Performance Metrics to Track Efficacy of SkillsFuture Programme

Mr Ong Teng Koon asked the Minister for Education what are the performance metrics to track the efficacy of the SkillsFuture programme and how has the programme improved productivity and employment opportunities.

The SkillsFuture programme comprises many initiatives to support the lifelong learning needs of Singaporeans from all walks of life.

There has been no widely accepted metrics to measure the efficacy of training, despite many countries having worked on this for many years. Nonetheless, Singapore has been evaluating the outcomes of training through several measures.

One such way is to collect feedback from employers and individuals on course quality and training outcomes. Post training surveys show that more than 80% of trainees felt that work performance improved after training. Additionally, MOM's Employer-Supported Training Survey found that 92% of employers reported that training had a significant positive impact on the performance of their workers.

There are also programme-specific studies, to evaluate the impact of training on wage and employment outcomes. For example, a study by MTI found that non-employed trainees who completed their Singapore Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) training were more likely to find employment and earn higher wages than their previous jobs. The same study also found that WSQ trainees experienced a wage premium of up to 6% compared to trainees who did not attend such training.

MTI has also studied the wage data of the initial batches of graduates from the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme (ELP). It found that ELP graduates enjoyed a sustained wage premium of about 10%, over Polytechnic diploma graduates.

At the national-level, we have seen a rise in the training participation rate of the resident labour force, in tandem with the roll-out of various SkillsFuture programmes. Based on MOM's Labour Force Survey, the training participation rate increased from 35% in 2015 to 48% in 2018.

We are making good progress and achieving encouraging momentum with SkillsFuture. We will continue to monitor the training outcomes and enhance the programmes to prepare workers for changes in our economy, and to support lifelong learning for Singaporeans.