Singapore's total population rose 1.6 per cent to 6.21 million as at June 2026, up from 6.11 million in June 2025, according to the Population in Brief 2026 report by the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD).

Growth driven mainly by non-residents

The report stated that the increase in total population was mainly due to growth in the non-resident population, which rose 3.7 per cent to 1.98 million in June 2026, from 1.91 million in June 2025.

This came primarily from Work Permit holders, followed by migrant domestic workers.

The NPTD said the rise in Work Permit holders was particularly driven by the construction sector, to support key infrastructure projects such as Changi Terminal 5, the Marina Bay Sands expansion, and the ramp-up of housing supply and other transport infrastructure.

The citizen population increased by 0.7 per cent to 3.68 million in June 2026, up from 3.66 million in June 2025.

The permanent resident (PR) population remained relatively stable at 0.55 million.

Singapore now a "super-aged society"

The report also highlighted Singapore's ageing population.

As at June 2026, 21.4 per cent of the citizen population was aged 65 and above, up from 13.7 per cent in 2016.

This means Singapore has crossed the United Nations' threshold of 21 per cent for a "super-aged society."

The number of citizens aged 80 and above rose 60 per cent over the past decade, from 95,000 in 2016 to 152,000 in 2026.

The median age of the citizen population also rose, from 43.7 years in June 2025 to 44.1 years in June 2026.

The NPTD projected that by 2035, more than one in four citizens will be aged 65 and above.

Fewer marriages and births in 2025

There were 21,671 citizen marriages in 2025, 5.6 per cent lower than the 22,955 citizen marriages recorded in 2024.

The average number of citizen marriages per year from 2023 to 2025 (23,000) was lower than the average from 2016 to 2019 (23,500).

There were also 26,071 citizen births in 2025, 10.8 per cent lower than the 29,237 citizen births in 2024.

The average number of citizen births per year from 2021 to 2025 (29,300) was lower than the average from 2016 to 2020 (32,500).

The resident total fertility rate fell to 0.87 in 2025, down from 0.97 in 2024.

Top image via Yoav Aziz/Unsplash

Former DBS CEO Piyush Gupta revealed in an interview that the bank had deliberately moved away from hiring only the top-scoring university graduates, as academic results alone do not make the best employees.

In an interview with content creator Inconvenient Questions, Gupta recounted that DBS used to hire its "first class" candidates from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Suggested hiring outside of the top 20 per cent

When he asked his team why they only hired from this cohort, he was told that the bank received so many applications that using top grades as a cut-off was a way to narrow down the pool.

Gupta said he pushed back, suggesting the team ignore the top 20 per cent of applicants and instead take the next 20 per cent, since that would also form a valid shortlist.

He added that in his experience, the best bankers have never come from the top academic performers, but from "the next lot."

According to Gupta, candidates still need to be bright, but they also need to be street smart and capable of handling a wide range of tasks.

Hiring for "fire in the belly"

Gupta said that during his tenure at DBS, the bank began hiring differently, prioritising skills and what he called "fire in the belly" over academic credentials alone.

He said this is increasingly the direction he expects employers to move in going forward.

Universities must rethink their role

Gupta's comments echo remarks he made in a separate interview with The Straits Times published on Sep. 22, in which he discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the value of a university education.

Gupta said that as AI makes knowledge instantly accessible, universities must shift their focus from transferring information to fostering curiosity, critical thinking and cross-disciplinary reasoning.

Rather than banning AI outright, he said universities need to adapt, including guarding against "cognitive debt," teaching students to verify AI-generated output, and partnering with companies to give students early exposure to practical, real-world experience.

He also said universities must evolve beyond the traditional four-year degree structure to support lifelong learning.

On how students should approach their studies, Gupta said, "So far, the focus has been on choosing a major. In the future, I would say: Forget one or two majors and focus on 10 minors, so you get enough cross-disciplinary and eclectic learning."

