Lifelong Learning SG: Supporting SkillsFuture
by Glen Tan, Sarah Lim, Ho Khim Rong, Sabrina Seng, Eileen Ng and Andrew Ho
Last updated 20 July 2026
ETHOS Digital Issue 14, Dec 2025
When Mdm Leow Lin Nah first walked into the Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) campus, she was not sure what to expect. After more than 30 years away from the workforce, she was nervous about returning to learning, uncertain what work opportunities the future might still hold.
"I wanted to see if I could still do it," she recalled. "It felt like the right time to try something new." After a Skills and Training Advisory (STA) session, she left with more clarity and a sense of possibility she had not felt in decades.
Stories like Mdm Leow's are at the heart of the SkillsFuture Movement's first decade. They remind us that behind every upskilling initiative lies a personal journey.
A Gateway to Training Access and Career Discovery
Initially set up as the operator for the LLI campus, Lifelong Learning SG (LLSG), a subsidiary of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), expanded its role with the launch of the SkillsFuture movement and the introduction of SkillsFuture Credit in 2015. LLSG brings the SkillsFuture movement to life by connecting Singaporeans to training, jobs, and skills opportunities. It has become SSG's main outreach and engagement arm, translating policy into tangible action for individuals and enterprises alike.
To spark a national culture of learning, LLSG launched large-scale public events such as the inaugural Lifelong Learning Festival in 2016, a two-week celebration that inspired lifelong learning, promoted skills mastery, highlighted SkillsFuture initiatives, and connected the public with opportunities for personal growth and career advancement. Building on this initial success, the event evolved into the SkillsFuture Festival (SFF) in 2018: a six-week nationwide movement that rallies individuals, organisations, training providers and employers to embrace skills upgrading. Today, SFF is a signature annual event, a testament to how far SkillsFuture have spread and taken hold.
Amplifying the SkillsFuture Movement
Initially set up as the operator for the LLI campus, Lifelong Learning SG (LLSG), a subsidiary of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), expanded its role with the launch of the SkillsFuture movement and the introduction of SkillsFuture Credit in 2015. Turning policy into possibility, LLSG brings the SkillsFuture Movement to life by connecting Singaporeans to training, jobs, and skills opportunities. It became the main outreach and engagement arm of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), translating policy into tangible action for individuals and enterprises alike.
To spark a national culture of learning, LLSG launched large-scale public events such as the inaugural Lifelong Learning Festival in 2016, a two-week celebration that inspired lifelong learning, promoted skills mastery, highlighted SkillsFuture initiatives, and connected the public with opportunities for personal growth and career advancement.
Building on its success, this evolved into the SkillsFuture Festival (SFF) in 2018, a six-week nationwide movement that rallies individuals, organisations, training providers and employers to embrace skills upgrading. Today, SFF is a signature annual event, a testament to how far SkillsFuture has spread.
Workshop participants at SFF 2025
Alongside such events, LLSG has also expanded its outreach to bring learning closer to where Singaporeans learn, work and live. Collaborating with partners like National Library Board initiatives such as THRIVE@libraries turn neighbourhood libraries into mini learning hubs. The 2024 edition featured close to 60 learning activities, bringing opportunities to where people work and empowering working adults in their professional development.
Working closely with Community Development Councils, LLSG also delivers Learning Neighbourhood roadshows that bring jobs and skills opportunities directly to residents' districts. Tailored to the specific community's needs, these events make learning accessible, relevant and close to home.
Learning Neighbourhood 2025 @ South East
Across these multiple touchpoints, LLSG bridges the gap between SkillsFuture initiatives and learners, ensuring opportunities reach people wherever they are.
Learning to Adapt, Adapting to Learn
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an urgent need to step up support for Singaporeans, particularly in sectors hardest hit by the economic downturn. To provide timely support, LLSG launched the Skills & Training Advisory service, deploying Skills Ambassadors to offer personalised guidance to individuals navigating SGUnited initiatives which offer job placements and traineeships.
What began as a crisis response quickly evolved into a service designed for broader and more enduring needs. Skills Ambassadors help individuals clarify career goals, identify relevant skills, and make confident decisions about their upskilling journey.
Skills and Training Advisory session at SFF 2025
Using profiling tools to uncover career interests, guiding clients through the MySkillsFuture portal, and recommending relevant courses, their guidance is practical and personalised. The service plays a vital role in helping Singaporeans gain clarity on their training and career pathways, while nudging them toward meaningful action and skills development for a more resilient future.
It was helpful that the Skills Ambassador and training provider staff were patient and supportive. They made it easier for me to take that first step (to sign up for a course).
— 63-year-old Mdm Leow, reflecting on her Skills & Training Advisory consultation experience
Localising Efforts for Greater Reach
Building on expertise in skills advisory and familiarity with the training and adult education ecosystem, LLSG took on the SkillsFuture Advice (SFA) programme in September 2023. Originally launched in 2017, SFA delivers workshops that promote the SkillsFuture Movement by helping individuals navigate and access the training ecosystem. Under LLSG's stewardship, SFA teams are strategically deployed across Singapore's five regions, working closely with the People's Association and CDCs to bring skills and training opportunities directly to communities.
