Under the circumstances of rising unemployment and redundancies, does Skillsfuture course really work for Singaporeans? 

With 2 million getting Skillsfuture Credit – why the number who went for training only increased by 39,000?

I refer to the article “418,000 went for subsidised training in 2016” (Straits Times, Sep 15).

It states that “More than 400,000 people took up subsidised training courses last year, said SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) in a statement on Thursday morning (Sept 14).

This was an increase in the number of people who went for such courses in 2015, said the agency, which spearheads the national drive for skills upgrading.

Two years ago, 379,000 people took up 835,000 training places funded by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and SSG. Last year, this went up to 418,000 people and 950,000 places.”

No. who went for subsidised training last year up by 39,000?

The above means that the number who went for subsidised training last year increased by 39,000 (418,000 – 379,000).

2m get Skillsfuture Credit, but “went for training” only up 39,000? 

However, since “The SkillsFuture Credit scheme, which was introduced in January last year for more than two million people, gives Singaporeans aged 25 and older an initial $500 credit to pay for skills courses” – why is it that the increase is only 39,000 when two million were given the skillsfuture credit to use?

Why so low?

Isn’t this rather low?

What are the reasons for this apparently low take-up rate?

Even worse if include new entrants to workforce & new citizens?

Also, if we include the estimated 25,000 new Singaporean entrants to the workforce and 22,102 new citizens (13-year high), of which say an estimated 15,000 are age 25 and above last year – the relative statistics may be even worse.

Even worse with rising unemployment and redundancies?

Moreover, with rising unemployment and redundancies last year – more may have gone for training, which similarly may make the relative statistics even worse.

Leong Sze Hian