Singapore’s Skills Surge: How 2025 Changed the Game and Why Upskilling Is Your Next Move

Workforce Adaptation and New Realities

2025 demanded significant adaptability from workers. NDR 2025 highlighted that 77% of Singapore’s workforce is exposed to AI, but fears around job displacement remained high—especially among mid-career workers and recent graduates. With nearly a third of youths requiring further training to become work-ready, the government rolled out measures to strengthen support for career resilience, retraining, and youth employability.​

Key adaptation trends included:

• Increased career pivots, especially within the 25-39 age group, who sought autonomy and meaning through side hustles or switching industries.​
• Surge in mid-career transitions, with SkillsFuture subsidies and national allowance programmes empowering Singaporeans (especially those 40+) to upskill or retrain for new opportunities.​
• Implementation of flexible hiring models—project-based roles and contract positions—reflecting companies’ need to balance costs and agility.​

CuriousCore’s User Experience Career Accelerator (UXCA): Building Practical Capability

CuriousCore’s UXCA programme is specifically crafted for mid-career professionals wanting to transition into UX roles. Over a rigorous four-month curriculum, participants acquire technical proficiency in research, design, and operations. The centrepiece: up to three real-client projects, stretching learners to deliver tangible business solutions in self-directed, collaborative formats.​

• Online evening and weekend lessons accommodate full-time workers, ensuring accessibility and flexibility.​
• Dedicated career coaching and portfolio reviews help participants articulate their new skills to hiring managers.​
• AI-driven methodologies enhance collaboration, research, and prototyping—giving learners practical exposure to the digital workflows shaping modern UX practice.​

Real-world feedback paints the picture: Students value not only the exposure to actual clients, but also peer learning, mock interviews with industry veterans, and hands-on use of state-of-the-art tools.​

GenAI Courses: Leading the Charge in Artificial Intelligence

The GenAI suite—Lead with GenAI, Solve with GenAI, and Build with GenAI—mirrors what the world’s top employers now demand: learning AI for strategic, creative, and operational impact.​

• “Lead with GenAI” guides business leaders, innovation managers, and change agents through organisational AI readiness, risk management, and strategic adoption.​
• “Build with GenAI” enables anyone—from entrepreneurs to product managers—to develop and deploy AI-powered applications using no-code or low-code tools, with immediate hands-on results.​
• “Solve with GenAI” equips product and business leaders with practical frameworks to strategically apply generative AI for competitive advantage and sustainable growth within their organisations.
• Every GenAI course combines expert instruction, peer learning, and relevant industry case studies to keep participants ahead of the curve.

By the end, participants gain actionable frameworks, practical skills, and most importantly, the confidence to spearhead AI transformation within their organisations.​

Upskilling: A Survival Imperative, Not a Choice

One uncomfortable truth marked 2025: “Upskilling” alone was not enough; the market’s true challenge lay in generating quality jobs that justified new skills. While cyber and AI roles grew, they could not absorb all displaced workers. The government and private sector alike stressed the need for demand-side strategies: industrial policies for real hiring pipelines, job redesigns to match demographic realities, and employer responsibility for fair job creation—not just worker adaptability.​

Still, adaptation remained vital for job security:

• Workers who invested in digital transformation, data analytics, sustainability, and AI became highly sought after—and more resilient to disruption.​
• Mastery of soft skills―problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration―proved indispensable, especially as teamwork and mental wellness came to the fore.​
• Those able to blend technical and human skills were most likely to thrive in dynamic teams, driving productivity and efficiency.​

Government and Employer Support

The state, recognising the urgency, introduced several new interventions:

• Career Conversion Programmes and Mid-Career Pathways helped workers pivot into emerging tech and growth sectors.​
• SkillsFuture upgrades included temporary support for involuntarily unemployed individuals (up to $6,000 for six months) and new credits for enterprise-led transformation—making workforce retraining more accessible and less financially risky.​
• All our Gen AI Courses are now WSQ certified, allowing for even more savings when applying as an individual or through your company. Singaporeans and Singapore PRs can find out more on the individual Gen AI course pages.
• Enhancement of the National Skills Framework, with “Skills Framework 2.0” launching mid-2026 to address emerging competencies in digital transformation and sustainability.​

Employers too are redesigning jobs for greater productivity and offering hybrid work models, while demanding a mix of digital skills and soft skills like analysis, adaptability, and collaboration.​

Make the Most of SkillsFuture Credits Before They Expire

A critical opportunity for Singaporeans in 2025 is the chance to redeem the one-off $500 SkillsFuture Credit top-up awarded back in 2020. This tranche, credited to all Singaporeans aged 25 and above as at 31 December 2020, is set to expire on 31 December 2025—and there will be absolutely no extension or rollover for unused funds. Shockingly, government data shows that over 70% of eligible recipients have yet to use their credit with just months to go.​

This expiring $500 top-up is separate from the lifelong SkillsFuture credit baseline that every Singaporean receives and from the additional mid-career credits for those aged 40 and above, which do not expire. To take advantage, you must register and start your course, with claims processed, by the end of 2025.​

Why Redeeming Credits Now Matters

With the current job market’s demand for digital, AI, and user experience skills, this is an ideal time to convert government support into future-ready capabilities. SkillsFuture credits can be used for thousands of approved courses, including in-demand fields such as:​

• User Experience (UX) Design and UI
• Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)
• Data analytics, digital marketing, coding, and more​

Using your SkillsFuture credits for industry-certified programmes like CuriousCore’s UX or GenAI courses is a strategic move to expand your employability, equip yourself with future-proof skills, and stay competitive as digital transformation accelerates.​

How to Claim Your Credits Fast

The process can be completed online—simply browse eligible courses on the SkillsFuture portal, register before the deadline, and submit a claim with your course provider’s receipt. Workshops, short courses, and even career transition programmes (SCTP) are covered, so there’s flexibility for different learning needs and schedules.

Conclusion: Looking Forward: Lessons and Opportunities for 2026

As 2026 approaches, Singapore’s workforce stands at a crossroads. Professionals—and especially mid-career individuals—must continue learning, remain vigilant to changes, and actively engage with SkillsFuture and employer-upskilling opportunities. The expansion of the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme and jobseeker support schemes enables Singaporeans to future-proof their careers as the lines between digital and human work continue to blur.​

Ultimately, Singapore’s experience in 2025 sends a clear message: those who chose adaptability, who upskilled thoughtfully, and who pursued not just technical but human-centred competencies, are best prepared for the uncertainty and promise of the year ahead.​