Pay gap between university graduates and non-graduates could narrow

Gupta also raised concerns in his interview with ST about the automation of "grunt work" traditionally assigned to fresh graduates, questioning whether they will still gain the depth of knowledge and practical experience needed to take on more advanced roles later in their careers.

He suggested this could narrow the "graduate premium", referring to the higher salaries university graduates have traditionally commanded over non-graduates.

Employers may become less willing to pay this premium if graduates do not bring anything to the workplace that sets them apart from school-leavers who have access to the same AI tools, Gupta said.

Top image via Piyush Gupta/LinkedIn

Manchester City have been found guilty of the majority of charges brought against the club over breaches of the Premier League's financial rules, The Guardian reported.

The Athletic cited sources familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly.

It added that City were cleared on just one of the 115 charges pertaining to financial breaches they faced. Additional charges brought to the total number to 134.

What the charges are about

According to The Guardian, the case centres on allegations that City failed to provide accurate financial information to the Premier League.

More than 80 charges relate to City's duty to provide information to the Premier League in “the utmost good faith”.

Other charges relate to the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules and UEFA's financial fair play regulations.

20 charges concern City's obligation to provide full details of payments made to players and managers.

City have always denied the allegations, per The Athletic.

What could happen to Man City

No punishment has been decided.

City are expected to appeal the decision, and would have 14 days from the announcement of the verdict to do so.

Should the appeal fail, the panel would then decide on a sanction. Under Premier League rules, the options include a fine, a points deduction, suspension from competition or expulsion from the league.

Investigation began in 2018

The Premier League began investigating City in December 2018 following the publication of leaked documents relating to the club's finances.

The club was subsequently charged in February 2023.

City had previously been handed a two-year ban from UEFA competitions in 2020, along with a €30 million (S$43.6 million) fine, after being accused of “overstating sponsorship revenue in its accounts”.

The ban was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Man City responds

According to The Guardian, a Manchester City spokesperson said the Premier League process was still ongoing.

“The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality,” the spokesperson said. “As such Manchester City FC's position remains consistent with the club's statement of February 2023.”

The club added that it had “diligently respected due process for eight years”, and said it expected the Premier League's board and executive to act as an “independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator”.

The Premier League declined to comment, citing the confidential nature of the proceedings.

'People shouldn't jump to conclusions'

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged people not to jump to conclusions before studying the independent commission's report in detail.

“I've only just been made aware of it. I think these are reports at this stage,” Burnham told ITV Granada Reports. “But if they're confirmed, obviously I will want to look at the report of the independent commission.”

He added: “People shouldn't jump to those kind of conclusions.”

Burnham said the proceedings between City and the Premier League had been lengthy and contested, and that the commission's report would need to be studied before conclusions could be reached.

A man has complained that pressing the button at a pedestrian crossing does not turn the traffic light green straight away.

He posted about it in the Complaint Singapore Facebook group, saying he had pressed the button, but the "green man" did not appear immediately.

"Need to change to green man at once"

He said that at some junctions, such as Balestier Road in front of Zhongshan Mall, the wait was at least three minutes.

He added: "Need to change to green man at once upon pressing for all pedestrian crossings. If not, press button is meaningless."

How the buttons actually work

The post drew mostly mockery, though a few commenters took the time to explain how the system works.

One user wrote:

"It's not a light switch at your home. It's designed to make traffic flow efficient.

It gives a signal to the traffic circuit that there is a person crossing on that path so that it will give access to the crossers on it's next cycle, not immediately at pressing it."

The commenter added that if the button is never pressed, the junction gives priority to passing vehicles to keep traffic moving.

A 50-year-old Chinese man will be charged in court on Sep. 26 for allegedly starting a fire outside a mosque in the central business district of Singapore.

Set fire to a piece of undergarment outside mosque

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a news release that they were alerted to a case of a fire outside a mosque located at 80 Raffles Place at around 9pm on Friday (Sep. 25).

