The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has committed about S$2.5 million to support youths and young school-going children in their education and welfare through a series of education grants and funds.

These include the NTUC Starter Awards, a new scholarship grant that provides bond-free scholarship and leadership development programmes for students in Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), said NTUC in a media release issued on Aug. 3.

NTUC Starter Awards

According to NTUC, the scholarship will offer up to S$6,000 to successful applicants from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), S$9,000 for polytechnic students, and S$16,000 for university students.

Successful applicants will undergo a one-year leadership development journey as part of the scholarship, which will allow them to "develop leadership skills", "broaden their network", and "gain a deeper understanding of the Labour Movement".

For 2024, the scholarship will be open to students from NTUC's partner IHLs, namely the Singapore Insitute of Technology, Temasek Polytechnic, and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

Interested applicants can find out more about the scholarship here and apply between Sep. 2 and 30, 2024.

NTUC Care Fund (Education Awards)

The $2.5 million fund from NTUC will also go towards the NTUC Care Fund (Education Awards), which aims to motivate lower-income union member's school-going children to excel in their studies, according to the media release.

Children of union members who are enrolled in an approved institution for the Academic Year (AY) 2023 can apply for the fund.

Students studying in a full-time course in eligible IHLs, such as ITE, polytechnics, and universities, can submit their application for the fund from now till Aug. 27, 2024.

Applicants for those studying in primary, secondary, Junior College, Millenia Institute, and Special Education levels will open in early August 2024.

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend between S$400 and S$600 until they complete the first tertiary certification, or up till four years, whichever is earlier.

More information can be found here.

NTUC Care Fund (Youth Enable)

Another fund that will benefit from NTUC's commitment is the NTUC Care Fund (Youth Enable), which provides support and assurance to youths in times of adversity brought on by loss of income, such as serious chronic medical conditions.

The fund provides an annual stipend between S$2,000 and S$4,000 to affected youth in their full-time studies until they complete their first tertiary certificate, or up till four years, said NTUC.

Applicants for the fund have already opened from May 27, 2024.

More information can be found here.

NTUC Care-It-Forward campaign

Alongside these additional funds to support youths and young children, NTUC also launched the Care-It-Forward (CIF) campaign at the sidelines of the NTUC x National Day Parade (NDP) Bay Celebrations on Aug. 3.

According to NTUC, CIF is "an awareness campaign" which aims to showcase "NTUC's efforts in caring for [its] workers" and hopes to "encourage workers to pay it forward and support one another".

The campaign will be rolled out progressively in the upcoming months to "target other worker segments" and to "continue showcasing NTUC's efforts in caring for them and championing their interests", added NTUC.

Top image via National Trades Union Congress