What is the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ)?
WSQ is a national credential system that trains, develops, assesses and certifies skills and competencies for the workforce.
WSQ-accredited courses take reference from the skills developed under the Skills Frameworks. The Skills Framework provides key information on the job roles and skills that an individual needs to perform various job tasks and to stay transferable.
WSQ is underpinned by a strong quality assurance framework. From developing Technical Skills and Competencies and Critical Core Skills, to approving training providers and awarding WSQ qualifications, stringent criteria are applied to ensure the necessary standards and delivery. A structured and efficient system has been established to help build a strong training infrastructure that supports Singapore's workforce development.
How does WSQ work?
Relevance: A competency-based system, designed to develop job role-specific skills and competencies, as well as critical core skills and competencies that are required across job roles.
Open Access: No academic pre-requisites needed for entry and recognises prior learning, such as work experience and credentials. Offers bite-sized modules with each module leading to a Statement of Attainment (SOA). Completion of all modules (i.e. SOAs) may lead to a WSQ Full Qualification (FQ) if the modules are part of an approved FQ and the training provider is an accredited FQ provider.
Learners will need to obtain all the modular SOAs from the same approved training provider that delivers the full qualification. Please inform your training provider before the course enrolment if you intend to sign up for a WSQ Full Qualification.
Progression: Makes available skills and qualification pathways which align to the Skills Framework for the respective sectors.
Authority: Statements of Attainment and qualifications are quality assured and awarded by Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) and/or in partnership with established awarding bodies.
What are the benefits of WSQ?
- Plan career and acquire new skills to enter a new sector or job role
- Upgrade skills and advance career
- Achieve qualifications and certifications that demonstrate skill sets to employers
- Obtain portable credentials to improve employability and mobility
- Assess and certify skills and competencies against industry established work standards
1. Provide quality assured and industry-relevant training choices
2. Guide training and development planning
3. Guide performance management
4. Strengthen in-house training capabilities
5. Facilitate recruitment of competent staff who are certified and equipped with the required skills and competencies
- Articulate clear training outcomes
- Develop and deliver training programmes that meet industry need
- Obtain mark of recognition as an approved training provider of WSQ
What are the WSQ qualification levels?
Skills and Workforce Development Agency believes in making WSQ practical and flexible to help Singapore's workforce adapt, grow and develop. WSQ does this by offering bite-sized training modules to enable learning at the individual’s own pace.
The different levels of WSQ qualifications are as follows:
Upon completion of each module, a Statement of Attainment (SOA) will be awarded using OpenCerts.
Relevant SOAs from an approved training provider can be accumulated to achieve a WSQ Full Qualification.
OpenCerts is a platform developed by the Government Technology Agency (GovTech). It is used to issue tamper-proof digital certificates and verify the authenticity of the certificates using blockchain technology. From 1 July 2024 onwards, SkillsFuture Singapore uses OpenCerts certificates as the only digital certificate to issue the WSQ SOAs and Qualifications.
Learners can access these digital certificates through their Careers & Skills Passport.
The Singapore Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) e-Certs were electronic certificates issued to individuals from 1 November 2014 to learners who have attained WSQ Qualification and/or Statements of Attainment (SOA) awarded by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG).
Learners who attain WSQ SOA and Qualifications will no longer be issued e-Certs if the SOA assessment date or Qualifications attainment date is on or later than 1 Jul 2024.
What skills does WSQ cover?
Technical Skills and Competencies
WSQ training aligns with the skills needs of the current and future economy and reference the Technical Skills and Competencies (TSC)s from the Skills Frameworks. The Skills Frameworks were developed progressively, starting in 2016, to support the Industry Transformation Maps.
*Please click here for the full list of Skills Frameworks.
Critical Core Skills
Critical Core Skills are transferable cross-cutting skills and competencies that enable individuals to acquire technical skills and competencies, and facilitate their job mobility.
Find out more about Critical Core Skills here.
In-demand skills for tomorrow
As the nation continues its economic transformation, there will be increasing need for reskilling and upskilling. Our SkillsFuture Job-Skills Insights (SFJSI) aim to provide information and insights into the technology and business trends, and their impact on jobs and skills for the future economy. Specifically, our JSI focus on trends in three high-growth economies – Green, Digital and Care.
Individuals can make use of these resources to identify opportunities within these growth areas to guide their skills development journeys. Enterprises too, can use them to guide their business transformation strategies and skills development roadmap for employees.
Learn more about the Skills Demand for the Future Economy Report here.
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