The adage "there is no age for learning" holds especially true in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) advancements. Experts emphasise that now, more than ever, individuals must not only choose to learn out of interest but also need to upskill and reskill to remain relevant in today's rapidly evolving workforce landscape. This imperative applies whether one is already employed, seeking to re-enter the workforce, or aiming for entry-level positions.
While edtech companies and the Indian government have launched initiatives like Digital Upskilling Programme to ensure a future-ready workforce, Singapore earlier this month came up with a scheme to boost mid-career upskilling and reskilling.
The Ministry of Education (MOE), together with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), will jointly introduce the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme (SFLP) to better support mid-career Singaporeans, aged 40 and above, in the pursuit of substantive skills reboot.
“Technology disruption is happening very quickly. New challenges everywhere…No country, no economy can hide from these changes in the world with AI… This is why the new subsidy for Singaporeans age 40 and above to pursue another full-time diploma in higher education,” Tan Wu Meng, Member of Parliament, noted.
He explained that in a world that is changing so quickly, what you learn in school – in education – at age 20, may have changed, transformed and have been replaced by a new world by the time you are age 40. The new scheme recognises that change and supports middle-aged and older workers.
“And having mid-career workers learning new skills alongside younger workers – a middle-aged mid-career worker alongside someone who is 18, 19, 20-plus years' old, learning together, that will also transform the education experience in our IHLs because older workers bring life experience, life skills and living wisdom into the classroom. Even as they bring that into the classroom, they also learn new skills, together with the younger students,” Meng asserted.
This move reaffirms the importance of lifelong learning and will enable mature, mid-career Singaporeans, who may have more personal and family commitments, to upskill and reskill to stay relevant and employable amidst a rapidly changing economy, the Asian nation’s government said in a statement.
As part of the programme, Singaporeans aged 40 and above are eligible for the Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy (MCES) that covers up to 90% of course fees for programmes funded by MOE and SSG.
All Singaporeans, aged 40 and above will receive a SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) top-up of $4,000, from 1 May 2024 and subsequent cohorts of Singaporeans will receive the top-up in the year they turn 40. “This credit, which does not expire, is intended to support the skills upgrading needs of mid-career Singaporeans throughout their careers,” the Ministry of Education said.
The move comes after Singapore had in 2020 given its citizens aged 40 to 60 a one-off SkillsFuture Credit top-up of $500 to encourage mid-career reskilling. This credit expires on December 31, 2025. The expiry date on this one-off top-up will be lifted and individuals' SkillsFuture Credit balances will be merged with the top-up of $4,000, according to the government statement.
“With this move, all Singaporeans will benefit from a base tier of $500 SkillsFuture Credit that is given at age 25, followed by an additional tier of support given at age 40 for a mid-career skills reboot,” it added.
The mid-career tier of SkillsFuture Credit can be used for a curated list of around 7,000 courses that have better employability outcomes.
These courses include
Full qualification programmes offered by the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), ranging from Nitec/Higher Nitec, Diploma, Undergraduate to Postgraduate degree programmes, as well as the modules that can stack towards these full qualifications;
MOE-subsidised full qualifications from the University of the Arts Singapore and the Arts Institutions, i.e., Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and LASALLE College of the Arts;
SSG's SkillsFuture Career Transition Programmes, which are train-and-place programmes to support mid-career individuals' transition into sectors with good employment opportunities;
Courses that fulfil the training requirements for Progressive Wage Model sectors; and
Workplace Literacy and Numeracy courses
