Tool to gauge workers' AI 'readiness', recommend courses for upskilling to be rolled out in MySkillsFuture portal: Jasmin Lau

A tool to assess workers' artificial intelligence (AI) readiness levels and recommend training courses for upskilling will be among the new features that will be rolled out to the MySkillsFuture portal, Minister of State for Education Jasmin Lau said in Parliament on Tuesday (March 3).

To be launched in the second quarter of this year, it is part of the slew of announcements from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's Budget 2026 speech which outlined a national push to boost AI capabilities.

Developed by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and the Singapore Institute of Technology, users of the tool will gauge their AI readiness level through a questionnaire.

They will then receive course recommendations that are appropriate for their skill level.

The AI-related courses on the MySkillsFuture portal will also be tagged by archetype, which users can search for through an AI-powered digital adviser, said MOE in a press release.

While there is already a wide range of AI-related courses — around 1,600 — on the website, PM Wong said the issue is that it is not always easy to navigate the options and identify what is relevant. 

The redesigned website will help Singaporeans find courses that match their work needs and proficiency levels.

In a speech during the ministry's Committee of Supply debate, Lau said that AI literacy is not enough. 

Workers must develop fluency, or the ability to apply AI meaningfully to solve real problems and create value in their organisations, she added. 

"We will help individuals understand their current level of AI readiness. Because effective upskilling begins with self-awareness." 

Singaporeans who take up selected courses will receive six months of free access to premium AI tools.

The ministry added that from the second half of 2026, all institutes of higher learning will offer selected AI-training courses at a "significant" discount for one year.

"More details will be released by the individual institutions," said MOE.

There has been a rising demand for workers with AI skills across industries.

SSG said in January that demand for skills related to AI more than doubled across sectors in Singapore between 2022 and 2025.

More than 105,000 people took up 137,000 training places related to AI on the SkillsFuture platform in 2025, according to Senior Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary in Parliament last month.

Besides workers, Lau said that AI will be introduced to students "thoughtfully" through the various programmes in schools. 

MP Alex Yam (Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC) had asked how AI literacy is being strengthened for students, while ensuring that concerns over ethics, academic integrity, bias and over reliance are addressed. 

On this, Lau said that while younger students will have lower exposure and closer supervision, they should still learn their core foundational knowledge and skills and not use AI as a shortcut to learning. 

Besides using AI tools in an updated "Code for Fun" programme to generate ideas, students will also be guided to evaluate what the AI produces, check its accuracy and include their personal voice and ideas instead of just accepting what AI 
generates.

She said that during applied learning programmes, students can use AI to generate multiple suggestions within seconds to solve real-world problems, such as ways to reduce food waste in schools. 

But she added that students will need to evaluate the feasibility of these solutions and test out with real users before deciding which solution best fits their context. 

"Our education system cannot simply train our children to chase the latest AI 
qualification. It must equip them to interpret the world critically, empathise deeply, 
and build lives of meaning," Lau added.

chingshijie@asiaone.com