The address matches that of Masjid Moulana Mohamed Ali, located in the basement of UOB Plaza One.

Preliminary investigations revealed that a man had placed an oil tin at the entrance of the mosque and set fire to a piece of undergarment placed in the oil tin.

He subsequently left the location. The fire was put out by a member of public and no injuries were reported.

Arrested within three hours

Officers from the Central Police Division established the man's identity through ground enquiries and police camera footage, and arrested him within three hours of the report.

A lighter was seized as a case exhibit.

The man will be charged in court on Sep. 26 for causing or contributing to the risk of dangerous fire, an offence punishable under Section 285 of the Penal Code 1871.

If found guilty, the man may face a jail term of up to one year, a fine, or both.

Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad commented on the incident in a Facebook post, saying he was thankful no one was hurt and thankful for the member of the public who put out the fire.

Top image via

Xi Jinping’s first and only full day in the United States during his second state visit was capped by a state banquet with 134 guests.

A glance at the guest list was telling: out of those 134, only 19 were from the Chinese delegation, including Xi and his wife.

The remaining 17 were all Chinese government officials, from Politburo standing member Cai Qi, foreign minister Wang Yi, to the ambassador to the U.S. and China’s MFA’s deputy director general for North American and Oceanian affairs.

Guest list

On the U.S. side, there were the senior leaders of the U.S. government, including three supreme court justices, several cabinet secretaries, senators, congressmen, and advisers.

But perhaps of more note was the number of CEOs and business leaders present.

Technology hardware leaders like Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, AMD’s Lisa Su, and former Apple CEO and current Executive Chairman Tim Cook all sat at the head table with Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Then there were the tech leaders, like Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, and Elon Musk, the latter of whom also sat at the head table.

Rounding out the list were aerospace company leaders from the likes of Lockheed Martin and Boeing, financial leaders from Goldman Sachs, and even pharmaceutical companies, like Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

But where were the Chinese businesses?

What you wouldn’t have seen was any Chinese tech leaders.

There was a matter of some confusion about this as late as this weekend. There were still rumours that China intended to bring along a sizable business contingent.

The Financial Review said that until days before Xi's arrival, there were discussions about the inclusion of executives from companies such as BYD, Xiaomi, battery manufacturer CATL, as well as the Bank of China.

But as Xi set off, it was revealed that the Chinese delegation would contain no business leaders, immediately sparking speculation as to why.

Did Xi leave them out?

A CNA report indicates that Xi rarely travels abroad with a large business delegation, especially after China's crackdown on tech, education and property sectors, which began in 2020.

This is in contrast to his 2015 state visit, which was overall more expansive in nature.

Not only did his business contingent then consist of a large number of executives from Chinese banks, state-owned companies, but it also included China's own tech giants like Jack Ma of Alibaba and Tencent's Pony Ma.

Both Mas have been investigated for wrongdoing in the years since that visit, and China’s tech leaders have since sought to lower their profile as a response.

Corporate restrictions

The Financial Review also suggested that some Chinese companies were not eager to invest in the United States, quoting The Asia Society Policy Institute's Centre for China Analysis' Neil Thomas.

Thomas said that many Chinese companies were acutely aware of the political risks they face in the U.S. and that restrictions on Chinese investment could tighten further in the near future due to security concerns.

Many of the companies that might have been part of a Chinese delegation were currently subject to U.S. restrictions or intense political scrutiny, such as companies like CATL and BYD due to their links to the Chinese military.

Meanwhile, access to U.S. technology, such as Nvidia chips, by Chinese companies is subject to significant restriction.

As a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Drew Thompson put it, there may have been very little reason for Chinese business leaders to head on the trip.

Protocol issues

But as the visit developed, stories emerged that the lack of representation was not exactly a response from corporate leaders.

