skills credit courses

[kobayashiGT]

1 hour ago, inlinesix said:

I wonder whether can claim if I attend BMW Advance Driving 

Erm. need to bao air ticket also. hahah.

But SG got the Audi on demand. Skillfuture can use? hahaha.

[Ody_2004]

3 minutes ago, Watwheels said:

I thought it's cater more for individuals than for companies?

Company can use through his employee SF fund.

So for example MS Excel $300.. portion will be from SF fund and the rest bore by the company loh..

One of my staff shared that when she attended Excel Basic.. got student dunno how to use mouse de.. dunno keyboard layout.. training center HUAT AH!

[Robin]

You can check out the eligible courses here

https://www.myskillsfuture.sg/content/portal/en/training-exchange/course-landing.html

[kobayashiGT]

4 minutes ago, Watwheels said:

Yeah. That's why I'm asking who had that experience and maybe share a little. Because from many ppl point of view is no one went ahead to do this on a more serious note. The courses they went to is like learning a new hobby. Just want to know more.

I thought it's cater more for individuals than for companies?

Looks like not many go for it. Or courses that take up more time and cost.

How I became a licensed private investigator in six days for just $62 – thanks to SkillsFuture

For about $60 and just six days of my time, I am now a licensed private investigator.

And it is all thanks to SkillsFuture.

The scheme was introduced in 2015 to spur lifelong learning and help Singaporean workers upgrade and acquire new skills at subsidised rates to stay relevant.

A year later, it was announced that every Singaporean from the age of 25 would get $500 credit to pay for approved courses.

Suddenly, everyone I know was talking about taking up IT courses or attending a baking class.

There are many who are genuinely in need of a new skill or retraining, but I suspect there are others who are jumping on the bandwagon simply because it is free.

After all, if the Government gives "free money", you should take it, right?

I did some research and found that the top three areas of training are information and communications technology, food and beverage, and productivity and innovation.

But I wanted something different.

So I trawled the SkillsFuture portal, and found to my surprise, other courses including language, sports and even domestic cleaning.

That was how I came across the private investigator course.

The Information Collection (Perform Investigation Activities in Compliance with Legal Requirements) course included a Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) certificate upon completion.

The full fee, inclusive of tax, for the course conducted over six days with a competency assessment, would have been close to $1,000.

But thanks to SkillsFuture, I paid $0 for the course itself. The course is subsidised under the SkillsFuture Funding scheme, resulting in a fee of just $255, which I paid in full using part of the $500 SkillsFuture credits, leaving me with a balance of $245 in my account.

I registered in October last year, paying a $23 registration fee to NTUC Learning Hub which, sadly, could not be paid with SkillsFuture credits.

Taking a week of leave from work, I attended the classes at the Devan Nair Institute of Employment and Employability at Jurong in November.

My classmates were an interesting mix of people, from the law and security sectors to retirees. Food and drinks were provided.

I passed the competency assessment on the sixth day with most of my classmates, though some failed.

In a matter of weeks, I was issued the WSQ certificate and applied to become a private investigator on the LicenceOne portal for $16.

The Police Licensing and Regulatory Department approved my application on Jan 3. A week later, I went to the Union of Security Employees at Jalan Sultan and paid $23 to have my photo taken and card made.

And just like that, on Jan 10 and at the age of 27, I became a licensed private investigator. In all, I had spent $62.

Sure, I learnt lots of things in my course and am confident of my new skills, but I couldn't help feeling a bit like a fraud, having paid just $62 to get to where I am. Who would hire me?

But it got me thinking about how many more skills I could pick up.

Just yesterday, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced an additional top-up of $500 in SkillsFuture credits for those aged 25 and above.

Those aged between 40 and 60 get an additional $500 on top of the extra $500 given this round.

It is like everyone won a small Toto group prize without even stepping into a Singapore Pools outlet.

But the minister also revealed that only about 530,000 Singaporeans have used their credits since 2016.

This time though, the credits expire by end 2025. So if you don't use your credits, it will be like you won a Toto prize but were too lazy to collect your winnings even after five years.

So to all the kiasu Singaporeans who rushed to buy masks and toilet paper due to the coronavirus outbreak, this is your chance to channel your energy in the right direction.

Learn a new skill. Upgrade yourself. Stay relevant.

You and Singapore will be better off for it.

Quote

I think it depends how you see it. Some ppl learn to make coffee and become barista, while some just go for fun. I think it is a good initiative for us to get expose to things we never tried before or things that we would like to explore.

gahmen can give ur the tools, but how we use it is another story le.

