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.

Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong (second from left) and Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmine Lau (third from left) visiting a studio at Connect by SWDA, at the Lifelong Learning Institute, Sep 16, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Alyssa Tan)

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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, 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.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less “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.

“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.

Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong speaking during the SkillsFuture Summit for Businesses held at the Lifelong Learning Institute, Sep 16, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Alyssa Tan)

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.

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 seven 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.

Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmine Lau speaking to the media during the opening of Connect by SWDA at the Lifelong Learning Institute, Sep 16, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Alyssa Tan)

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.

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总理黄循财在新中心启动仪式上发表讲话时表示，民众在获得援助之前不应该需要知道哪个机构负责哪个计划。

2026年9月16日，总理兼财政部长黄循财（左二）和人力部署理部长刘静仪（左三）参观了位于终身学习学院的Connect by SWDA工作室。（图片：CNA/Alyssa Tan）

这段音频是由人工智能工具生成的。

新加坡：新加坡技能与劳动力发展局（SWDA）周三宣布，将推出200多门人工智能相关培训课程，其中包括为符合条件的新加坡公民免费提供六个月的精选高级人工智能工具订阅服务。

该机构还在终身学习学院推出了 Connect by SWDA，这是一个职业和技能服务中心，旨在将职业、技能和劳动力支持集中在一个屋檐下。

周三，总理兼财政部长黄循财在终身学习学院举行的“技能创前程节”启动仪式上发表讲话时表示，新加坡技能发展局（SWDA）——这个整合了新加坡技能创前程（SSG）和新加坡劳动力发展局（WSG）职能的新法定机构——必须让新加坡人更容易掌握技能体系。

黄先生表示：“新加坡有很多计划、很多项目、很多服务提供商。有时候这会让人感到困惑，甚至不知所措。所以我们确实需要简化流程，更加以客户为中心。”

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小谜题，脑力挑战 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少 “人们不应该在获得帮助之前需要知道哪个机构负责哪个项目。”他补充说，SWDA将提供一个“更简单、更连贯”的流程，以满足员工和企业的需求。为此，SWDA的Connect中心不仅仅是一个报名课程的地方。“在这里，我们将学习、职业指导和就业支持结合起来。求职者可以在这里评估自身现状，了解机会所在，并获得关于所需技能和步骤的个性化建议，从而取得成功。”黄先生在中心开幕仪式上说道。SWDA表示，此次启动符合该机构的目标，即在职业、技能和劳动力发展需求方面提供更综合的支持。在一楼，个人可以获得现场职业和技能顾问的咨询服务，以及人工智能驱动的推荐，从而找到相关的机会、课程和资金支持。二楼则提供了一个专门的空间，通过预约和精心策划的活动，提供“更深入、更专注”的互动体验。黄先生在演讲中概述了社会福利发展署（SWDA）必须实现的转变，以期为劳动者和企业带来更好的成果。他强调，这个新机构必须致力于将学习与工作和职业发展联系起来。这将需要与教育机构、培训机构和雇主密切合作，并关注就业前和就业阶段培训的质量和相关性。黄先生补充说，在企业转型过程中，劳动者不应被忽视，SWDA的任务是拉近企业和劳动者之间的距离。“我们希望企业提高生产力和竞争力，同时也希望劳动者能够通过更好的技能、更好的工作和更广阔的前景而受益。政府将努力把这两项重要工作结合起来：劳动力转型和企业转型。”他说道。

“人们在获得帮助之前，不应该需要知道哪个机构负责哪个项目。”

他补充说，SWDA 将提供一个“更简单、更连贯”的流程，以满足工人和企业的需求。

因此，SWDA 的 Connect 不仅仅是一个供人们报名参加课程的地方。

“这里汇集了学习、职业指导和就业支持。求职者可以在这里评估自身现状，了解机遇所在，并获得量身定制的建议，帮助他们掌握所需的技能和采取必要的步骤，从而取得成功。”黄先生在中心开幕式上说道。

SWDA表示，此次启动符合该机构的目标，即在职业、技能和劳动力发展需求方面提供更综合的支持。

在一楼，人们可以获得现场职业和技能顾问的指导，并利用人工智能技术获得相关机会、课程和资助建议。二楼则提供了一个专门的空间，供人们通过预约和精心策划的活动进行“更深入、更专注”的交流。

