SkillsFuture courses explained in one line: Singapore gives each adult citizen training credit, and you spend it on approved courses through the MySkillsFuture portal. The credit is not cash. It pays course fees directly, and it sits on top of other government course subsidies. This guide shows how it works, how to pick a course and how employers can use a separate scheme for their staff.
How the credit works
Every Singapore Citizen aged 25 and above gets an opening SkillsFuture Credit of $500. The government says this base amount does not expire. You can use it on courses listed on the MySkillsFuture portal.
There was one more pot. In the 2020 Budget, the government announced a one-off $500 top-up for citizens aged 25 and above. It could be used from 1 October 2020 and expires about five years later. Check your balance before you enrol so you know what you can spend.
Citizens aged 40 and above now have a larger pot. The next section covers it.
What is new for people aged 40 and above
In the Budget 2024 speech on 16 February 2024, the government announced the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme. It gives every Singapore Citizen aged 40 and above a $4,000 top-up of SkillsFuture Credit, paid in May 2024.
This credit is called SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career). It has limits you should know about. It covers only selected courses that lead to better job outcomes. Short one-day and two-day courses are left out. Most WSQ courses do not count, with a few exceptions such as career transition programmes. The official FAQ says this credit does not expire.
The programme has two more parts. Adults who study a selected full-time course can get a monthly training allowance equal to half of their average income over the last 12 months, up to $3,000 a month, for up to 24 months in total. The government also plans subsidised fees for a second full-time diploma at polytechnics, ITE and arts institutions. More details were still to come at the Committee of Supply debate.
How to pick an approved course
Start on the MySkillsFuture portal. Every course listed there is eligible for the base $500 credit. The $4,000 Mid-Career credit works only on selected courses, so check that your course qualifies before you pay.
Use this short checklist before you enrol.
- Check eligibility. Make sure the course takes SkillsFuture Credit, and that it qualifies for the Mid-Career credit if you plan to use the $4,000.
- Match the course to a job goal. Look for skills named in job postings in your field.
- Read the fee. Work out how much of it the credit would cover and what you would pay yourself.
- Ask the provider about the start date and the claim steps. Claims are made online before the course starts.
Be careful with offers that promise a job or a pay rise. A course teaches skills. It cannot promise what an employer will do.
How to claim, step by step
You log in with Singpass. First, check your balance. Next, pick a course and register with the training provider. Then submit the claim online on the claim page before the course start date.
If the credit does not cover the whole fee, you pay the rest yourself.
How employers can sponsor staff
Staff do not need to spend their own credit when the employer pays. Employers have a separate scheme, the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit. It was announced in the 2020 Budget as a one-off credit of up to $10,000 per employer. It covers up to 90 percent of out-of-pocket costs for approved business and staff training.
Some rules matter for planning. Of the $10,000, up to $7,000 can go to enterprise transformation work, and $3,000 is kept for workforce training. Employers did not have to apply. Enterprise Singapore told eligible firms directly, and they can see the credit on the Business Grants Portal. To qualify, an employer had to have at least three citizens or permanent residents on staff each month in the qualifying period.
For training, the employer must be the one invoiced and the one who pays. Check that the course is eligible for the credit before you book. Ask Enterprise Singapore if you are unsure whether your firm is eligible.
Quick summary
Citizens aged 25 and above hold a $500 base credit. Those aged 40 and above also get $4,000 for selected courses. Pick courses that qualify, claim before the start date and ask your provider for help. Employers can use a separate credit of up to $10,000. These rules can change, so confirm the latest terms on the official pages below.