NTUC welcomes launch of SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme for involuntarily unemployed workers

NTUC strongly supports the newly launched SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support (JS) scheme, an initiative to provide temporary financial relief to workers facing involuntary unemployment.

Applications for the scheme opened on 15 April 2024.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme at the National Day Rally 2024. Manpower Minister Tan See Leng further unveiled the details of the scheme in August 2024.

The JS scheme offers eligible individuals up to $6,000 over six months. It supports the involuntarily unemployed in Singapore and addresses a growing need for safety nets amidst an increasingly uncertain job market.

NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said that NTUC has strongly advocated for workers facing involuntary unemployment since 2014.

“We are glad that the Government has heard our feedback and that our longstanding advocacy has resulted in the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme.

“This is a significant first step in providing temporary financial relief for workers, including PMEs who are involuntarily unemployed. We hope this will provide workers with relief, especially in times of increasing uncertainty,” said Mr Ng.

NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) will work with Workforce Singapore to support involuntarily unemployed individuals in tapping into the JS scheme and offer employment assistance.

NTUC will also continue working closely with the Government and the Singapore National Employers Federation to enhance the JS scheme and support the evolving needs of workers.

Details of the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme

Singapore Residents who previously earned an average gross monthly income of $5,000 per month or less in the last 12 months and reside in a Singapore property with an Annual Value of $31,000 or less are eligible for this scheme.

Workforce Singapore said that if applicants’ salaries fall slightly above $5,000 in the last 12 months, they are prepared to consider appeals.

Upon approval of their application, participants must participate in activities that aim to help them in their job search and develop the skills and confidence to secure their next role.

The payouts are given out on a points-based system, with different activities giving different amounts of points.

The activities include updating a resume, applying for jobs, attending career coaching and participating in a career fair.

To be eligible for the payouts, applicants must acquire at least 10 points in the first, second and third months, and at least five points in the fourth and fifth months.

For the payouts, $1,500 will be given out in the first month, $1,250 in the second, $1,000 on the third, and $750 in the fourth to sixth months.

List of activities and points given:

• Job interview (4 points, no limit)
• CareerFinder Quiz (2 points, max 2 points per month)
• Career coaching/advisory (4 points, max 4 points per month)
• Online career-related content (1 point, max 2 points per month)
• Update resume online (2 points, max 2 points per month)
• Apply for a job (1 point, max 5 points per month)
• Register with an employment agency (1 point, max 1 point per month)
• Career-related event, workshop or seminar (2 points, max 6 points per month)
• Skills and training advisory/SkillsFuture advice workshop (1 point, max 1 point per month)
• Network with an industry professional (3 points, max 3 points per month)
• Apply for job attachment programme (1 point, max 3 points per month)
• Attend a training course (2 points, max 2 points per month)
• Attend an employment-related programme (2 points, no limit)

Careers Connect Group Assistant Chief Executive Lynn Ng said that the points-based system encourages jobseekers to undergo job search activities that will help them deepen and strengthen their job search skills.

“We have designed a system to encourage individual ownership and flexibility. The jobseekers decide what kind of activities most suit them, and then they undergo these activities,” she said.

“…While the government is here to support vulnerable jobseekers, we also need the jobseekers to do their part,” Ms Lynn added.

Helping jobseekers facing difficult situations

One applicant looking forward to the JS scheme is 36-year-old Dyana Nusantry Jumadi (in featured photo), who has been unemployed since July 2024.

She was retrenched when her operations manager role was made redundant after her company underwent a restructuring exercise.

Since then, Dyana has been actively applying for office manager and operations roles but has not been successful. She has also been taking WSQ courses and getting advice from a career coach from NTUC’s e2i.

Her family’s finances took a hit with her retrenchment, especially as she was earning more than her husband.

Dyana said she would easily hit the minimum points with the JS scheme’s points-based system.

“The payouts do help, but my concern is more about getting a job. The longer I stay unemployed, the harder it will be to get a job. Some employers would ask why I am unemployed for so long, so being in this position is quite a struggle,” she explained.

Visit the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support page for more information, or approach NTUC’s e2i.