Debated in Parliament on 3 Apr 2017.
Ms Sun Xueling asked the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (a) whether a comprehensive review of the outcomes of SkillsFuture will be undertaken before the next tranche of SkillsFuture credits is announced; and (b) if so, what will be the parameters of such a review.
Mdm Speaker, the SkillsFuture movement is a long-term endeavour to develop and deepen skills and to develop Singaporeans holistically. It is also about inculcating professional pride and greater depth of expertise in every field. As we move away from relentless pursuit of academic qualifications for their own sake, we are nurturing essential traits that will be future-proofing our people, such as curiosity to learn, resilience and entrepreneurial dare. Most of all, the SkillsFuture initiative enhances our workers' employability, sharpens our industry competitiveness and opens up new opportunities.
As our schools and higher education system move in this direction, we are also boosting the skills deepening initiatives, not just in industries, but also in our training institutions. We are monitoring the progress and outcomes of all these initiatives.
SkillsFuture Credit, which was introduced in January last year, is part of this overall movement. We are keeping a close watch on the scheme. Key factors, such as utilisation rate and the Government's fiscal position, are part of our review for the next tranche of SkillsFuture Credit. In addition, we are also considering broader trends, such as the types of training that Singaporeans are using their Credits for, and the training participation rate for Singaporeans.
Mdm Speaker: Ms Sun Xueling.
I thank the Parliamentary Secretary. As there was no timeline provided for when the next tranche of SkillsFuture Credits will be provided, could the Parliamentary Secretary further share when that is likely to take place? Because if I look at the annual Budget Debate as well as the release, quite of lot, that is, $500 billion, is being set aside every year for productivity and SkillsFuture-related special transfers. I would like to enquire when that assessment will be, so we can take note of the parameters to look out for and the outcomes we should be expecting.
Madam, I want to thank Ms Sun Xueling for her supplementary question. The review is an ongoing process and I shared the four considerations earlier. I want to assure Ms Sun that many of the courses are highly subsidised by the Government to ensure affordability. Members will recall that, in a recent update as at end-2016, 12 months after we introduced the $500 SkillsFuture Credit, 126,000 Singaporeans, that means 5% of Singaporeans, have already used their credits to take up courses.
We are now focused on outreach, which is why SSG is currently planning a major outreach exercise called SkillsFuture Engage where SSG will work very closely with the five Community Development Councils to help Singaporeans navigate the training landscape, the SkillsFuture credit directory and so on. There are more than 50 areas. We want to better understand what is the area of training that is suited for their learning and development, with a view to strengthening Singaporeans' ownership of their lifelong learning journey.
Mdm Speaker: Mr Patrick Tay.
On behalf of the workers who have benefited immensely from the SkillsFuture Credit and also those who are constantly embracing lifelong learning, I urge the Ministry of Education to consider top-ups every three to five years. I just want to reiterate my call and also the fact that this has benefited quite a number of people who have had to fork out from their pockets in terms of the unfunded portions.
Mdm Speaker, I want to thank Mr Patrick Tay for his suggestions, which we will certainly look into. Allow me to reassure Mr Patrick Tay and Members that in addition to the SkillsFuture Credit of $500, we have also put in place different schemes to assist and encourage employers to develop their workers, especially older workers and low-income workers. Allow me to just cite an example, the enhanced training support scheme for small and medium enterprises and the Workfare Training Support (WTS) scheme. If we recall, based on this scheme, the employers are eligible for subsidies ranging from up to 50% or even up to 90% of the course fees for SSG-supported courses. So, we want to reassure Members that as long as Singaporeans are prepared to have a strong ownership of their lifelong learning journey and go for deepening of their skillsets, help will be available.
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