Government Subsidies for AI Courses & Training in Singapore
Singapore offers some of the most generous training subsidies in the world. Whether you are an individual looking to pick up AI skills or a company sending your team for training, you can claim up to 90% off course fees through government schemes. This guide breaks down the three main subsidy programmes you can use for AI courses at Vertical Institute — and shows you exactly how to stack them for maximum savings.
Three ways to save on AI courses
Each scheme targets a different audience. Individuals can use SkillsFuture Credit. Employers can tap on SFEC and Absentee Payroll — and stack them together for even greater savings.
SkillsFuture Credit
Up to $4,500
Available to all Singaporeans aged 25+. Use your credit to pay for either AI course at Vertical Institute.
Read the guide →SFEC
$10,000 per company
For registered Singapore businesses with at least 3 local employees. Covers course fees, absentee payroll, and more.
Read the guide →Absentee Payroll
$4.50/hr per trainee
Offsets salary costs while staff attend courses during training hours. Can be stacked with SFEC for even greater savings.
Read the guide →Subsidy schemes at a glance
A side-by-side comparison of all three government subsidy programmes available for AI courses at Vertical Institute.
| SkillsFuture Credit | SFEC | Absentee Payroll | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can use | Individuals (Singaporeans 25+) | Employers (3+ local staff) | Employers (SSG-funded courses) |
| Amount | Up to $4,500 | $10,000 per company | $4.50/hr per trainee |
| Can be used for | Course fees | Course fees, AP, consultancy | Salary offset during training |
| How to claim | MySkillsFuture portal | SkillsFuture Biz Exchange | Through SSG after course |
| Stacks with | SSG subsidy | Absentee Payroll | SFEC |
How much can you save?
Two real worked examples showing how subsidies stack up for individuals and companies.
| Full fee (incl. GST) | $1,798.50 |
| SSG subsidy (up to 70%) | −$1,155.00 |
| SkillsFuture Credit | −$643.50 |
| You pay | $0 (excl. $10.90 registration) |
| Full fee per pax (incl. GST) | $1,798.50 |
| SSG subsidy (up to 70%) | −$1,155.00 |
| Nett per pax | $643.50 |
| SFEC covers 5 × $643.50 | −$3,217.50 (from $10K allocation) |
| Absentee Payroll (5 × 21hrs × $4.50) | $472.50 back |
| Company pays | $0 out-of-pocket + gets $472.50 AP |
Frequently asked questions
No. SkillsFuture Credit is for individuals paying with their own credit. SFEC is for employers sponsoring their staff. If your company is paying for your training, the company uses SFEC — not your personal SkillsFuture Credit. However, the company can stack SFEC with Absentee Payroll funding.
Singaporeans and PRs get up to 70% SSG subsidy automatically. Singaporeans aged 40+ get up to 90% under the Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy. On top of that, you can apply SkillsFuture Credit to cover the remaining balance — potentially paying $0 out-of-pocket for the course fee.
No. The SSG subsidy is applied automatically when you enrol in a SkillsFuture-eligible course. Vertical Institute handles the subsidy application as part of the registration process. You only need to separately claim your SkillsFuture Credit on the MySkillsFuture portal.
Yes. Companies with at least 3 local employees can use the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC) — a $10,000 credit per company — to pay for AI training. They can also claim Absentee Payroll funding at $4.50 per hour per trainee to offset salary costs during training.
Yes. Both the Generative AI Course and the AI Workflow Automation Course are WSQ-certified and listed on the MySkillsFuture portal. This means they qualify for SSG subsidies, SkillsFuture Credit, SFEC, and Absentee Payroll funding.