SINGAPORE: SkillsFuture course sign-ups have surged over the past few months as Singaporeans race to use their one-off S$500 (US$390) SkillsFuture credit top-up before it expires on Dec 31.
Training providers say demand has jumped sharply – in some cases by as much as seven times – as learners rush to enrol in courses ranging from artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to dog grooming and drone piloting.
Many providers are also seeing a rise in repeat learners, with some already booking classes well into next year.
As of September, about seven in 10 eligible Singaporeans had not used their SkillsFuture credit top-up.
SkillsFuture Singapore told CNA that it will provide an update early next year on the take-up rate of the credit top-up, which was given to Singaporeans aged 25 and above in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The top-up is separate from the first tranche of SkillsFuture credit of S$500, which all Singaporeans aged 25 and above received and which will not expire.
Singaporeans aged 40 and above also get a mid-career training allowance of S$4,000 in SkillsFuture credit that does not expire.
SkillsFuture credit can be used to offset fees for eligible courses on the MySkillsFuture online portal.
At Ngee Ann Polytechnic, interest in hobby and lifestyle courses has spiked. These include drone piloting, fish rearing, dog grooming and smartphone photography.
The institute of higher learning recorded nearly 2,000 SkillsFuture course sign-ups in the first half of December alone, far exceeding the 300 to 350 enrolments seen per month earlier in the year.
It expects demand to continue rising as the year-end deadline to use the credit top-up approaches.
Some courses are up to three times as popular this year compared to last year, the polytechnic said.
Ms Lin Xin, director of Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Continuing Education and Training Academy, gave an example of a learner who decided to take up more courses after their first one.
“(This) learner actually chalked up all 11 modules, and even though they finished their SkillsFuture credit, they continued paying their own money with SkillsFuture subsidies to finish up the course run,” she added.
For 55-year-old Barbara Lina Lei, SkillsFuture credits helped her become a certified aromatherapy instructor and adult trainer.
She is now helping her son and others make the most of their credits through online platforms.
“There are a massive amount of courses – so anything that's related to animation, gaming, which he's into, he can find it on Coursera to actually help him to further (his skills),” she added.
Such learning platforms are also experiencing a strong uptick in demand, with some reporting up to a seven-fold increase in enrolments from just three months ago.
Coursera recorded a 40 per cent increase in enrolments from Singapore since becoming SkillsFuture-eligible in August 2024.
ReallyLesson, which offers Coursera subscriptions, said demand is strongest for technical and career-focused courses.
Republic Polytechnic said it saw a seven-fold increase in applications for the Udemy Business annual subscription plan in December, compared with its last intake in September.
Meanwhile, training providers offering digital skills and personal development courses are reporting some of their strongest spikes in demand in the past two months.
For example, Vertical Institute – which offers courses in topics like generative AI and data analytics – reported a 150 per cent year-on-year increase in enrolments. It said more than 40 per cent of new learners have already booked classes scheduled for 2026.
CuriousCore also saw class sizes grow by 20 to 30 per cent and opened short December sessions to allow more learners to qualify for the expiring credits.
At Aventis Graduate School, which describes itself as the nation’s leading SkillsFuture training provider for professionals, year-end sign-ups were about five times higher than last year.
Courses in AI, counselling, cybersecurity and blockchain are in high demand, with some January classes already fully subscribed, said the provider.
About a quarter of Aventis’ learners are returning students or referrals from past participants.
Mr Luke Tessensohn, head of funded courses at Aventis Graduate School, said interest in using SkillsFuture credits has surged, but providers remain mindful of learners’ long-term goals.
“We have seen a dramatic demand and increase in people calling us up and asking how they can better use their SkillsFuture (credits),” he noted.
“But at the same time, being a training provider specialising in adult learning, we always want to make sure that Singaporeans are not just taking up for the sake of taking it up, but trying to understand their goals and their interests.”
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Training providers say demand has jumped sharply – in some cases by as much as seven times – as learners rush to enrol in courses ranging from artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to dog grooming and drone piloting.
Many providers are also seeing a rise in repeat learners, with some already booking classes well into next year.
As of September, about seven in 10 eligible Singaporeans had not used their SkillsFuture credit top-up.
SkillsFuture Singapore told CNA that it will provide an update early next year on the take-up rate of the credit top-up, which was given to Singaporeans aged 25 and above in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The top-up is separate from the first tranche of SkillsFuture credit of S$500, which all Singaporeans aged 25 and above received and which will not expire.
Singaporeans aged 40 and above also get a mid-career training allowance of S$4,000 in SkillsFuture credit that does not expire.
SkillsFuture credit can be used to offset fees for eligible courses on the MySkillsFuture online portal.
HOBBY COURSES, LIFESTYLE SKILLS IN DEMAND
At Ngee Ann Polytechnic, interest in hobby and lifestyle courses has spiked. These include drone piloting, fish rearing, dog grooming and smartphone photography.
The institute of higher learning recorded nearly 2,000 SkillsFuture course sign-ups in the first half of December alone, far exceeding the 300 to 350 enrolments seen per month earlier in the year.
It expects demand to continue rising as the year-end deadline to use the credit top-up approaches.
Some courses are up to three times as popular this year compared to last year, the polytechnic said.
Ms Lin Xin, director of Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Continuing Education and Training Academy, gave an example of a learner who decided to take up more courses after their first one.
“(This) learner actually chalked up all 11 modules, and even though they finished their SkillsFuture credit, they continued paying their own money with SkillsFuture subsidies to finish up the course run,” she added.
For 55-year-old Barbara Lina Lei, SkillsFuture credits helped her become a certified aromatherapy instructor and adult trainer.
She is now helping her son and others make the most of their credits through online platforms.
“There are a massive amount of courses – so anything that's related to animation, gaming, which he's into, he can find it on Coursera to actually help him to further (his skills),” she added.
Such learning platforms are also experiencing a strong uptick in demand, with some reporting up to a seven-fold increase in enrolments from just three months ago.
Coursera recorded a 40 per cent increase in enrolments from Singapore since becoming SkillsFuture-eligible in August 2024.
ReallyLesson, which offers Coursera subscriptions, said demand is strongest for technical and career-focused courses.
Republic Polytechnic said it saw a seven-fold increase in applications for the Udemy Business annual subscription plan in December, compared with its last intake in September.
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DIGITAL SKILLS TRAINING, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Meanwhile, training providers offering digital skills and personal development courses are reporting some of their strongest spikes in demand in the past two months.
For example, Vertical Institute – which offers courses in topics like generative AI and data analytics – reported a 150 per cent year-on-year increase in enrolments. It said more than 40 per cent of new learners have already booked classes scheduled for 2026.
CuriousCore also saw class sizes grow by 20 to 30 per cent and opened short December sessions to allow more learners to qualify for the expiring credits.
At Aventis Graduate School, which describes itself as the nation’s leading SkillsFuture training provider for professionals, year-end sign-ups were about five times higher than last year.
Courses in AI, counselling, cybersecurity and blockchain are in high demand, with some January classes already fully subscribed, said the provider.
About a quarter of Aventis’ learners are returning students or referrals from past participants.
Mr Luke Tessensohn, head of funded courses at Aventis Graduate School, said interest in using SkillsFuture credits has surged, but providers remain mindful of learners’ long-term goals.
“We have seen a dramatic demand and increase in people calling us up and asking how they can better use their SkillsFuture (credits),” he noted.
“But at the same time, being a training provider specialising in adult learning, we always want to make sure that Singaporeans are not just taking up for the sake of taking it up, but trying to understand their goals and their interests.”
Related:
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