Thinking of a mid-career switch or reskilling? Use your S$4,000 SkillsFuture Credit for these courses.

Any adult who has been in the workforce for some time will likely reach a point in their career where they start to rethink their career choices.

Whether you’re considering developing new skills sets for a career progression or exploring a possible transition, you’re in luck.

During Budget 2024, it was announced that all Singaporeans aged 40 and above will receive a S$4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) top-up.

This top-up will be given to younger Singaporeans when they turn 40 too, and can be used on about 7,000 full-time and part-time courses.

Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing said the courses have better employability outcomes, and include a range of academic full qualification programmes offered by institutes of higher learning.

Figuring out which industry to get into if you’re thinking of a career switch can be a daunting task.

But according to past “Skills Demand for the Future Economy” reports, the digital, care and green economies are seeing high growth.

Green economy

With climate change becoming an increasingly pressing issue worldwide, organisations and businesses are starting to prioritise sustainable growth.

Singapore itself has its ambitious Singapore Green Plan 2030, a whole-of-government effort to set concrete environmental and sustainability targets across all sectors.

If you’re considering dipping your toes in the green sector, perhaps a course in Sustainable Marketing might be of interest.

Students will learn marketing concepts used in business in the sustainability industry.

Offered by Republic Polytechnic, the course overview states that you will also be able to “understand the key elements for a sustainability-aligned vision of marketing that serves company goals and societal priorities now and in the future”.

Cost:

• S$1,152 (before subsidies)
• S$115.20 (after subsidies* before GST)

*This course is eligible for the “Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy”, where Singaporeans aged 40 and above can receive a subsidy of up to 90 per cent of the course fees.

Digital economy

The digital economy includes the Infocomm Technology (ICT) sector and digitalisation efforts in other industries.

According to a SkillsFuture Singapore’s report, the digital economy accounted for 17 per cent of Singapore’s GDP in 2022.

If you would like to learn some basic fundamentals to help you pivot into a cybersecurity role, here’s a course for you.

The Cybersecurity Associate course is designed for those with a basic knowledge of computer hardware, software, and operating systems, and who wish to increase their knowledge and understanding of networking, security and Linux essentials.

With this, students can acquire skills needed for a career in desktop support or administration.

Offered by the NTUC Learning Hub, this course is also part of the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP) - which supports mid-career individuals to attain industry-relevant skills to improve employability, and pivot to new sectors or job roles.

SCTP is a train-and-place programme that is available on a part-time or full-time basis, typically ranging from three to 12 months.

Cost:

• S$15,850 (before subsidies)
• S$1,585 (after subsidies* before GST)

*This course is eligible for the “Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy”, where Singaporeans aged 40 and above can receive a subsidy of up to 90 per cent of the course fees.

Care economy

The care economy refers to the jobs and skills related to providing care, support and services for individuals, families and communities.

It encompasses a wide range of industries, including healthcare, social work, childcare, eldercare and mental health support.

Social work, in particular, is a sector that has been gaining momentum.

The National Council of Social Service reported in 2023 a 19 per cent increase in mid-career workers switching to the sector from 2016 to 2022.

Thinking that social work might be your calling?

This course about Social Work in Healthcare gives an overview of social work practice in the medical and health setting.

Offered by Singapore University of Social Sciences, students will be introduced to the fundamentals of healthcare social work practice, and will be able to discuss the values, knowledge and skills needed to work in hospitals, home care, nursing homes and hospice care.

Cost:

• S$1,391.78 (before subsidies)
• S$139.18 (after subsidies* before GST)

*This course is eligible for the “Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy”, where Singaporeans aged 40 and above can receive a subsidy of up to 90 per cent of the course fees.

More unique courses

If hearing about the Green, Digital, and Care Economies has piqued your interest, SkillsFuture has a tonne of other courses available.

Here are some other noteworthy courses you might not have thought existed.

Modular Certificate in Sustainable Farming

This course will allow students to develop skills necessary for joining the agriculture industry.

Participants will learn more about the agricultural technologies for food production, farming process and management, urban farming technology and systems, agribusiness and sustainable farming.

AI Basics & Lifecycle

This course will teach students about AI ethics, biases, security, intellectual properties, basic data science and industry requirements on recommended AI solutions.

Introduction to Translation

This course teaches students on the concepts and issues in translation, such as the development of translation and the role of linguistics in translation, culminating in practical sessions translating texts of different genres.

Food Safety Course Level 1

If you’re looking to enter the food and beverage industry, this course is a requirement for all future food handlers.

Students will learn how to handle and store food safely as well as maintain cleanliness of equipment and premises.

Subsidies for courses

In case you haven’t noticed, besides the S$4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) top-up, Singaporeans aged 40 and above also qualify for the Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy.

This subsidy currently covers up to 90 per cent of the fees for eligible SkillsFuture Singapore- supported courses and at least 90 per cent of the programme costs for eligible Ministry of Education-subsidised courses.

The remainder of the subsidy can be further offset by the SkillsFuture CreditCredits, which means you may not need to pay any out-of-pocket fees for your course.

If you’re still concerned about the fees involved, you’ll be glad to know that all Singaporeans above 40 will receive subsidies to pursue a second diploma from academic year 2025.

This applies even if you have already attained a diploma when you were younger.

Find out more about the support here and check out the full list of courses here.

Please check with the training provider directly to confirm the payable course fees after subsidies, which are subject to eligibility.

This is a sponsored article by the Ministry of Finance.

Top photo from NTU Singapore / X