 

[Ody_2004]

4 minutes ago, kobayashiGT said:

 

But SG got the Audi on demand. Skillfuture can use? hahaha.

only for accredited training center.. get PM to get certification loh.. 🤣

[Watwheels]

3 minutes ago, Robin said:

You can check out the eligible courses here

https://www.myskillsfuture.sg/content/portal/en/training-exchange/course-landing.html

Thanks. Now I see why. The credits given is peanuts when I looked at the course fee. I'm not expecting full sponsorship but I think it's really not enough even if companies were to sponsor some of the course fee. LoL...

Looks more like benefiting the schools rather than individuals.

[Ody_2004]

1 minute ago, Watwheels said:

 

Looks more like benefiting the schools rather than individuals.

Spot on! 

that's why u see so many road shows in HEART LAND mall? u think they care abt people futures meh? they care about how to tap the funding tiah loh..

[13177]

Never bother to see what are the courses available? But PI course sounds interesting?! Lol.

[Watwheels]

4 minutes ago, Ody_2004 said:

Spot on! 

that's why u see so many road shows in HEART LAND mall? u think they care abt people futures meh? they care about how to tap the funding tiah loh..

But then again are there any other helpful solutions other than this?

Sometimes want to help can be challenging. It may do more harm than good. LoL...it's not easy.

[Ody_2004]

1 minute ago, Watwheels said:

But then again are there any other helpful solutions other than this?

Sometimes want to help can be challenging. It may do more harm than good. LoL...it's not easy.

Agreed it is not easy.. all funding always get abused in a way or two.. those computer aids extend to SME oso tio scammed..

When i am paid millions in salary i will think of solution ok? whahahahaha..

[Watwheels]

6 minutes ago, 13177 said:

Never bother to see what are the courses available? But PI course sounds interesting?! Lol.

I'm sure there are a lot of relevant courses in your line of work. But the thing is let's say one day I got retrenched cos my line of work is no longer relevant. I have to choose wisely so that it doesnt happen again. LoL...It can get quite sad.

 

[Robin]

20 minutes ago, Watwheels said:

Thanks. Now I see why. The credits given is peanuts when I looked at the course fee. I'm not expecting full sponsorship but I think it's really not enough even if companies were to sponsor some of the course fee. LoL...

Looks more like benefiting the schools rather than individuals.

some courses can be fully subsidized using credits, some you have to top up cash

IMO if there are courses that your company can sponsor, that will be best. so you can keep these credits for your own use

[13177]

9 minutes ago, Watwheels said:

I'm sure there are a lot of relevant courses in your line of work. But the thing is let's say one day I got retrenched cos my line of work is no longer relevant. I have to choose wisely so that it doesnt happen again. LoL...It can get quite sad.

 

If relevant courses in my line of work, then i would request company to send me to the course. Lol. This skills credit should be use in personal courses which interest me?! 

[Watwheels]

12 minutes ago, Ody_2004 said:

Agreed it is not easy.. all funding always get abused in a way or two.. those computer aids extend to SME oso tio scammed..

When i am paid millions in salary i will think of solution ok? whahahahaha..

The schools I think most are govt affiliated ones. Money is left pocket out, right pocket in. To them is can help and can generate income. Win-win for them. If you get what I mean.

[Kurty]

in nutshell, this thread actually tells us not many are actually utilizing the skills credit.

😂

a total flop..

[Soya]

1 hour ago, Robin said:

my friend signed up for cookie baking class. she said not bad.. tried the cookies she made.. hmm ok lah.. so so 

maybe i'll give that a try. anyway if u dont use the credits after some time it will be gone i think

SG realli first world. Ah gong give taxpayer $$ for ppl to learn to bake cookies to pass to friends....

Thot the whole purpose of Skillsfuture is for ppl to pick up new job skills or re-tool themselves to enter new industries as a 2nd or 3rd career. Not to play masak masak

 

[Soya]

43 minutes ago, Ody_2004 said:

Agreed it is not easy.. all funding always get abused in a way or two.. those computer aids extend to SME oso tio scammed..

When i am paid millions in salary i will think of solution ok? whahahahaha..

There's a Skillsfuture course on How to use the iPhone. I kid u not.

If someone needs ah gong to give money to take a course on how to use an iphone, no amount of course can help liao....lol

 

[13177]

10 minutes ago, Soya said:

There's a Skillsfuture course on How to use the iPhone. I kid u not.

If someone needs ah gong to give money to take a course on how to use an iphone, no amount of course can help liao....lol

 

Looks like there are many interesting courses?! 😂