenges, organisations must not overlook a critical aspect of workforce development – the role of employers in encouraging and facilitating learning.
Businesses as the schools of tomorrow
Can employers play a bigger role in driving lifelong learning? They can, and they must.
According to the EY 2023 Work Reimagined survey, 45 per cent of Singapore employees want their employers to provide more training for technology.
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Many employers and businesses are at the cutting edge of skills and learning. They actively engage with the latest technology advancements and innovations in their fields and continuously seek out new tools and systems for their organisations to maintain a competitive edge.
Hence, employer integration into the learning ecosystem is important, and this is even more so for courses that span a longer duration, given how quickly new technologies are emerging today. In particular, employer integration helps ensure that the knowledge and skills acquired from full-time study remain relevant to the industry.
One way of doing this is to ensure that learning is directly connected to the work that the individual is doing, or closely aligned to potential opportunities available within the organisation. Practical applications or on-the-job training needs to be an intrinsic part of learning.
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Realistically, how can we achieve this?
More learning and development opportunities need to be co-created through partnerships between businesses and approved learning providers, where they jointly create courses for full-time study. Businesses in the same or complementary industries can band together to form a consortium, pool their resources and work with approved learning providers.
Trade associations and chambers (TACs) across industries can also lend their support. This collaborative approach enhances the learning ecosystem by making courses organisation-agnostic and industry-relevant, which would help uplift entire industries.
While fundamental learning can be gained through learning providers, the accelerated and advanced learning that most mid-career individuals seek is best delivered through an integrated and synced-up approach between businesses and learning providers.
Support for action and shift in mindset
A concern for organisations is the temporary labour shortage when employees go for training. This is especially so for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that may not have the resources to hire employees to tide over the manpower crunch. Fear of turnover may also deter employers from investing in learning and development.
It is thus important that organisations plan ahead, schedule learning strategically and prioritise critical tasks. They should use technology to streamline processes and maintain productivity with a reduced workforce while an employee is away.
Support schemes aimed at defraying manpower costs such as the Absentee Payroll Funding could be expanded to serve as a financial cushion for SMEs whose employees have opted for full-time study. This can encourage employers to embrace a shift in mindset – that despite the pinch of temporary workforce shortage, both individuals and employers will be better off with more future-proofed skills in the long run.
With more individuals opting to take time off work to study full-time, employers may consider making lifelong learning part of their talent-retention efforts and offer better learning and upskilling opportunities.
A shared commitment
Singapore will raise its retirement age from 63 to 64 on Jul 1, 2026, as part of the move to progressively increase the retirement age in the Republic to 65 by 2030. A higher number of older workers are likely to look at learning and upskilling, with the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme as an avenue.
To foster a nationwide culture of lifelong learning, stakeholders need to work in tandem. While the government is the programme administrator, individuals should be the ones in charge of their learning for professional growth. At the same time, employers have to help maintain industry standards and ensure courses meet the evolving needs of the workforce, whereas partners such as the TACs and unions play a critical role in facilitating access to learning.
To be globally competitive, it is imperative that Singapore shifts from a knowledge-based to a skills-based economy, where age and educational qualifications no longer define individuals in the workforce. This will be an economy where learning is the new dollar.
Samir Bedi is EY Asean people consulting leader and EY Singapore government and public sector leader
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