Top 10 Practical SkillsFuture Courses to Spend Your SkillsFuture Credits On

Singaporeans naturally love freebies.

So when the Singapore government announced a SkillsFuture credit bonus this year, I’m sure most of us jumped for joy!

SkillsFuture is after all an amazing resource for upskilling and reskilling, with courses spanning every topic imaginable (floral arrangement? Or fish breeding, anyone?)

If you’re above 25 this year, you should have received an additional $500 to $1,000 in SkillsFuture credits.

Now, $1,000 is no small sum, but it might not seem significant either when you think about the cost of many professional development courses, which could range in the tens of thousands.

So, how do you get the most bang for your buck?

Our take – use your SkillsFuture credits for ‘taster’ courses.

Got a burning desire to start your own business, but unsure what it entails? Take an introductory entrepreneurship course.

Fancy the idea of being a master coder, but have no clue where to start? Get a basic overview of a language like Python, that’s easier to learn.

After you’ve gotten a feel of this new skill or career pathway, you’ll be empowered to make better informed career decisions.

We went through the MySkillsFuture portal, and came up with 10 practical SkillsFuture courses that cost below $1,000, so you can make your credits count!

What are SkillsFuture Credits?

SkillsFuture Credits are government payouts to encourage Singaporeans to develop their skills and embrace lifelong learning.

All Singaporeans 25 years old and above receive an opening credit of $500. These have no expiry date.

You can spend these on career transition programmes offered by Continuing Education and Training (CET) centeres, and a ton of other courses listed in the MySkillsFuture portal.

Bonus up to $500-$1,000 SkillsFuture credits:

• If you’re eligible, you will receive an additional $500 top-up. You can spend this on courses by Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and NTUC LearningHub.
• If you’re a Singaporean Citizen aged 40 to 60, you will also receive another one-off $500 top-up.

This means most Singaporeans will receive $1,000 worth of SkillsFuture Credits as of 2020.

In case you’re wondering, yes, these bonus credits will expire! They’ll disappear on 31 Dec 2025.

So before you forget, use your credits quickly, and wisely.

No clue where to start? Explore our suggestions:

Top 10 Practical SkillsFuture Courses

1. Project Management Practice

Cost: $2000.00 (after SkillsFuture funding)
Conducted by: Singapore Management University
Full course details here.

Mode of Training: Full-time
Duration: 5 days

If you’re an aspiring Project Manager, this course is for you.

Traditional project management methods are becoming leaner. They are becoming agile. This course is focussed on core components of project management like the lifestyle fundamentals, project execution and much more.

In this course, you will learn methodologies and strategies for successful project implementation. You will practise the role of an Agile project manager, facilitating hands on practices to achieve desired outcomes.

2. Starting an Online Business

Cost: $510.00 (after SkillsFuture funding)
Conducted by: Republic Polytechnic
Full course details here.

Mode of Training: Part-time
Duration: 2 days (16 hours)

Always wanted to start an online business?

Learn the essentials to set up an online business in this 2-day part-time workshop!

In this workshop, you’ll learn product ideas and supplier sources. You’ll also be taught common e-commerce platforms, along with payment, shipping and simple marketing strategies.

Finally, leave the workshop with an actionable plan for your online business.

3. Coding for All

Cost: $340.00 (after SkillsFuture funding)
Conducted by: TemasekPolytechnic
Full course details here.

Mode of Training: Part-time
Duration: 14 hours

If you’re a beginner at coding, don’t fret!

This course introduces coding fundamentals using a project-based approach. You’ll be exposed to the Python language, and be taught how to develop simple programmes from scratch using basic Python constructs.

4. Data Science Essentials

Cost: $300.00 (after SkillsFuture funding)
Conducted by: Temasek Polytechnic
Full course details here.

Mode of Training: Part-time
Duration: 16 hours

Data Science has been labelled the “sexiest job of the 21st century” by Harvard Business Review.

Want in on the action?

Sign up for this course! This course teaches you fundamental data science knowledge and techniques. You will also learn how analytics and big data help you meet business objectives.

5. Introduction to Data Analysis Using Excel

Cost: Free
Conducted by: Microsoft Singapore
Full course details here.

Mode of Training: Full-time and Part-time
Duration: 1 day

Microsoft Excel is a leading data analysis tool, and arguably the most popular analytic tool. In this course, you’ll learn Microsoft Excel’s most popular features, and how to perform data analysis. Upon completion of this course, you can attempt Analyzing and Visualizing Data with Excel, a more advanced course on this topic.

6. Microsoft Office Fundamentals

Cost: Free
Conducted by: Microsoft Singapore
Full course details here.

Mode of Training: Full-time and Part-time
Duration: 2 days

In this course, you’ll learn basic Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook skills. These skills are part of the Microsoft Office Suite, which is the most commonly used software in business.

Employers expect candidates to have these skills. Learning these skills will enhance your job prospects and increase your employment chances

7. Basic Accounting Essentials for Non-Finance Individuals

Cost: $480.00 (after SkillsFuture funding)
Conducted by: Apps Pte Ltd
Full course details here.

Mode of Training: Part-time
Duration: 2 days (16 hours)

Learn how to use accounting to aid decision making in this course.

In this course, you’ll learn accounting knowledge and essentials, and how income taxes figure into business and personal decisions.

You’ll also be taught external financial statements, internal managerial accounting reports and income tax systems.

Keen on becoming an accountant? Check out our Accounting Resume sample.

8. Advanced Communication Strategies

Cost: $480.00 (after SkillsFuture funding)
Conducted by: Singapore Management University (SMU)
Full course details here.

Mode of Training: Part-time
Duration: 2 days (16 hours)

In this course, discover how to communicate clearly and concisely, engaging your colleagues with more confidence.

Learn how to build stronger relationships and persuade with your ideas. These communication strategies will enhance your professional relationships.

9. Brand Yourself Online

Cost: $210.00 (after SkillsFuture funding)
Conducted by: Nanyang Polytechnic
Full course details here.

Mode of Training: Part-time
Duration: 7 hours

Want to stand out from the crowd? Boost your online profile?

This course will help you do just that! Learn ways to enhance your branding in this course. Create compelling Facebook and Behance profiles to set yourself apart from others.

Also, learn modern social media tools to cultivate and and engage with your online network.

10. Graphic Design Basics

Cost: $300.00 (after SkillsFuture funding)
Conducted by: Temasek Polytechnic
Full course details here.

Mode of Training: Part-time
Duration: 7 hours

Unleash your creative potential in this 1-day Graphic Design course! Learn good typography and layout principles to create visually engaging marketing and promotional materials.

In this course, you’ll pick up strategies to create visual content, and how to make your content visually attractive and conceptual. You’ll get to use freeware image editors to design your work, making the lesson fun and comprehensive.

Conclusion

That concludes our list, but there are THOUSANDS more SkillsFuture Courses available for you. Explore all courses on the MySkillsFuture portal.

Check out these great government job support resources too – including training courses, schemes, funds, and more.

Aside from these, we have some resources of our own to help you with your job search and career development needs too. Browse our articles below!

Return to Ultimate Singapore Job Search Hub