SkillsFuture Qualification Award (SQA)
Formerly known as the CET Qualification Award (CQA)
How does it work?
Singapore Citizens who attain a WSQ full qualification will be eligible for a cash award of $200 or $1,000 (disbursed via PayNow).
Your eligibility for the award is based on the date of attainment of your WSQ full qualification. Please refer to the table below:
|
Date of Attainment |
Eligibility |
|
|
From 1 March 2011 to 31 December 2015 |
First-time attainment of one of the following WSQ full qualification ($200 Award):
First-time attainment of one of the following WSQ full qualification ($1,000 Award): |
|
|
From 1 January 2016 to 31 July 2019 |
Every attainment of the following WSQ full qualification ($200 Award):
Every attainment of the following WSQ full qualification ($1,000 Award): |
|
|
From 1 August 2019 |
For following WSQ frameworks:
a. Business Management; |
Every attainment of WSQ full qualification ($200 Award) |
|
For all other WSQ frameworks |
Every attainment of the following WSQ full qualification ($200 Award):
Every attainment of the following WSQ full qualification ($1,000 Award): |
|
Singapore Citizens who attain a WSQ full qualification will be eligible for a cash award of $200 or $1,000 disbursed by PayNow.
Your eligibility for the award is based on the date of attainment of your WSQ full qualification. Please refer to the table below:
|
Date of Attainment |
Eligibility |
|
|
From 1 March 2011 to 31 December 2015 |
First-time attainment of one of the following WSQ full qualification ($200 Award):
First-time attainment of one of the following WSQ full qualification ($1,000 Award): |
|
|
From 1 January 2016 to 31 July 2019 |
Every attainment of the following WSQ full qualification ($200 Award):
Every attainment of the following WSQ full qualification ($1,000 Award): |
|
|
From 1 August 2019 |
For following WSQ frameworks:
a. Business Management; |
Every attainment of WSQ full qualification ($200 Award) |
|
For all other WSQ frameworks |
Every attainment of the following WSQ full qualification ($200 Award):
Every attainment of the following WSQ full qualification ($1,000 Award): |
|
The SkillsFuture Qualification Award encourages Singaporeans to attain WSQ full qualifications, which equip them with comprehensive and robust sets of skills to perform their jobs competently, pursue career progression and explore new job opportunities.
To qualify for Training Commitment Award (TCA), trainees must also be eligible for Workfare Skills Support (WSS).
Unlike the TCA which is targeted at older, low wage workers, there are no age and income criteria for the SkillsFuture Qualification Award. In addition, unlike TCA which is capped at $1,000 during the validity period, there is no cap to this award; meaning you can attain as many WSQ full qualifications as you like, and still receive the SQA. Do take note that the SQA is for Singaporeans only.
Depending on the level and the sector, a WSQ full qualification can consist of 6 to 12 modules, and typically take from 3 months to 2 years of full time training to complete. Our intensive WSQ full qualifications take less than 2 months to complete!
WSQ programmes are typically conducted by accredited Approved Training Organisations (ATOs) and Continuing and Education Training Centres (CET Centres). You may wish to check with the CET Centres on the modules that make up the qualifications. Please visit SSG’s website (www.ssg.gov.sg/cetcentres) to find out more about CET Centres.
A list of courses is available on the MySkillsFuture portal at www.myskillsfuture.sg/trainingexchange. You will need to complete a WSQ full qualification to be eligible for the SkillsFuture Qualification Award. The accredited Approved Training Organisations (ATOs) and Continuing and Education Training Centres (CET Centres) can also advise you on courses that stack up to a WSQ full qualification. Please visit SSG’s website (www.ssg.gov.sg/cetcentres) to find out more about CET Centres.
What are the eligibility criteria for SkillsFuture Qualification Award?
- You must have attained a WSQ full qualification within the specified qualifying period based on date of attainment.
- You must be a Singapore Citizen when you attained the qualifying WSQ qualification.
- You are not a full-time student at the Polytechnics or ITE at the time of attainment of the WSQ qualification. This condition does not apply to adults who are in the workforce.
Note: To apply, you need the following:
- SingPass account
- PayNow account linked to your NRIC (not just your mobile number)
There are 2 possible reasons why you see this error message:
- You do not fulfil the eligibility criteria for the SkillsFuture Qualification Award
- Your WSQ qualification has not been uploaded by your training provider.
Note:
- If qualification attainment date is less than 2 weeks ago, please wait for the qualification to be uploaded. The qualification will be updated in SSG’s system at least 2 weeks after qualification attainment date.
- If qualification attainment date was more than 2 weeks ago, please check with your training provider if results have been uploaded first before applying online again.
PayNow is a peer-to-peer funds transfer service available to retail customers of nine participating banks in Singapore – Bank of China, Citibank Singapore Limited, DBS Bank/POSB, HSBC, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited, Maybank, OCBC Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, and UOB.
PayNow, launched on 10 July 2017 is provided free to retail customers and is available 24/7, 365 days.
In line with the Smart Nation Singapore Initiative, SkillsFuture Singapore will tap on the PayNow infrastructure to disburse SkillsFuture Qualification Awards to eligible applicants for their convenience.
PayNow offers an enhanced funds transfer experience. It adopts the same high security standards established by the banking industry in Singapore for funds transfer. To ensure that money is credited to the correct recipient, only PayNow accounts linked to NRICs will be used for government payments via PayNow.
You can create a PayNow account linked to your NRIC via:
- SMS (selected banks)
- Internet banking
- Mobile banking app
Should you have any problems, contact your bank directly.
Your contact number and email address will be auto populated in the application form when you click the “Use MyInfo” button.
More details on MyInfo: https://www.ifaq.gov.sg/Myinfo/mobile/index.aspx
Note: The contact number and email address that you submit in your application will be auto populated in your subsequent interactions with SSG/WSG e-services.
For successful applications, you will receive the payment for the award within 7 days from submission. A notification will be sent to you when the payment is disbursed to you.
For applications submitted after 29 July 2019, follow these steps:
- Login to MySkillsFuture portal at www.myskillsfuture.sg
- Click on “Applications” in the dropdown list next to your name
- View a list of all applications and their corresponding statuses
- Click on the application ID for details
For applications submitted before 29 July 2019, follow these steps:
- Login to SkillsConnect portal at www.skillsconnect.gov.sg/sop/portal/
- Click on SkillsFuture QA Enquiry
- View your application list
- Click on the application ID for details
The disbursement of your award has been rejected by the bank. Please ensure that you have a valid PayNow account linked to your NRIC. Contact your bank to resolve the payment rejection.
You can resubmit your application for SkillsFuture Qualification Award subsequently.
How to claim your SQA
1. To apply for the SkillsFuture Qualification Award of $1,000, please log in with your Singpass to www.myskillsfuture.sg.
2. Click on Digital Services at the top of the website.
3. Click on Apply For Skillsfuture Qualification Award.
4. Click on Click here to Apply. This button is on the right-hand side of the website highlighted in blue.
5. Ensure that all particulars are correct. Country code is COMPULSORY.
6. To be eligible for the SkillsFuture Qualification Award, you must NOT be a full-time student at the Polytechnics and ITE at the time of attaining a WSQ full qualification. Click "No" here.
7. Check the box below "I acknowledge the above statements by submitting this application form" and Submit.
8. Participants may try applying for the Qualification Award about 2 weeks after their end of course date. Thanks!