By Sep. 24, the day of the state banquet, outlets such as the South China Morning Post and Nikkei both reported that Chinese CEOs had travelled to Washington in the hope that they would be able to attend.

Nikkei reported that senior executives from BYD and Xiaomi both travelled to Washington, despite other reports indicating that no Chinese executives had applied for visas in recent days.

There was even a discussion about a corporate leaders' roundtable at one point before the idea was nixed.

NPR suggested that the reason for the lack of invitations was due to the U.S. leaving planning for the event until very late, with significant details of the visit still to be finalised as much as a week before it started.

U.S. planners had apparently taken a stance of “perfect reciprocity” when dealing with the event's logistics; that is to say, they refused to offer any programming or access beyond what was available to Trump when he visited in May.

One example was a possible speech at a U.S. university by Xi which was abandoned early on, as Trump had not been asked to make a similar speech in May.

Reciprocity

But this would not explain the lack of corporate representation, as one of the more remarkable aspects of Trump's May visit: the number of tech CEOs that had travelled to Beijing with him on Air Force One.

Some had even boarded in Alaska while Trump's plane was being refuelled.

While China’s MFA did not release a full list of attendees of the May banquet, it is known that a number of Chinese business leaders were in attendance, so for them to attend would have fulfilled the “reciprocity” requirement.

CNBC reported at the time that some of the leaders in attendance included the co-founder of ByteDance (TikTok's parent company) Liang Rubo, and Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun.

Insiders that NPR spoke to suggested that Chinese diplomats were chafing at their U.S. counterparts’ tendency to arrange events in an ad hoc manner; one was even quoted as calling their process “half-assed”.

Diplotainment?

Ultimately, trade and commerce between the two superpowers remain a fraught topic, despite the warm welcome Trump has put on for Xi.

One of the most critical topics up for discussion, a resolution to the ongoing trade war, has not yielded a solution, with both countries instead agreeing to extend a current “trade truce” agreed upon in Busan last year until January 2027.

There is a feeling that whatever the reason, whether it was reluctance on the part of the Chinese CEOs or U.S. diplomats not being proactive enough, there was not enough motivation to ensure Chinese business leaders' participation.

It resulted in a very lopsided state dinner attendance, both in terms of ratio and in terms of attendee backgrounds.

It feeds into a sentiment, expressed by Senate Democrats critical of the conduct of the visit, that the event had an air of “diplotainment”, rather than true diplomacy.

Trump, for his part, has been effusive in his praise of Xi and of the summit, describing the meeting as “very productive” and predicting “tremendous things”.

The government is undertaking a review to identify property purchases made between 2007 and 2011 by officers who were involved in rail planning at the time in order to assess if there was actual misconduct as alleged in a recent study.

The review was announced in a press release by the Public Service Division (PSD), an agency under the Prime Minister's Office, on Sep. 25.

The study was a working paper by the American non-profit National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), which claimed to have found a pattern of mid-level Singapore civil servants purchasing homes near yet-to-be announced MRT stations.

Statistical patterns do not establish fault, but need for scrutiny

In its press release, PSD said that it takes the assertions of the paper seriously and that the statistical patterns reported in the paper are a "concern".

However, PSD clarified, "Statistical patterns do not by themselves establish whether any individual officer actually had access to non-public information on MRT station locations at the relevant time, or whether such information influenced a property purchase."

Explaining further, PSD noted that information or speculation about planned MRT lines and stations may already be in the public domain or used to market new property developments.

"An officer may have purchased a unit in such a development for reasons unrelated to any non-public information," PSD highlighted.

However, PSD reiterated that these "do not remove the need for scrutiny" but underscore the need for each transaction to be examined carefully before any conclusion is drawn.

Government reviewing 2007 to 2011 records among rail planning officers

Hence, the government is undertaking a review to assess "whether there was actual misconduct", PSD said.

It is identifying property purchases made between 2007 and 2011 by officers who were involved in rail planning at the time, and where the properties were close to locations subsequently announced as MRT stations.

