• The Workfare Training Support scheme is a three-year scheme announced by the Government in the 2010 Budget to complement the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme
• The WTS encourages low wage workers to upgrade their skills through training, so that they can improve their employability and upgrade to better jobs
• WTS is open to Singapore citizens aged 35 years and above, and who are earning up to $1,700 per month

Lower Cost of Training for Low-wage Workers:

• Through WTS, low wage workers can benefit from higher course fee support when they sign up for any Singapore Workfare Skills Qualification (WSQ) courses, including those for Employability Skills, at the CET Centres:

Table 1: Course Fee Support and Absentee Payroll for Employer under WTS scheme

Workers who are Singapore Citizens aged 35 years old and above	Course Fee Support	Absentee Payroll for Employer
Earnings  $1,400 and below per month	95%	95%
Earning between $1,400 to $1,700 per month	90%	90%

• To receive the higher course fee support, a low wage worker only needs to bring his/her NRIC and the WTS/WIS notification letter to all CET Centres and Approved Training Organisations (ATO), to sign up for training
• Employers, who send their low wage workers for WSQ courses at all CET Centres and Approve Training Organisations (ATO), can also receive the higher course fee support shown in Table 1.  In addition, they can claim higher Absentee Payroll to cover the salaries of their low wage workers, when they are away at training.

Cash Award for Low-Wage Workers to Undergo Sustained Training

• WTS also provides a cash award to encourage low wage workers to undergo complete and pass sustained training.
• Known as the Training Commitment Award, it will be paid automatically to eligible WIS recipients together with their WIS payments as follows

Table 1: Course Fee Support and Absentee Payroll for Employer under WTS scheme

For every two modular WSQ SOA	$200
For Completing a WSQ qualification	$200
Maximum award an eligible WIS recipient can get in one year	$400

• To recognise low-wage workers’ recent training efforts, a maximum of two SOAs completed in the 12-month period, between 1 July 2009 and 30 June 2010, will be recognised for the first payout in Sep 2010

For more information on the Workfare Training Support (WTS) scheme, please call WTS toll free hotline: 1 800-5368 333 (Mon-Fri: 8.30am-8.00pm, Sat: 8.30am-1.00pm

Email: wda_enquiry@wda.gov.sg

Website: www.workfare.sg

To register for our courses, please click here.