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It’s been months since the launch of the Skillsfuture credit program, a government initiative to get more Singaporeans trained for the future. For those of you who were wondering, Skillsfuture provides for up to $500 to be used for an individual’s (25 years old and above) training in approved courses.

So what’s so great about Skillsfuture?

Well to begin with, its essentially free money to study. Ever wished your university had covered another module that you could have actually used in your job? Well, here’s your chance. The list of almost 12,000 courses available under the Skillsfuture credit scheme is vast and covers almost all scopes.

Thinking of a career switch but need some help along the way? Take a WSQ or other certified course. Best part? Its paid – or at least subsidized – for by the government. Every Singaporean covered under the Skillsfuture program should use it, studying only costs time and money, and now the government has taken the money out of the equation.

Oh and did I mention you could do online learning?

Worried that you can’t make it to classes? Think that you’d like to learn at your own pace? Well Skillsfuture caters to just that, extending the grant to online learning, including some of the largest global online training providers – Udemy and Coursera, course providers that I myself have paid out of pocket to attend.

So what courses should you take? Well we’ve looked through the ENTIRE WDA Skillsfuture portal, – yes the ENTIRE WDA Skillsfuture portal – and these are the 13 that amazed us

Anyone who works in/ wants to work in the banking and finance industry

Complete CFA Level I – 2016 curriculum by Udemy

For anyone who works in the finance industry, the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) qualification stands as one of the most prestigious and sought after of titles. All around the world, there is a shortage of CFAs – who hold jobs at the highest levels, often with exceedingly high pay. Here Udemy is offering a course that helps you on your journey to CFA level 1, which will be fully covered by your Skillsfuture credit.  Anyone who wishes to further their career in the financial services should be rushing to take this course, NOW!
Price: $421
Totally covered by Skillsfuture? – Yes

Entrepreneurship

Learn to Build iOS apps, Android apps, Games and Websites!
Learning Dynamic Website Design – PHP MySQL and JavaScript
WordPress For E-Commerce Tutorial – A Definitive Guide
by Udemy

Setup WordPress eCommerce Store Using WooCommerce
by Tertiary Courses

Ever wanted to start up your own online business, create your own app or website? Think you have a million dollar idea but just don’t know how to do it? Well the courses above will teach you to create simple websites, run an e-commerce site or even code – depending on the course you choose from the four above. The best part? If you chose the three Udemy courses, it would take to a grand total of only $102, meaning you’d have $398 left over from Skillsfuture.

Price: $34/ Udemy course, $298 for course by Tertiary Courses (But this comes with classroom time so it may be more value for money if you’re afraid you can’t catch on)

For Fresh grads, or mature officer workers who want to get better with their office skills

A beginner’s and intermediate guide to VBA programming
Excel Formulas Made Easy – Learn more than 100 Formulas
By Udemy

Excel 2007/2010/2013 VBA (Macro) programming
by Intellisoft

The value of excel in the workplace cannot be undersold, most adults whether they’re working in finance, engineering, IT or even HR would have come in contact with excel at some point of their lives. As such the value of good excel training cannot be undersold, and the highest point of mastery in excel? VBA, the language used to program macros for it. Most fresh grads and mature office workers would benefit from VBA training that would help them create macros that would in turn allow them to increase their on-the-job productivity.

Price: $15 – 34/ Udemy course, $650 – $780/ course by Intellisoft (But this comes with classroom time so it may be more value for money if you’re afraid you can’t catch on)
Totally covered by Skillsfuture? – Yes, if you go with a Udemy Course. No, if you attend an Intellisoft course, though in fairness, they do provide classroom training which may be more effective for some.

For those of us with a more artistic slant

The list of courses offered by the National academy of fine arts (NAFA) and the Laselle College Of The Arts cover almost every aspect of the arts. From a course in Ceramics all the way to a diploma in dance, the list of courses provided are so exhaustive, but here are the few that caught our eye:

Certificate in Chinese Calligraphy
Certificate in Sculpture
By Nanyang academy of fine arts

Product Photography
By Laselle College of the arts

Introduction to DJ Techniques workshop
By AH-HA! EVENTS ACADEMY PTE. LTD.

Diploma in Animation & 3D Arts
By Ngee Ann Poly

Price: $490 and up
Totally covered by Skillsfuture? – Yes for some, but no for most

For those who want to apply skills future towards Bachelor/ Master Degrees

Unfortunately the list of master degree programs that are provided for by Skillsfuture are too numerous to be listed here. Suffice to say they range from Public Policy, MBAs to Applied Science and even Architecture. These programs are run chiefly by the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU). Bachelor Degree Programs here are mainly run by the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM), National Institute of Education (NIE), NAFA, along with NUS, NTU and SMU and are of an even wider variety.

Though you may apply the Skillsfuture credits here towards a Bachelors/ Master degree, it still pales in comparison to the total fees that are payable for such courses, which run into the tens of thousands.

So…. What now?

We’ve enjoyed sharing our take on the 13 most amazing courses you can take with your Skillsfuture credit, so get out there and start registering for courses today! Think your friends might benefit from reading this article? Share it! Spotted a better course than the ones we listed here? Or perhaps you disagree with something we said? Share your view by leaving a comment below and we’ll discuss it.