This was the period and group of civil servants highlighted in the NBER paper.

"If we find evidence that an officer used non-public information to make a property purchase for personal benefit, the case will be referred to the Police for further investigation," PSD said.

PSD also said that the review will take time as the transactions took place "some time ago" and the records will have to be retrieved and examined.

Paper

The NBER working paper, titled "Do Social Norms Substitute For Enforcement? Evidence from Public Officials' Home Purchases in Singapore", was published earlier in September 2026.

It was authored by researchers from Stanford University, Columbia University and the University of Hong Kong.

In its preface, the co-authors noted that NBER working papers are circulated for discussion and comment purposes and have not been peer-reviewed or reviewed by its board of directors.

The researchers sought to answer whether anti-corruption social norms can substitute for formal enforcement to deter misconduct.

Singapore was selected as a case study as it is widely regarded as one of the world's least corrupt countries and provides a "sharp setting" to examine whether sustained anti-corruption enforcement can produce "self-sustaining norms".

The authors looked at whether civil servants in Singapore had engaged in "informed trading" by using privileged information about yet-to-be announced MRT stations to purchase property, in hopes of making personal gains.

Part of their hypothesis is that legislative changes to the Securities and Futures Act in 2012, as a form of enforcement, may have lowered the likelihood of misconduct.

Using their assembled data, the authors performed a statistical analysis to determine if there was a pattern of civil servants being more likely to have purchased properties near unannounced MRT stations, compared to non-civil servants which the authors looked at.

They claimed to have found such a statistical pattern.

According to the researchers, the fact that they did not find similar patterns among other comparable groups of people, such as corporate board members and property agents, supported their conclusion.

A Singaporean man borrowed a large sum of money from his girlfriend, but when they broke up, he refused to return the money and she brought the matter to court.

On Sep. 24 2026, the High Court ruled in favour of the claimant, Teow Seok Phen, ordering her ex-boyfriend, Chee Wei Jun, to repay her S$321,116.40.

Chee was unable to prove, as per his argument, that the money was not loaned to him but "gifted" "out of love and affection".

Instead, he was found to have presented himself as an individual of higher status and affluence and claimed he had his bank account frozen due to a scam, which motivated her to lend him the money.

Exhausting her funds

According to a Sep. 24 judgment, Teow, a Malaysian citizen and Singapore Permanent Resident, was working as a finance manager.

She met Chee, who was a tuition teacher and cafe worker, in June 2023 on dating app Coffee Meets Bagel.

When they first met, Chee told Teow that he was "in aviation", making himself out to be an airline pilot.

He further told her he had several hundred thousand dollars in his bank account and that his father owned several businesses in Singapore and Malaysia.

Sometime during the course of their relationship, he told her that his bank account was frozen after he unwittingly clicked on a fraudulent link and had been scammed.

As a result, he claimed that he did not have enough funds for his daily expenses, and requested she lend him money, promising to repay her once his bank account issues were resolved.

Teow then began giving him various sums of money on different occasions, via PayNow transfers as well as in cash.

Though he made some partial repayments to her, the outstanding cash balance still stood at S$268,794.

She also allowed him to use her credit card — Teow alleged that Chee incurred S$89,945.16 in expenses after accounting for interest and bank fees.

She told the court that the money she gave him included almost all her savings, cash advances and balance transfers from her credit cards.

By December 2023, Teow received letters from banks chasing for the payment of her credit card bills.

Between February and March 2024, Teow revealed to her family what had transpired, and they demanded to Chee that he repay her the money.

He then signed several documents in which he acknowledged receiving money from Teow and agreed to pay back the debt.

However, he did not do so, prompting Teow to bring him to court.

Loans, not gifts

Although Chee argued that Teow understood his financial difficulties, and that the money was given to him as gifts and not loans, the judge dismissed his argument.

