First announced during the Singapore Budget 2024 and also discussed during the National Day Rally 2024, the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme is a policy that aims to support mid-career Singaporeans aged 40 and above in undertaking significant reskilling and upskilling to boost their prospects in their current jobs or pivot to a new career.
What Is The SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme?
There are three components to the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme
#1 $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) Top-Up
The first is the $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) Top-Up. Unlike the $500 SkillsFuture credit that all Singaporeans receive at age 25, this top-up is meant to be more targeted than previous tranches of SkillsFuture top-ups, with usage confined to selected training programmes with improved employability outcomes.
For example, it can offset out-of-pocket course fees when enrolling into around 7,000 part-time and full-time diploma, post-diploma, undergraduate programmes, and courses for the Progressive Wage Model sectors.
All Singaporeans will receive the $4,000 in the year they turn 40. Singaporeans currently aged 40 and above will receive the top-up in May 2024. These SkillsFuture credits have no expiry date.
#2 Support For Mid-Career Singaporeans To Pursue Another Subsidised Full-Time Diploma
Previously, individuals who have received MOE subsidies or government sponsorship for a diploma or higher qualification (e.g., degree) were not eligible for another subsidised full-time diploma qualification at our institutions.
Singaporeans aged 40 and above will qualify for the Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy for another subsidised full-time diploma at the Polytechnics, ITE, and Arts Institutions (i.e., Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and LASALLE College of the Arts). This will expand the opportunities available for mid-career Singaporeans to take subsidised courses.
The subsidies are pretty significant. Here’s a look at the annual fees at Polytechnics for the Academic year 2024.
| Singapore Citizens (below 40 years old) | Singapore Citizens (40 years old and above) | Permanent Residents | International Students |
| $3,000 | $2,000 | $6,200 | $12,000 |
As we can see, Singapore citizens who are 40 years old and above will enjoy tuition fees ($2,000) that are even lower than those of Singapore citizens who are below 40 years old. It’s also significantly lower than what PRs ($6,200) and international students will be paying ($12,000).
The $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) Top-Up can cover this tuition fee.
#3 SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance
Perhaps the most generous subsidy of all is the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance. Since working adults who intend to take a full-time diploma will have to make significant sacrifices in terms of time to commit to full-time studies, they may need to take time off their jobs or even stop working altogether for a period of time.
To better support mid-career workers who need to undergo substantive reskilling, the government will provide a training allowance to Singaporeans aged 40 and above who undertake full-time long-form training to partially offset the income loss from taking time off from work.
This will be made available from early 2025 for eligible individuals who enrol in the following full-time long-form training programmes.
(i) Full-time SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme courses, which are designed to support mid-career transitions into sectors with good hiring opportunities
(ii) Full-time publicly-funded full qualifications up to undergraduate degree level offered by our Institutes of Higher Learning and Arts Institutions.
The training allowance will be equivalent to 50% of the individual’s average income over the latest available 12-month period, capped at $3,000 per month. For example, someone who earns $6,000 a month or more will receive a maximum of $3,000 a month for up to 24 months. Someone who earns $4,000 a month will receive $2,000 during their training period for up to 24 months.
Read Also: Complete Guide To SkillsFuture Credits – And How Singaporeans Can Use Them
The SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme encourages lifelong learning among Singaporeans by offering a combination of SkillsFuture credits, course subsidies, and training allowances. It also provides an opportunity for mid-career Singaporean workers who are considering a career switch to not only further their studies in an area of their choice but also receive training allowances during their study period.
Read Also: Why Singapore Employers Need To Be Prepared For An Older Workforce
Here’s an infographics that tells you all you need to know about the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance. Infographics courtesy of SkillsFuture.
Source: SkillsFuture
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