THE training participation rate of individuals, including employer-sponsored training, has jumped to about 50 per cent in 2022, from 35 per cent in 2015, when the SkillsFuture movement was launched, Minister of State for Education Gan Siow Huang said in Parliament on Wednesday (Jan 10).

Some 192,000 Singaporeans used their SkillsFuture credit in 2022, an annual increase of approximately 12,000 per year, from 156,000 in 2019, she added.

These credits can be used to offset the fees for a variety of skills-related causes, after government subsidies are applied. 

The utilisation rate was higher among younger age groups, Gan said, adding that this was close to 40 per cent for those in their 30s, and around 25 per cent for those aged 60 and above.

Meanwhile, “only a small minority” of eligible Singaporeans have fully used their SkillsFuture credits.

The increase in utilisation over the years has been supported by efforts of government agency SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and its partners, she said. More professional bodies are coming on board, she added in response to a supplementary question by People’s Action Party (PAP) Member of Parliament (MP) Liang Eng Hwa.

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On promoting lifelong learning among older Singaporeans, Gan noted that SSG provides a range of SkillsFuture credit-available courses suited to their needs, in areas such as digitial literacy, financial literacy, and physical and mental well-being.

“Given that mature workers require more support to pursue substantial rescaling and upskilling to stay employable, the government is looking into providing further substantial SkillsFuture credit top-up... for mature, mid-career Singaporeans,” she said.

Gan also highlighted enhancements to the MySkillsFuture portal which make navigation and searching for courses easier, to increase SkillsFuture credit utilisation. The claims submission process has also been simplified, she added.

Addressing a supplementary question from PAP MP Dr Lim Wee Kiak about whether the government is pleased with the current utilisation rate, Gan said that there has been good progress, and Singapore is on the right trajectory, but added that the use of SkillsFuture credits is a “proxy”.

She emphasised that keeping skills development and training available when needed is “more important” and not limited to the use of SkillsFuture credit, highlighting the role of employers in encouraging upskilling and the availability and popularity of free online courses. Amendment note: An earlier version of the story’s headline stated that Singapore’s SkillsFuture credit utilisation rate was 50 per cent in 2022. It was in fact the training participation rate that was 50 per cent in 2022.