Far East: Singapore Testing New Ideas for an AI-Ready Workforce
Michelangelo Buonarroti
In July 2026, Singapore appointed Jasmin Lau as its new acting Minister for Manpower. The Minister for Manpower (MOM), who heads the Ministry of Manpower, is generally in charge of Singapore's labor and employment policies. MOM oversee employers and workers can navigate changes in the economy and labour market through adequate access to training and resources.
After being appointed, Jasmin Lau pledged to prioritize workers' ability to adapt to the rapidly changing technology-driven labor market nowadays. Lau was also promoted to Senior Minister of State (SMS) for Digital Development and Information, who implements policies related to the country’s digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital economy, and public communications. As automation reshapes industries and workers face more frequent AI-driven career transitions, Lau has made adaptating to artificial intelligence one of her top priorities.
As part of Lau’s speech on “An AI Transition with No Jobless Growth”, she pointed out the belief that AI won’t simply replace jobs – it is opening up entirely new ways of working and new kinds of roles that never existed before. Against this backdrop, the concept of “lifelong learning” has emerged as a key component of Singapore's strategy for preparing workers to navigate technological disruption, while recognizing that AI will continue to reshape the job market.
SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance
Older and mid-career workers are often identified as being more vulnerable to AI-driven labor market disruption. Specifically, research reflects a lower rate of training for older adults, as they face barriers and have more financial worries and the idea of returning to education. Still, according to the Future of Job Reports by the World Economic Forum, 59% of the global workforce is expected to require training or reskilling by 2030.
Therefore, the Singaporean government is working to expand opportunities for older workers to gain new skills. SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance, officially took effect in 2025 and expanded in 2026, was established to assist Singaporeans ages 40 and up to gain new skills without facing a significant loss of income.
The allowance program operates two different tracks of training: full-time training and part-time training. Both types of trainings are largely supported by government subsidies (up to 70%). For full-time training, if enrolled in SkillsFuture-supported courses, Singapore citizens 40 or older can receive a monthly allowance of up to S$3,000, capped at 50% of their average monthly income. For part-time training, the amount of fixed allowance is around $300 per month. Individuals need to submit an application to be considered for training, and only those with income in the last 12 months before the course start date can apply.
The training can be understood as university courses, as they are mostly offered by Singapore's universities, polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), and other Continuing Education and Training (CET) Centres. The courses generally cover AI, data analytics, software development, digital marketing, and cybersecurity.
Meanwhile, SKillsFuture developed an employment facilitation service aiming to support mid-career individuals for job placement assistance and career coaching. In the end, besides the technical knowledge people receive, they also get access to university career resources, internship opportunities, and an accredited diploma or certificate.
In simple terms, while the government runs the SkillsFuture programme, the courses themselves are delivered by many different organizations, such as public universities, and the program is funded by the government – even workers might need to pay for a certain amount of the trainings, up to 70-90% will be covered by tuition subsidies and their training allowances.
Singapore's SkillsFuture system is relatively unusual because it operates at a national scale. According to the Ministry of Education of Singapore, in 2026, the country will expand the training allowance in order to support mid-career Singaporeans, with an estimated benefit of 10,000 more Singaporeans annually.
Jasmin Lau
Lau' recent appointment at the MOM comes at a pivotal moment for Singapore's labor market. Before, she served as the Minister of State for Digital Development and Information. She had experience working with issues related to AI adoption and digital transformation. She believes that AI is not a technology issue but a societal and economic problem.
In July, 2026, Lau gave a speech at the AI For Good Festival, where she argued that Singapore’s priority should not only be embracing and adopting AI-driven changes, but to ensure that everyone – including older adults, lower-income groups, and workers who are anxious about technological change – can truly benefit from AI.
At the same time, another policy change Lau’s appointment brought is bridging the gap between employment and education policy. In the past, the Singaporean government has treated the two sectors separately. Now, the country’s AI workforce policy has become more inclusive, advocating lifelong learning and promotion of AI literacy.
Workforce Singapore (WSG), under the Ministry of Manpower, is a government-run agency that directly assists Singaporeans in obtaining good jobs and successfully transition into new careers. Its responsibilities, for example, include free interview preparation, job matching, and employment assistance for displaced or unemployed workers. In 2026, the Ministry of Manpower merged SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) with WSG – now altogether under the name Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA). Before, if workers lost their jobs, they had to go through WSG for information such as what new skills they needed, then go to SSG to find a course, and again return to WSG after training and looking for a new job. After the merger, one can get access to skill assessment, training and courses, job matching, and financial support within one agency. According to Lau, SWDA is intended to provide stable support from the moment a worker needs to reskill until they secure new employment.
In conclusion, the world’s labor market is now going through significant changes driven by AI and technology, and Singapore’s recent efforts to support workers’ adaptation to AI, particularly for older workers, stand as a strong example of a society positioning lifelong learning and workforce transformation as central pillars of its economic strategy. Whether or not Jasmin Lau’s labor policies can show long-term effectiveness is still too early to determine, but the changes reflect Singapore's commitment to test new policy solutions and invest in workers across all age groups and career stages.