SSG’s approach and safeguards to ensure training providers’ compliance with marketing guidelines

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Dr Charlene Chen, Tampines GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) what measures are in place to proactively detect and prevent the misuse of SkillsFuture credits, especially by operators using multi-level marketing tactics or exploiting the credit expiry timeline; and (b) how does the Ministry ensure training quality and learner protection against the marketing tactics by such operators.

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Yip Hon Weng, Yio Chu Kang SMC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) what steps are the Ministry and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) taking to pro-actively monitor and enforce compliance with marketing requirements and practice guidelines by training providers to better protect all learners, including low-income and older workers; and (b) whether the Ministry would consider mandating public disclosure of provider-level data, such as drop-out rates and course-to-job conversions, to strengthen these safeguards.

Response

1. Under SSG’s Terms for Training Providers, there are strict marketing guidelines which prohibit training providers from making exaggerated claims, offering monetary incentives in exchange for course sign-ups, or engaging in aggressive marketing tactics. For example, SSG has reminded training providers to focus on promoting the merits of the courses, and not use the expiry of the SkillsFuture Credits to hard-sell their courses to individuals.
2. Given the large number of training providers, SSG supplements its own monitoring of their marketing behaviour by relying on feedback and whistleblowing by the general public and learners. When SSG guidelines are flouted, SSG takes enforcement actions. These include suspension or termination of a training provider’s registration with SSG. SSG publishes the list of training providers who have flouted the terms and were subject to enforcement actions.
3. From 1 December 2025, SSG will disallow registered training providers from engaging, requesting or procuring any third party to market courses directly to learners. This is necessary given an increase in public feedback on undesirable marketing practices involving third parties over the past year. This new prohibition will reduce the risk of the public being subject to misrepresentation, over-promising or undue influence when third parties are involved in the marketing of training programmes. It can also avoid the compromise of personal data when third parties ask for such data to facilitate course sign-ups.
4. The majority of our training providers comply with SSG’s marketing guidelines, and the practice of engaging third parties for direct marketing is not widespread. Nevertheless, SSG has taken action to address public feedback, to avoid such undesirable practices from proliferating, which could bring the training sector into disrepute and harm the interests of learners.
5. Publishing performance data of training providers is another safeguard for learners. SSG requires learners taking SSG-funded programmes to give feedback on course quality and how well the training supports their career growth. The ratings of each course are published on the MySkillsFuture Portal to help learners make informed training decisions.
6. Safeguarding public trust and confidence in our lifelong learning system is a key priority for SSG. We will continue to monitor training providers’ marketing behaviour, adjust our guidelines, and take fair and proportionate enforcement actions where necessary. We remind our training providers to abide strictly by the marketing guidelines. We also seek continued support from the public, to be vigilant and to provide feedback on non-compliant marketing practices.