When cross-examined, Chee said that the transactions were a "grey area" and that the two did not talk about it.

The judge found this behaviour to be maintaining "deniability because it allowed him to evade his obligations when it suited him."

Meanwhile, Teow produced WhatsApp messages between her and Chee that showed his multiple promises of repayment.

One message sent by Chee said that he was "touched and embarrassed" by the help, and promised to "fully repay" her.

Another message sent on Jan. 7, 2024 found Chee declaring, "I can pay you back every penny".

In response to this, Chee said that when he told Teow he would "pay it back", he meant that he would pay her back in kind, such as through bringing her out for meals.

The judge was not convinced, questioning why he had partially repaid some of the sums in money if that were the case.

Chee was also found to be an "evasive" witness by the judge, after he refused to take a firm stance on whether or not certain numbers mentioned in the WhatsApp messages referred to money.

Chee even denied using Teow's credit cards, claiming he had "no recollection" of using it other than one occasion when he hosted friends from Taiwan.

On the other hand, the judge found that Teow had clearly stated her expectations that she was to be repaid.

She even kept a record of the amounts lent to Chee, with the judge remarking that there would have been no need to do so if she had intended the sums to be given as gifts.

Not a rich man's son

The judge also found that Chee had given Teow the impression that he was more affluent that he actually was, which partially motivated her to agree to lend him money.

Aside from telling her that he was an airline pilot and his father was wealthy, Chee also claimed that he was a "VIP" at certain hotels and establishments.

Chee however, told the court that these remarks were innocuous, saying for instance that "for Haidilao... Everyone is a VIP".

"Crucially, what the Defendant does not explain is why he made these statements of his supposed elevated status if not to impress [Teow]," the judge said.

Was he pressured to sign the agreement?

Chee also claimed that he had signed the documents agreeing to repay Teow under duress, as Teow was holding their relationship hostage.

He told the court that her brother had connections to the underworld in Penang and threatened to hurt him.

He also produced a letter from a counselling psychologist, stating that he was suffering from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder.

However, it was later revealed that Teow's brother never made threats to Chee and that his claim was a fabrication.

The judge found that Chee was not under illegitimate pressure when signing the documents, as he had access to legal counsel when going over the agreement.

Tallying up the sum

Teow was eventually found to have given Chee bank transfers and cash sums amounting to S$268,794, after taking into account the amounts that he repaid. 

Though he disputed the sum, the judge accepted this amount based on her bank statements and documentary evidence.

As for the credit card charges, the agreed amount owed sat at S$87,322.40 after accounting for a previous discrepancy made by Teow.

Chee argued that of this amount, he should not have been liable for the credit card interest and fees of S$4,045.99, as Teow had "failed to mitigate her loss".

The judge struck down his argument, saying that Chee did not show what Teow could have possibly done to avoid the fees and interest after she had already exhausted her credit limits.

Adding up the two amounts owed and subtracting S$35,000 that Chee repaid in March 2024, the final amount owed came up to S$321,116.40.

At least S$8.8 million has been lost to scams involving scammers pretending to be related to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) since January 2026.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and ICA issued a joint statement on Sep. 25 to remind members of the public to be wary of two distinct scam variants involving ICA.

At least 148 cases have been reported across the two scam variants involving scammers impersonating ICA and fraudulent advertisements offering assistance with permanent residency (PR) applications.

Calls from scammers impersonating ICA

In the first variant, ICA said the victims would receive unsolicited calls from scammers claiming to be from ICA.

The scammers would claim that the victim’s personal details has been misused, or that their phone numbers were used in criminal activities like sending scam messages, ICA said.

The call will then be transferred to another scammer, posing as a China official.

This "official" would demand a money transfer or cash for “investigation” or “bail” purposes.

In some cases, the victims are asked to meet up with an unknown individual to sign fake papers to help the supposed investigation appear more credible.

Most victims only realise they have been scammed after making multiple transfers or if the scammers become uncontactable.

