Preparing Singaporean youth for the future with SkillsFuture

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As Singapore celebrates its 50 years, the country reflects on what the pioneers of the nation have gone through in the last 50 years, and what the future holds for the nation. Skills will be necessary for people to excel in the coming 50 years, but skills chosen today will be different from the skills required 10 years down the line.

To meet the ever changing skill demand; Education Minister Heng Swee Keat says, the students in Singapore will have to “learn for the future, learn throughout life and learn for impact.” This will be emphasized in the nation under the SkillsFuture program.

Mr Heng said, Heng Swee Keat

“SkillsFuture is about supporting Singaporeans to deepen skills at every stage of your careers. We hope to create a culture where all Singaporeans can learn throughout life, to develop the skills needed to stay ahead.” 

“There is so much changing in the world, much of it driven by technology. So change is the one constant thing in life. With SkillsFuture, we commit to helping you (Singaporeans) acquire the skills that will help you stay on the top of change and excel at what you do, so that you can own a better future,” he added.

Speaking with over 5,000 graduates from Nanyang Polytechnic, Heng Swee Keat opined that it’s not just about building careers, he said it’s about the future of Singapore. He urged the students to hone their skills at almost all junctions of life to always remain updated with the latest. There will be initiatives taken under SkillsFuture, which work in the direction to assist Singaporeans to learn throughout their lives.

Under the program, fresh earn and learn schemes have been created for ITE and poly graduates. It’s a work-study program to help graduates head-start a career and build their skills and knowledge simultaneously.

Polytechnics and ITEs have pledged to work with employers to largely improve the internship experience for the fresh graduates. This will deepen the skill sets of the students before they enter the mainstream workforce.

To promote participation in SkillsForce, at 25-years, the enrolled students will be eligible for SkillsFuture Credit, which will be used to pay fees of work-skills related courses along with the subsidized course fees.