Debated in Parliament on 7 Nov 2022.
Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the amount of funding required, on a per adult basis, to support lifelong learning in order to acquire the necessary new skills and knowledge to keep pace with rapidly evolving jobs and industry development; and (b) how does the current level of funding compare to the required amount.
In 2021, the Government spent nearly $1.2 billion in skills training for the workforce, around 40% more than $0.8 billion in 2019. This excluded spending on COVID-19-related programmes, which ramped up support for employers in affected sectors so that they could send workers for training during the downtime, as well as support to individuals who were displaced for career transitions through the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package.
The amount of funding required to support every adult’s lifelong learning varies – depending on various factors, such as an individual’s aspiration, learning ability, nature of work and industry. Besides Government support, a successful Continuing Education and Training (CET) system requires strong involvement from industry and a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation among workers. We will continue to invest in CET and work closely with all stakeholders to ensure that our approach remains responsive to the needs of companies and workers.
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