SINGAPORE: While industry players laud the moves to extend the workforce skills upgrading push in recent Singapore Budgets, they also called for more details in the coming weeks on how the latest schemes can be calibrated to address different workforce and training needs.
A S$300 monthly training allowance for mid-career workers aged 40 and above undergoing selected part-time training programmes from early 2026 is a major scheme Prime Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled in his budget statement on Feb 18.
It expands on the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance for mid-career workers undergoing full-time training previously unveiled in Budget 2024.
The scheme for full-time training is poised for launch in mid-March.
From what has been announced to date, it is unclear how the allowances will account for key factors that would affect the extent to which workers feel the pinch in relation to course fees and other training-related expenses.
Some part-time studies require learners to cut back on work hours and potentially draw a lower salary, while other people take night classes that do not eat into their hours spent working.
Workers who still need to pay for all or part of the course fees themselves may be in greater need of help, compared with those funded by employers.
Observers have pointed out the need for levers to calibrate training allowances to address key aspects of learners’ personal circumstances.
Institute for Adult Learning professional development and learning director Dr Samson Tan noted that the S$300 training allowance is intended to help defray training-related expenses, whereas the larger allowance for full-time training also reflects the opportunity cost of wages forgone.
Institute for Adult Learning deputy executive director Associate Professor Terence Ho noted that the S$300 training allowance is intended to help defray training-related expenses, whereas the larger allowance for full-time training also reflects the opportunity cost of wages forgone.
These training-related expenses include fees and course materials.
Wong indicated in his budget speech that more details would be given during the upcoming debate on the Education Ministry’s budget.
Meanwhile, lower-wage workers aged 30 and above stand to benefit from a revamped Workfare Skills Support (WSS) scheme for lower-wage workers, in another major announcement for workers in the latest budget statement.
Previously meant to support these workers while they take short courses over a few days, the scheme will be enhanced to spur them to pursue courses of a longer duration too.
For these courses, the WSS will take after the mid-career training allowance under the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, albeit with a lower age limit of 30 rather than 40.
This allows younger, lower-wage workers to benefit from more skills-upgrading help.
“The lower qualifying age for the WSS reflects a targeted approach intended to support lower-wage workers earlier to strengthen employability, and presents them with more opportunities to gain necessary reskilling that will help to increase their income,” Ho said. — The Straits Times/ANN
