At the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability on August 27, 2024, Manpower Minister Dr. Tan See Leng shared details on the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support (JS) scheme, which will be rolled out in April 2025.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had previously announced the scheme during his National Day Rally speech on August 18, sharing that those who suffer retrenchment, or workers whose employers go bust will have the help of the JS scheme to help them bounce back in their careers, which will provide a total of $6,000 in temporary financial support for up to six months.
And they should do their part too, by:
- Going for training courses
- Working with a Career Coach
“These are important investments that you need to make in yourself to find better jobs,” PM Wong shared, adding: “We will help you get back on your feet, and bounce back stronger.”
Who can apply for the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme?
Minister Tan elaborated with further details, revealing the following criteria:
- Singapore Citizens aged 21 and above (from April 2025) or Permanent Residents aged 21 and above (from Q1 2026).
- From date of application:
- Earned an average monthly income of $5,000 or less in the last 12 months (excluding employer CPF contributions). This includes only the period(s) where the individual is employed and earning an income.
- Was previously employed for at least six months in the past 12 months.
- Who are unemployed due to involuntary reasons such as retrenchment, cessation of business, dismissals or termination due to illness, injury or accident.
- Who reside in a property with Annual Value of $25,000 or less.
- Who have not received a payout from this scheme in the past three years.
How does one qualify for the payouts under the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme?
- Participants of the scheme will have to take part in job search and related activities. For example, participants can submit job applications, attend career coaching and career preparatory workshops, or participate in eligible training courses.
- Participants must have been unemployed for at least one month from the last day of employment prior to receiving payout.
- Payouts will start with $1,500 the first month, with amounts subsequently tapering down, if they meet the requirements.
- However, the monthly payouts will be capped at an individual’s previous-drawn monthly salary, and will stop once they find work.
More information on the application procedures will be made available closer to April 2025.
All about helping Singaporean workers bounce back from career challenges
At the announcement of the scheme, Minister Tan said: “The Government studied proposals and feedback carefully and meticulously when it came to designing the JS scheme.
“Some countries have unemployment insurance. The point I want to drive across is that in our study of many of these countries, the experience has not been consistently positive. “
The fact is in some of these countries, unemployment insurance have had unintended outcomes, such as the unemployed becoming unmotivated to seek out their next roles with urgency.
Some local business owners also reflected concerns to the Ministry of Manpower about rising business costs, and the Ministry would not want to see situations where employers attempt to offset the costs of an insurance scheme by cutting wages or stopping the practice of retrenchment benefits.
“This is why we took it upon ourselves to create, to search for a better alternative, and to minimise the negative outcomes that we have seen elsewhere,” he added.
“Our starting point is to support displaced jobseekers to rebound into jobs that can fit their skillsets and experiences, instead of just rushing head on into the next available job.
“But at the same time, we do not want displaced jobseekers to delay unnecessarily their return into the workforce, because this would diminish their employability. This scheme that we are launching aims to strike a very careful and delicate balance.”
He added that when the scheme is launched, Workforce Singapore (WSG) will provide guidance to jobseekers on how they can meaningfully participate in and benefit from the scheme.
“We are mindful that jobseekers may be going through a challenging job search process.
“WSG will continue to be the port of call for them, ensuring they have access to employment facilitation support and are able to navigate the scheme with relative ease.”
Seeking employment help? Make an appointment to see a career coach to help with your job search.
Sharing his thoughts on the scheme, Terence Ho, author of Refreshing The Singapore System: Recalibrating Socio-economic Policy For The 21st Century and an associate professor in practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS shared his thoughts: “Training, career coaching and job matching are central to the JS scheme as the focus is on helping displaced workers return to employment.
“The financial support is not meant to be a crutch, but to ease the transition for those who have been displaced.
“This is why it is time-limited and sized modestly so as not to disincentivise work.
“Jobseekers should avail themselves of government support for training as well as career matching services to find jobs that are a good fit and have good prospects.”
On-the-ground sentiment on the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme is positive, and why career coaching helps
We also spoke to Chay, a recently retrenched marketing executive in her 30s. She believes that the JS scheme will be good for those who face sudden news of retrenchment and unemployment, as it will help alleviate some of their pressing financial burdens.
In her case, while her previous employer had provided her with two months’ notice of the impending retrenchment, it still came as a shock to her when it happened, and she did not know who to turn to or what resources were available to help retrenched individuals like herself.
She is currently working with a career coach from WSG’s Career Matching Provider, AngusKnight Singapore (AKG), who provided her new insights on the job market.
Chay believes from her personal experience that the career coaching aspect of the scheme is really the main point to focus on, saying: “Career coaching helps us as everyone is different, and looks into individual specialities and interests, matching us towards the roles we’re more suited for.
“We may be blinded by our own perspectives, but it’s good to have an outside view on things to move forward in our careers.”
She also concluded by sharing her personal advice to Singaporeans who may be facing similar career challenges, saying: “Give it a go and try talking to a career coach!”
