More than 126,000 Singaporeans have used the SkillsFuture Credit to up-skill or re-skill themselves by end of December 2016, in the first year of this scheme. 34 percent of the respondents have tapped on their SkillsFuture Credit more than once.
The number of training courses eligible for the SkillsFuture Credit has also increased steadily from more than 10,000 in January 2016 to over 18,000 by December 2016. The average utilisation was highest among Singaporeans aged 25 to 29, at almost $400 per person.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is the most popular area of training, across all age groups. Younger Singaporeans enrolled for courses on emerging ICT skills such as data analytics, while older Singaporeans use their SkillsFuture Credit to acquire more fundamental ICT skills such as using the basic functions of a computer.
Other popular areas of training include Language Skills, Productivity and Innovation, Security and Investigation. These top courses covered a range of skills from supervisory to non-supervisory skills. The most popular of these courses include web-design, programming and search engine optimisation.
Steady Increase in number of SkillsFuture Credit-eligible courses
There is also a significant increase in the number of SkillsFuture credit-eligible courses. Singaporeans can now use their SkillsFuture Credit for over 18,000 approved skills-related courses. These are provided by over 700 training providers, comprising both public and private providers. Based on the number of courses offered, the top 10 training providers are:
The full list of SkillsFuture Credit-eligible courses can be found here.
As it continues to expand the range of training programmes, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) will identify and bring on board high-quality training providers. These include business school INSEAD, IT trainer Udacity and online university course provider edX, all of which will be providing courses eligible for the SkillsFuture Credit within the next few months.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) popular among younger Singaporeans
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) form 12 percent of all the SkillsFuture Credit-eligible courses. These enable learners to access the courses online at their own convenience and pace, making learning flexible and easily accessible. About 6 percent of Singaporeans have utilised their SkillsFuture Credit on MOOCs, the majority of whom are in the age group of 25 to 39.
SSG will continue to step up efforts to reach out to and advise Singaporeans on how they can make good use of their SkillsFuture Credit to deepen their skills or acquire new skills.
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