It is the in thing these days - training to take on the jobs in the future economy.
And NTUC union members may be considered lucky because they have an additional source of training funds - on top of SkillsFuture Credit - to pay for their courses from the Union Training and Assistance Programme (UTAP).
What is UTAP?
UTAP is a training benefit for NTUC union members to defray training costs and aims to encourage them to go for skills upgrading.
For union members, 50 per cent of the course fee will be funded for up to $250 each year when they sign up for courses supported under UTAP.
Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers' Union member H H Lim, who took up the HTML5 Application Development Fundamentals course by NTUC LearningHub in late January 2016, is one of the beneficiaries. The one-week course has not only reinforced his foundational skills as a senior web specialist but also taught him how to better train his colleagues in using information technology (IT) at work.
He said: “IT is transforming very fast. For example, when I was a student, we were using Windows 95 and a coding programme that are now obsolete. There was also no social media and data analytics. In our industry, we have to upgrade ourselves at least once a year to stay updated and relevant.”
Over the past year, H H has observed a growing selection of course offerings eligible under UTAP. Going forward, the 38-year-old is looking at improving his communication and mobile application development skills.
Who is eligible?
• All NTUC union members who have paid up their NTUC membership fee before the course starts, throughout the duration of the whole course and at the point when they are claiming for the UTAP grant.
• The course offered by the training provider must be supported by UTAP. Also, the training must start within the supported period.
• The course which the union member is pursuing must not be fully funded through company sponsorship.
• Participants must also achieve a minimum of 75 per cent attendance for each application and must have also have taken all the prescribed examinations.
• The UTAP application must be submitted within six months after completing the course. Late applications will be rejected.
How to apply?
1. Enter the UTAP website and click on “Search Course” under the "Skills Upgrade Available" tab to find out if the course and training provider is supported under UTAP.
2. Register for the course with the training provider.
3. After you have attended the course, claim for UTAP by logging to the U Portal account to submit the application.
For more enquiries on UTAP, head down to the NTUC Members’ Hub at NTUC Centre, 1 Marina Boulevard, #B1-03, Singapore 018989. You can also email at UTAP@e2i.com.sg or visit the e2i website.