At least 117 cases have been reported for this variant since January 2026, with at least S$8.4 million in losses, ICA stated.

Fraudulent advertisements offering assistance with PR applications

In the second variant, members of the public would come across advertisements on social media platforms like Facebook, offering to help them obtain PR status in Singapore, ICA said.

Clicking the link would then direct the victims to a fake website of a consultancy agent.

They would be asked to submit their personal details, such as their phone numbers, through a form.

The victims are then contacted by the scammers through WhatsApp, and are misled into paying fees ranging from S$200 to S$9,000 to proceed with the PR application.

ICA said victims are told this will improve their chances of success through investments in companies, purchases of academic certifications and donations.

Victims are then instructed to make bank transfers or to give cash to unknown individuals before receiving fraudulent emails, seemingly from ICA.

These emails would contain an attachment of a fake In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter bearing the ICA letterhead.

Victims only realise they have been scammed when they approach ICA to verify the authenticity of the IPA letters, ICA said.

At least 31 cases have been reported since January 2026, with losses amounting to at least S$400,000.

Advisory

ICA said they do not endorse services from commercial entities or consultants who claim to be able to help applicants improve their chances of obtaining long-term immigration facilities such as Singapore PR.

Members of the public are strongly encouraged to submit applications directly to ICA through their website.

Those who require assistance or wish for verification may contact ICA through their feedback form, or speak with their call agents at 6391 6100.

The authorities also reminded the public that Singapore government officials will not ask anyone to transfer or hand over money, luxury watches, gold or cryptocurrency, borrow from licensed moneylenders, share banking log-in details, install mobile apps from unverified app stores, or transfer calls to the police or other government officials.

"Do not trust unsolicited communications, even if the caller appears to have your personal information," the authorities said.

Members of the public are advised to take necessary precautions against scams.

These days, perhaps you might be feeling worried about whether your job might last amidst the changes wrought by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Maybe there are times when you have wondered about how you can stay relevant or whether you should even prepare to switch to a completely different industry.

You wouldn’t be alone in feeling such anxiety.

According to the human resources solutions firm, ADP, its People At Work 2026 report found that only 15 per cent of Singaporeans feel confident that their jobs are safe.

The Senior Vice President of ADP, Jessica Zhang noted:

“AI is reshaping work at the task level, creating new job categories while transforming existing ones. The findings highlight a clear gap between actual employment conditions and how secure workers feel about their future.”

Similar sentiments were found by NTUC in their 2026 Survey on Economic Sentiments.

Here, nearly 30 per cent of their respondents felt anxious that AI would replace their current job or role.

In addition, nearly half of the respondents to the NTUC survey (47 per cent) recognised the need to upskill in the face of AI’s impact on job opportunities.

Perhaps you might have a manager or boss who has been pushing you to incorporate AI into your work but you feel unsure how to.

Or you might be thinking of picking up a skill in a new field that you are keen to switch to, such as livestreaming, but are unsure how to go about it.

What can I do?

First, it might help to think about what you want to achieve.

Maybe you want to get better at using AI in your current job, or there’s a skill you have always wanted to pick up. Or perhaps you are seriously considering moving into a different field and need proper, structured training to make it possible.

The good news is that upskilling is not necessarily the same for everyone. It can range from a one or two-day course to a longer programme designed to prepare you for a career transition.

Many institutions around Singapore, such as Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP), now offer a plethora of courses to help you out.

Many of these courses are also eligible for SkillsFuture support, such as the opening S$500 SkillsFuture Credit given to all Singaporeans aged 25 and above.

There’s also the S$4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) top-up for Singaporeans aged 40 and above, which applies to many of NYP’s courses, including all of their full qualification courses.

Oh and just in case you forgot, none of these credits will expire.

That’s not all, however.

For learners who enrol in courses under NYP’s SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP), they are also eligible to receive up to S$3,000 per month in training allowance, based on 50 per cent of their average income over the past 12 months.

