Talent Assistance
Talent Assistance helps media professionals, whether employees or freelancers, to upgrade, upskill and secure work attachment opportunities.
With effect from 1 July 2012, Talent Assistance has been enhanced with ‘Training Allowance’ for freelancers and ‘Enhanced Apprenticeship’ for experienced media practitioners. These new measures are made possible with the funding support from the National Productivity and Continuing Education Council (NPCEC) which is a tripartite council set up in April 2010 to galvanise the nation to achieve national productivity growth over the next ten years. These enhancements strengthen the existing Talent Assistance schemes which help upskill and upgrade media practitioners.
For more information, please refer here.
Talent Assistance is open to:
- Singaporean and Permanent Residents
- Singapore-registered companies [listed in the Media Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) Code].
If you would like to find out if your company is listed in the Media SSIC code, enter your SSIC code here.
» What we will support
» How you can apply
What we will support
| NEW! Training Allowance (For Media Freelancers) |
| With effect from 1 July 2012, MDA will provide freelancers with training allowances to encourage you to upgrade your skills, when you go for Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) or non-WSQ training. |
| Grant quantum |
| You can claim up to $1,800 per month for training allowance, at a rate of $7.50 per hour, capped at a maximum of $9,000 over 5 years. |
| NEW! Enhanced Apprenticeship (For experienced practitioners and employees) |
| With effect from 1 July 2012, experienced media practitioners, who hold key creditable roles in their specialised field of work for at least 2 to 3 years, can apply for higher funding under the Enhanced Apprenticeships for work attachments for up to 5 months, over a period of 5 years. |
| Grant quantum |
| You will receive up to $3,200 per month for local attachments. For overseas attachment, you will be supported up to $3,800 allowance per month and up to $3,000 for return economy airfare and insurance. |
| Training Programmes |
| WSQ Training Programmes |
The Creative Industries Workforce Skill Qualifications (CI WSQ) trains, develops, assesses and recognises adult workers for competencies relevant to the media sector. The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) has appointed Continuing Education and Training (CET) partners to offer media-related courses.
A full listing of available courses offered by WDA appointed CET partners can be found here. |
| Grant quantum |
Enhanced Training Support for SMEs
With effect from 1 July 2012, WDA will provide subsidies of up to 90% of course fees when SMEs* fully sponsor their employees for certifiable courses supported by WDA and academic CET courses offered by the five Polytechnics/ Institute of Technical Education. In addition to higher course fee funding, SMEs* can also claim absentee payroll funding of 80% of basic hourly salary at a higher cap of $7.50 per hour.
*SMEs are defined as establishments hiring not more than 200 employees and are registered or incorporated in Singapore. Please refer to www.wda.gov.sg for more information on eligibility criteria.
With effect from 1 July 2012, freelancers within the Creative Industries will be able to receive enhanced training support of up to 90% of course fees when they attend CI WSQ courses at WDA-appointed CET partners. Interested freelancers can apply directly to the respective CET partners for the Creative Industries.
WSQ Training Courses for Non-SMEs
WDA will support up to 70% of the course fees for WSQ programmes.
Employers are also eligible to apply for the Absentee Payroll funding for staff sent for training. This supports up to 80% of your hourly salary, capped at $4.50 an hour
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| Non-WSQ Training Programmes |
| For specialised media training courses, workshops and master classes in creative, technical and entrepreneurial skills (e.g. e-publishing, stereoscopic 3D, business pitching and media project management skills) that are not available under the CI WSQ framework, you can apply to MDA for support. |
| Grant quantum |
With effect from 1 July 2012, you will be supported up to 90% of the course fees, capped at $15,000 annually when you do so. For specialised media training available only overseas, MDA can also provide support to help defray airfare and living expenses.
MDA welcomes established training providers who are interested to organise media training programmes which are not under the WSQ framework to talk to us. |
| Work Attachments |
MDA supports your work attachment programme with a local or overseas media company to gain hands-on training on projects for a period of 3 to 12 months.
Fresh graduates from media-related studies, mid-career switchers, media freelancers and existing media employees who wish to acquire new media skills can apply for support under Work Attachment. |
| Grant quantum |
Local attachments
MDA will support up to 70% of your monthly salary capped at S$1,400 (excluding CPF contribution) during the local attachment period.
Overseas attachments:
You will be supported up to $2,000 per month and up to $3,000 for return economy airfare and insurance.
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MDA welcomes companies that are interested in hosting work attachments to talk to us.
| Scholarships |
| Creative Industries Scholarships for undergraduate or post-graduate studies are available. Applications are open from January to March annually. Find out more. |
How you can apply
You can apply for Talent Assistance all year round. Scholarship application is open from January to March annually.
For application of Training Allowance (for media freelancers only) or Specialised Media Training Grants (local or overseas), please apply online at Six Degrees’ application portal. Applicants are required to create a free basic account at http://www.sixdegrees.asia. For queries, please email to grants@sixdegrees.asia or call 6338 3018.
For application of Work Attachment or Enhanced Apprenticeship, please download the application form and email it to us at MDA_Schemes@mda.gov.sg with supporting documents.