Strengthened by these partnerships, LLSG launched the Localised Jobs-Skills Ecosystem in early 2024 to better support local jobs and skills needs. The initiative provides career matching, training opportunities, and advisory services, tailored to the needs of individuals and enterprises in each district. SFA teams conduct customised workshops for diverse audiences and collaborate with relevant training providers to deliver sector-specific insights. They also coordinate with job placement partners, such as GoodJobs, to support residents' employability through district-level job fairs, complemented by on-site STA guidance.
Collaborations with community partners like SINDA and Mendaki further broaden the reach, allowing LLSG to connect with a wider spectrum of Singaporeans. Programmes like Women at Work (W@W), an event organised by Mendaki, demonstrate the impact of this approach.
Through the Women at Work programme, supported by SkillsFuture Advice @ Northwest, she gained essential employability and digital skills, boosting her confidence to refresh her resume and restart her career. It was not easy to reintegrate with workplace systems and a fast-paced working environment. But with resilience and the right training, she has navigated these hurdles and is now thriving as an Operating Administrator.
— SFA community partner Mendaki, on Ms Roshira Binte Rahmad, a mother returning to the workforce after an eight-year career break.
At such events, SFA leads workshops that let participants explore topics of interest, while STA offers one-on-one consultations to provide personalised guidance and a tailored training roadmap. This layered approach forms a holistic advisory experience that empowers learners to chart a meaningful training pathway and take confident steps in their learning journey.
SFA also brings its workshops directly into enterprises, helping employees gain awareness in accessing relevant SkillsFuture resources.
We found the SkillsFuture Advice workshops to be highly beneficial. The resources shared during the sessions were particularly valuable, as some of our staff were previously unaware of how to access relevant courses. The sessions served as a catalyst for many to begin their upskilling journey, with several already exploring new learning opportunities.
The RIASEC profiling activity was both enjoyable and insightful, offering staff a deeper understanding of their personal interests and how these could enhance their roles.
Additionally, the segments on the Green Economy and Artificial Intelligence were engaging and thought-provoking. They provided practical insights that we could relate to and apply in our daily work and lives.
— EDMI Limited on the Engineering, Sustainability and Digital sectoral workshops conducted by SFA@Northwest CDC
A Decade of Learning, A Future of Possibilities
Since their inception, over 39,000 individuals have engaged STA services, and more than 120,000 participants have benefitted from SFA workshops. Behind the numbers are personal stories of growth — learners enrolling in courses, acquiring new skills, and transforming SkillsFuture initiatives into their own meaningful journeys of development, powering the SkillsFuture movement.
Looking ahead, LLSG will continue to evolve, expanding its suite of services to provide more comprehensive end-to-end skills and career advice. The increasing complexity of learners' needs requires deeper, sustained engagement beyond one-off advisory services. Plans in the pipeline include a Career Coaching Programme, Professional Development Workshops, and an Enhanced Skills and Career Advisory, all designed to equip individuals with the tools, mindset, and confidence to take meaningful action toward their career and upskilling goals.
A revamped, one-stop centre at the LLI campus will serve as the go-to place for learners to explore new skills and opportunities, deepen their understanding of themselves and the world of work, and navigate their next steps with confidence. The centre will offer holistic advisory services complemented by digital self-help tools, profiling assessments, career talks, human library sessions, and learning journeys — making learning accessible, leveraging LLSG's expertise, and embracing the future of skills development.
Empowering Every Individual
The journey of lifelong learning often begins with a single step. For Mdm Leow, it was the moment she walked through LLI's doors, uncertain of what lay ahead. At LLSG, possibilities began to take shape for her, and during a conversation with a Skills Ambassador, she took a leap of faith to enrol in the Patient Service Associate course at NTUC LearningHub. Through the experience, she gained knowledge in areas she never thought she would take up — patient care, PDPA, and workplace conduct — and gradually regained her confidence, discovering a renewed sense of purpose.
Individuals like Mdm Leow define LLSG's mission. From the first learners stepping into LLI to the thousands today, LLSG has been a steady guide, nurturing the spirit of curiosity and lifelong learning. It leverages its expertise to make learning accessible, connecting learners to the right networks, training, and guidance. Its purpose remains clear: to help every individual take ownership of their growth journey and discover learning not merely as a means to an end, but as a way to embrace the future with curiosity, confidence, and possibility.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
At Lifelong Learning Singapore (LLSG), Glen Tan (Manager), Sarah Lim (Principal Manager) and Ho Khim Rong (Head, Assistant Director) are from the Corporate Planning Team. Sabrina Seng (Manager) and Eileen Ng (Deputy Director) are from the Outreach and Partnership Team, and Andrew Ho is Director, LLSG.
Lifelong Learning Singapore (LLSG) is a key driver of the SkillsFuture movement, nurturing the spirit of curiosity and lifelong learning in Singapore. As SSG's subsidiary, LLSG manages several key SkillsFuture Programmes, including the SkillsFuture Festival, SkillsFuture Advice, and Skills and Training Advisory, to amplify the SkillsFuture movement. Through these initiatives, LLSG empowers Singaporeans by connecting them with training and career opportunities to realise their potential for growth.
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