By Ramesh Subbaraman
Lifelong learning is here to stay with the start of the SkillsFuture Credit scheme this year. From 1 January 2016, Singaporeans would have begun to receive their letters about the scheme and the activation of their SkillsFuture Credit accounts.
Prior to the scheme being announced by Deputy Prime Minister and then Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam during his Budget speech in February 2015, NTUC’s Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay had called for the Government to set up an individual Skillsave Account for every Singaporean worker.
The aim was to allow them to be responsible for their own career training and development needs.
Learning Culture
The Labour Movement views SkillsFuture Credit as a step to survive the ongoing economic transition.
Mr Desmond Choo, NTUC’s Director (Progressive Wage Model), Industrial Relations Department, explained that Singapore’s economy and jobs will change quickly in ways workers might not expect.
“We should use SkillsFuture to both deepen our domain skills and also explore skills useful to exploit new opportunities. Through this process, we build a learning culture at all levels,” said Mr Choo.
Outreach Efforts
Mr Choo said NTUC will focus on three key areas to push out the message on lifelong learning — helping workers utilise SkillsFuture Credit, advising them on what to train for, and continually sharing with workers on the changing employment landscape.
“We have trained our industrial relations officers and union leaders so that they are ready to help our workers to use their SkillsFuture Credit.
“Members can receive help through our multiple help platforms at NTUC's e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and we are also working with individual unions to identify courses useful for their members,” explained Mr Choo.
NTUC is also working with employers to accommodate the training needs of workers, especially those on shift work.
Motivating Older Workers
To motivate older workers to upgrade themselves, Mr Choo said it is important to share the ways in which they can still improve their skills and employability.
To achieve this, NTUC will be working with U Live to better understand the needs of older workers and to help them utilise the SkillsFuture Credit.
Mr Choo concluded that the Union Training Assistance Programme (UTAP) gives NTUC and union members the competitive advantage of being able to use both UTAP and the SkillsFuture Credit to fund their courses.
What will Mr Desmond Choo use his SkillsFuture Credit For?
"I am most likely going to try my hand at either coding or stage management. Through the courses, I hope to gain new insights and perspectives into thinking about issues differently. And that is what I think being future-ready is about – learning both deeply and also across domains to fertilise new ideas for breakthroughs.”
Good To Know:
For information and assistance on SkillsFuture Credit, UTAP and the available courses, visit e2i at 80 Jurong East St 21.
Alternatively, you can call the SkillsFuture Credit Hotline at 6883 5885 or log on to the website at www.skillsfuture.sg/credit.
