Singapore launches over 200 training courses with free AI subscriptions, new skills centre
Speaking at the launch of the new centre, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said people should not need to know which agency runs which scheme before receiving support.
Singapore launches over 200 training courses with free AI subscriptions, new skills centre
SINGAPORE: Over 200 artificial intelligence-related training courses that include free six-month subscriptions to selected premium AI tools for eligible Singapore citizens were rolled out on Wednesday (Sep 16), the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) announced.
The agency also launched Connect by SWDA, a careers and skills service centre at the Lifelong Learning Institute, to bring together careers, skills and workforce support under one roof.
Speaking at the launch of the SkillsFuture Festival at the Lifelong Learning Institute on Wednesday, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong said SWDA – the new statutory board consolidating the functions of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) – must make the skills system easier for Singaporeans to navigate.
“In Singapore, we have many schemes, many programs, many providers. Sometimes it can be confusing, even overwhelming. So we do need to streamline and be more customer-centric,” said Mr Wong.
“People should not need to know which agency runs which scheme before they can get help.”
SWDA will provide a “simpler and more coherent” journey tailored to the needs of both workers and businesses, he added.
To that end, Connect by SWDA is more than a place for people to sign up for courses.
“It’s where we bring together learning, career guidance and employment support. It’s where job seekers can take stock of where they are, understand where the opportunities lie and get tailored advice on the skills and steps they need to get ahead,” said Mr Wong, who officiated the opening of the centre.
The launch aligns with the agency’s goal to provide more integrated support across careers, skills and workforce development needs, SWDA said.
On the ground floor, individuals can get access to on-site career and skills advisors and AI-powered recommendations to identify relevant opportunities, courses and funding support. The second floor provides a dedicated space for “deeper and more focused” engagement through pre-booked appointments and curated activities.
Outlining the shifts that SWDA must achieve to deliver better outcomes for workers and businesses in his speech, Mr Wong stressed that the new agency must aim to connect learning to jobs and careers.
This will require close collaboration with education institutions, training providers and employers, as well as focusing on the quality and relevance of training at both the pre-employment and employment stage.
Adding that workers cannot be an afterthought in business transformation, Mr Wong said SWDA’s task is to bring support for businesses and workers closer.
“We want businesses to be more productive and competitive, but we also want workers to benefit through better skills, better jobs, and better prospects. And the government will try to bring these two important pieces of work together: workforce transformation and business transformation,” he said.
AI COURSES AND TOOLS
At the festival, SWDA announced that workers who wish to deepen their AI capabilities can choose from a catalogue of more than 200 AI courses offered by about 30 SWDA-supported training providers from Wednesday.
The courses cater to different learning needs, from applying AI and enhancing workplace productivity to developing advanced capabilities for AI-enabled roles and business transformation, SWDA said.
From Sep 16, eligible Singapore citizens aged 18 and above who enrol in and attend any of these courses will receive six months of complimentary access to premium AI tools.
The initiative was first announced in February at this year’s Budget, with Mr Wong stating at the time that it will allow Singaporeans to practise using more advanced AI models, which typically require paid subscriptions.
Under the three-year SkillsFuture AI Subscription initiative, attendees can choose to subscribe to AI tools such as ChatGPT Plus, Google AI Pro, Manus AI and Microsoft 365 Personal.
Attendees can also choose the Singtel AI Pass, which grants access to six AI tools including Otter.AI and Hailuo AI.
Speaking to the media, Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau said that as AI becomes a part of how people work, many Singaporeans are wondering where to start.
While nobody becomes an expert after taking just one course or workshop, their wish is to make it easier for people to learn, practise and try their newly acquired skills on real tasks, she said.
The complimentary access to a range of premium AI tools will allow Singaporeans to practise and become more confident in using them, she said.
The courses are also supported and subsidised by SWDA, and attendees can use their SkillsFuture credit to pay for the remaining fees.
"Our hope is that all Singaporeans become a lot more confident in using AI and get more comfortable as work changes," she said.
"Now, for some of us, it could be simply about not feeling so lost when their employers, their supervisors, or their colleagues mention AI or mention prompting. For others, it could be about building deeper or new skills to help them in their work, or to prepare them for emerging jobs."
Apart from the new courses, SWDA partnered with the Singapore Institute of Technology to develop an online self-assessment tool to help individuals assess their AI readiness.
Known as the AI Ready Quiz, the tool can also recommend learning resources and curated AI courses.
The self-assessment tools, courses and information on the AI subscription are available at the MySkillsFuture portal.
ONE-STOP PORTAL FOR EMPLOYERS
SWDA also launched a new one-stop portal for employers on Wednesday, which replaces the existing SkillsFuture for Business website.
The new OurWorkforce portal brings together SWDA’s collective suite of training and workforce development initiatives for employers under a unified digital shopfront, the agency said.
Through the portal, employers can discover relevant training courses and workforce development solutions, and receive customised recommendations based on their business needs.
They can also access digital tools to identify opportunities for transformation, redesign jobs and adopt AI effectively, the agency added.
The SkillsFuture Festival 2026 takes place from Sep 16 to Oct 28, and features more than 140 events islandwide for individuals and enterprises.
Source: CNA