Singapore rolls out over 200 AI courses with free premium tool subscriptions
Singapore launched more than 200 AI-related training courses on Sep 16, with eligible citizens receiving six-month free subscriptions to premium AI tools. The Skills and Workforce Development Agency also opened Connect by SWDA, a one-stop careers and skills centre at the Lifelong Learning Institute.
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 and Workforce Singapore – 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.
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.
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. 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. 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, or the Singtel AI Pass, which grants access to seven AI tools including Otter.AI and Hailuo AI.
Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau said that as AI becomes a part of how people work, many Singaporeans are wondering where to start. “Our hope is that all Singaporeans become a lot more confident in using AI and get more comfortable as work changes,” she said. The courses are also supported and subsidised by SWDA, and attendees can use their SkillsFuture credit to pay for the remaining fees.
SWDA also launched a new one-stop portal for employers on Wednesday, replacing 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 SkillsFuture Festival 2026 takes place from Sep 16 to Oct 28, and features more than 140 events islandwide.