For selected part-time, long-form training courses, there’s also a flat rate of S$300 per month in training allowance.

So, what could you pick up? Here are some courses to consider.

Apply Generative Artificial Intelligence for your industry

If you have been using AI to help you solve specific problems or answer questions at work, this is the course for you.

Here, participants will learn how to use generative AI tools to automate tasks, implement Agentic AI solutions, improve product design and generate new ideas, so that you can better address problems in your specific industry.

The course will be conducted over a span of two days and will involve practical examples and hands-on projects.

Business Applications of Generative AI

Already been using AI at work for a bit but feel your approach has largely been self-driven and experimental?

This one-day course will teach you skills in crafting better prompts to help you achieve a host of tasks such as improving business writing, automating post-meeting follow-ups, refining project plans and streamlining content generation.

Participants will also learn how to generate texts, visuals and videos to help communicate better both internally and externally.

(SCTP) Certificate in Digital Transformation with Cloud and AI

If you are looking at making a career switch to an IT or tech role, this course could be right up your alley as it introduces how AI can be applied alongside Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud technologies.

You will learn the fundamentals of cloud computing and Linux, develop practical troubleshooting skills for common cloud infrastructure scenarios, and explore how AI can be used to support and automate selected system administration tasks.

The course also introduces ways AI can help improve operational efficiency.

This includes 300 hours of learning how to design and implement scalable, secure and optimised cloud solutions.

Live Streaming: Boost Your E-Commerce Sales

Have you wondered how celebrities such as Joanne Peh and Chen Hanwei have made the switch to livestreaming? Perhaps you are interested in trying it out as well to boost your own business but are unsure how to start?

You can take your first steps in finding out how the business of livestreaming works with this course.

Over the span of two days, you will learn how to make use of livestreaming to boost customer interaction and business growth.

You will be taught how to apply trend evaluation and application to ensure your livestreams stay relevant and engaging, and develop strategies to influence viewer behaviour and increase conversion rates.

You will also learn how to master content creation and social media management to increase your engagements with customers and maximise the impact of your livestreams.

Diploma in Creative Media

Keen to make a career switch to a content and branding role instead? This course will teach you how to tell well-researched compelling stories as part of branding and communication strategies.

Under this course, you will learn how to turn complex data into engaging visual narratives, such as digital illustrations and infographics to communicate and foster emotional connections with target audiences.

Apart from mastering creative software to produce contemporary illustrations and data visualisations, you will also be taught content creation with Generative AI.

A range of courses from beginner to more advanced levels

These are just some of the courses available under NYP; as you would also have noticed, the courses also range across different levels, from teaching the basics in just a few days to more in-depth programmes over the span of a few months.

Other courses you can consider include:

• (SCTP) Certificate in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
• (SCTP) Kitchen Operations Specialist (Culinary Arts)
• HR Accelerator: AI, Analytics & Engagement Design
• You x AI Agent - Multiplying Your Potential in the Age of AI
• Building Resilience for Workplace Success
• Mobile Photography: Inspiring the Human Connection
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP): What You Need to Know
• Hands-On 3D Printing & Modelling

No one can know exactly how their job will change in the next few years. Plus, the challenge is not simply learning a new skill. It is finding training that fits your career goals, schedule and stage of life.

But staying open to learning gives you more options, whether it be adapting to new skills in your current role, exploring a new interest or preparing for a bigger career move.

Whether you want to learn how to use AI more effectively at work, develop in-demand digital skills or prepare for a career transition, at NYP, there is a range of industry-relevant courses designed with working adults in mind.

From short courses that can be completed in a few days to structured programmes that support mid-career transitions, learners can choose pathways that match their needs while tapping on SkillsFuture funding support.

If you're thinking about what your next skill could be, you can explore NYP's range of courses here.

This branded article made the author seriously consider signing up for one of the courses on AI.