New measures being taken to raise quality of SkillsFuture courses

Training courses with low ratings are being weeded out and held to higher standards by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), as part of efforts to raise the quality of such programmes.

- Gabrielle Chan

The agency will suspend such courses for three months, and prior to suspension bar their providers from promoting the courses or accepting new applicants. Training providers will have to use the suspension period, or longer if they choose, to improve their courses before rejoining the SkillsFuture directory.

This new measure, which has been in place since October, is the first of several that the national body for skills development will implement by 2026 to raise the quality of courses.

From Jan 1, 2025, courses due for renewal must meet new criteria, including achieving at least a 75 per cent attendance rate. Providers must continue to ensure their courses are relevant to industry needs.

By June 2026, courses will have to secure a minimum response rate of 75 per cent for their feedback survey, and not be ranked in the lowest-quality category, said Ms Angela Tan, group director of SSG's regulation and quality group, in an interview with The Sunday Times.

Ms Tan said the new measures are part of SSG's ongoing efforts to strengthen the quality of courses.

There are more than 29,000 SkillsFuture courses, offered by over 600 training providers. In 2023, 520,000 people took part in SSG-supported training programmes, around 200,000 of whom were mid-career workers.

Previously, the criteria for courses to be renewed included showing activity during their validity period – such as issuing certificates or having paid claims – and staying relevant to industry needs.

Since October, courses have faced suspension if they fail to meet certain requirements, said Ms Tan.

Those with the lowest quality ratings – based on survey feedback designed to capture participants' perceptions of SSG-funded courses – will be removed from the course directory before their planned expiry dates, she added.