黄先生在讲话中概述了SWDA必须实现的转变，以给工人和企业带来更好的结果。他强调，新机构必须致力于将学习与工作和职业联系起来。

这将需要与教育机构、培训机构和雇主密切合作，并注重就业前和就业阶段培训的质量和相关性。

黄先生补充说，在企业转型过程中，不能忽视工人，SWDA 的任务是拉近企业和工人之间的支持距离。

“我们希望企业提高生产力和竞争力，同时也希望劳动者通过提升技能、获得更好的工作和更广阔的发展前景而受益。政府将努力把这两项重要工作结合起来：劳动力转型和企业转型，”他说道。

2026年9月16日，总理兼财政部长黄循财在终身学习学院举行的“技能创前程企业峰会”上发表讲话。（图片：CNA/Alyssa Tan）

人工智能课程和工具

在本次活动中，新加坡社会发展署宣布，希望加深人工智能能力的劳动者可以从周三开始，从由新加坡社会发展署支持的约 30 家培训机构提供的 200 多门人工智能课程中进行选择。

SWDA表示，这些课程满足不同的学习需求，从应用人工智能和提高工作场所生产力，到培养人工智能赋能岗位和业务转型所需的高级能力。

符合资格的18岁及以上新加坡公民报名参加这些课程中的任何一门，即可获得六个月的免费高级人工智能工具使用权。

这项计划最早于今年 2 月的财政预算案中宣布，当时黄循财先生表示，该计划将允许新加坡人练习使用更先进的人工智能模型，而这些模型通常需要付费订阅。

在为期三年的“技能创前程人工智能订阅计划”下，参与者可以选择订阅 ChatGPT Plus、Google AI Pro、Manus AI 和 Microsoft 365 Personal 等人工智能工具。

与会者还可以选择 Singtel AI Pass，该通行证可访问包括 Otter.AI 和 Hailuo AI 在内的七款 AI 工具。

人力部代理部长刘嘉敏在接受媒体采访时表示，随着人工智能逐渐成为人们工作方式的一部分，许多新加坡人都在思考从哪里开始。

她表示，虽然没有人能通过参加一次课程或研讨会就成为专家，但他们的愿望是让人们更容易学习、练习和尝试将新获得的技能应用到实际任务中。

她表示，免费使用一系列高级人工智能工具将使新加坡人能够练习并更有信心使用这些工具。

这些课程也得到了新加坡技能发展局 (SWDA) 的支持和补贴，学员可以使用他们的技能创前程 (SkillsFuture) 培训补助来支付剩余的费用。

“我们希望所有新加坡人都能对使用人工智能更有信心，并能更好地适应工作方式的改变，”她说。

“对我们中的一些人来说，这可能仅仅意味着当雇主、主管或同事提到人工智能或提示功能时，不会感到那么迷茫。而对另一些人来说，这可能意味着培养更深层次或全新的技能，以帮助他们更好地完成工作，或为未来可能出现的工作做好准备。”

除了新课程外，SWDA 还与新加坡理工大学合作开发了一款在线自我评估工具，以帮助个人评估其人工智能准备情况。

该工具名为“AI Ready Quiz”，还可以推荐学习资源和精选的AI课程。

自我评估工具、课程和人工智能订阅信息可在 MySkillsFuture 门户网站上获取。

人力部代部长刘嘉玲于2026年9月16日在终身学习学院举行的“Connect by SWDA”项目开幕式上接受媒体采访。（图片：CNA/Alyssa Tan）

雇主一站式门户网站

新加坡技能发展局（SWDA）周三还推出了一个全新的雇主一站式门户网站，取代了现有的“技能创前程企业版”（SkillsFuture for Business）网站。该机构表示，新的“我们的劳动力”（OurWorkforce）门户网站将SWDA面向雇主的一系列培训和劳动力发展计划整合到一个统一的数字平台上。

通过该门户网站，雇主可以发现相关的培训课程和劳动力发展解决方案，并根据其业务需求获得定制化建议。

该机构补充说，他们还可以使用数字工具来识别转型机会、重新设计工作并有效地采用人工智能。

2026 年技能创前程节将于 9 月 16 日至 10 月 28 日举行，届时将在全岛范围内举办 140 多场面向个人和企业的活动。

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