Accreditation frameworks to be enhanced to ensure quality: Tan Chuan-Jin
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SINGAPORE — To ensure education and training under the SkillsFuture framework are of high quality and relevant to the industry, the Ministry of Education and Singapore Workforce Development Agency will enhance existing accreditation frameworks for courses.
The SkillsFuture initiatives will also be implemented in phases to allow the training landscape here to mature accordingly, said Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin today (March 9).
“We need to avoid a case where training institutions face a sudden surge in demand, and resort to offering sub-standard programmes or expanding class sizes and compromising on quality,” said Mr Tan, speaking in Parliament for the Manpower Ministry’s Community of Supply debate. “This will lead to wastage of both individuals’ time and effort, and public monies”.
He also noted that his ministry will look into suggestions on ensuring all Singaporeans, including stay-home mothers and persons with disabilities, can benefit from the SkillsFuture Credit scheme.
Mr Tan also stressed that the S$500 SkillsFuture Credit is not meant to co-fund training that employers send their workers for. The Government will continue to provide subsidies for such courses.
“Let me be clear that the credits are meant to support training initiated by individuals, not to fund training which employers send them for,” said Mr Tan, responding to concerns from Members of Parliament that employers may now ask workers to use their SkillsFuture Credit to pay for training courses.
The SkillsFuture Credit of $500 for two million Singaporeans above 25 years old will kick in next year.
He agreed with the need for diversity in which the credit may be used, including for the purpose of broadening an individual’s knowledge beyond his or her current field. He said that the credit could be used for skills-related courses such as IT and early childhood, and also for courses like culinary and languages.
