This initiative provides enhanced funding to enable SMEs to send their employees for training. SMEs and industry associations previously identified training and upgrading as a key area where they hope to receive Government support.
Past studies reveal that compared to larger companies, SMEs are less likely to send their employees for training or even to attend training themselves.
The enhanced training support is extended to local1 employees of companies that are registered or incorporated in Singapore. They must have at least 30% of their local shareholding held by Singapore Citizens (SCs) or Singapore Permanent Residents (PRs). In addition, they must hire not more than 200 employees (at group level) and post an annual sales turnover (at group level) of not more than S$100 million. These employees must also be fully sponsored by their employers to attend training.
SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) will work with industry associations and agencies to ensure that self-employed persons can also benefit from enhanced training support through targetted programmes.
More than 8,000 courses fall under this scheme; this includes certifiable courses supported by SSG and academic CET courses offered by the five Polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education.
The enhanced training support scheme includes the following (Details appended as Table 1):
A) Higher Course Fee Funding
SMEs will enjoy subsidies of 90% of the course fees when they sponsor employees for the above-mentioned CET courses. All employers of workers who meet the eligibility criteria for Workfare Training Support (WTS) scheme will continue to receive course fee funding under the WTS scheme2.
B) Increased Absentee Payroll Cap
In addition to higher course fee funding, SMEs can also claim absentee payroll funding of 80% of basic hourly salary at a higher cap of $7.50 per hour, a significant increase over the normal cap of $4.50 per hour. All employers of workers who meet the eligibility criteria for Workfare Training Support (WTS) scheme will continue to enjoy absentee payroll funding under the WTS scheme2.
Table 1: Enhanced Training support for SMEs (with effect from 1 October 2015)
Normal Training Support Scheme
Enhanced Training Support Scheme
Certifiable Courses Supported by SSG
(Non-PMEs)
80% course fee subsidy, capped at $17 per hour for certifiable courses
90% course fee subsidy for CET Centres' courses
$7 per hour for in-house certifiable training
Absentee Payroll funding of 80% of basic hourly salary, capped at 4.50 per hour
(Non-PMEs)
90% course fee subsidy, capped at $25 per hour for certifiable courses
90% course fee subsidy for CET Centres' courses
$15 per hour for in-house certifiable training
Absentee Payroll of 80% of basic hourly salary, capped at $7.50 per hour
(PMEs)
50% course fee subsidy, capped at $15 per hour for certifiable courses
70% course fee subsidy for CET Centres' courses
$15 per hour for in-house certifiable training
Absentee Payroll funding of 80% of basic hourly salary, capped at $4.50 per hour
(PMEs)
90% course fee subsidy, capped at $50 per hour for certifiable courses
90% course fee subsidy for CET Centres' courses
$15 per hour for in-house certifiable training
Absentee Payroll funding of 80% of basic hourly salary, capped at $7.50 per hour
Academic CET courses
Part-time Diploma: 70% subsidy for the cost of programmes for Singapore Citizen (SC) trainees
Advanced Diploma (AD) / Specialist Diploma (SD): 85% of the cost of AD/SD programmes for first-time SC trainees.
For SC trainees pursuing subsequent AD or SD, subsidy is 70% of the cost of the programme, provided that more than five years have lapsed since they completed their AD or SD.
Part-time NITEC and Higher NITEC: 90% fee subsidy for SC trainees
Absentee Payroll of 80% of basic hourly salary, capped at $4.50 per hour
90% subsidy for the cost of Polytechnics' academic CET programmes (i.e. Part-time Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Specialist Diploma Programmes for first-timers).
Absentee Payroll of 80% of basic hourly salary, capped at $7.50 per hour for Polytechnics' and ITE's academic CET programmes (i.e. part-time Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Specialist Diploma programmes, part-time ISC, NITEC and Higher NITEC programmes)
1Please click here to view the programme brochure.
For academic CET courses offered by the five Polytechnics/Institute of Technical Education, the enhanced training support will only be extended to Singapore Citizens (SCs).
2With effect from 1 July 2013, under the Workfare Training Support (WTS) scheme, employers who sponsor their employees (Singapore Citizens aged 35 years and above, and earning up to $1,900 per month) are eligible for course fee and absentee payroll funding at 95% for WSQ courses, MOE academic CET courses and Certifiable Skills Training courses supported by SSG.
Application for the enhanced funding will be administered through SkillsConnect. SMEs can submit applications and claims through the online SkillsConnect platform and enhanced funding will be awarded to those who meet the eligibility criteria. The normal submission guidelines will apply. The application can be submitted up to 30 days before the course start date and no later than 30 days after the course start date.
