Hiring is expensive, and the hardest roles to fill are often the ones where the perfect candidate simply does not exist in the market. Singapore’s Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) offer employers a practical answer: hire someone with the right aptitude but the wrong background, and let the government co-fund the reskilling that turns them into the employee you need. With salary support of up to 90%, the CCP is one of the most generous workforce schemes available, and it is under-used by smaller companies who assume it is only for large employers. This guide explains how it works and how to tap it.
Raffles Corporate Services works with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms who offer cost-effective and efficient legal service and advice. This article is general information only and is not legal advice.
What is the Career Conversion Programme?
Career Conversion Programmes are run by the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA), which took over SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore on 1 July 2026, together with appointed programme partners. They help employers broaden their talent pool by reskilling mid-career hires or existing staff into growth roles, with the government subsidising a large share of salary and training costs during the conversion period. SWDA offers CCPs across around 30 sectors, so most industries are covered.
The three CCP modes
| Mode | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Place-and-Train | You hire a mid-career jobseeker first, then put them through structured on-the-job training for a new role. | Employers ready to commit to a permanent hire. |
| Attach-and-Train | You act as a host employer providing training and a work attachment, ahead of employment in the sector. | Sectors with strong pipeline demand. |
| Job Redesign Reskilling | You send existing employees for reskilling to take on growth job roles aligned to the Jobs Transformation Maps. | Companies transforming roles internally. |
How much support do employers get?
Employers receive salary support for each trainee during the CCP training period. The exact amount depends on the specific CCP, but the general levels published by SWDA are:
| Trainee profile | Salary support | Monthly cap per trainee |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore Citizens and PRs below 40 | Up to 70% of monthly salary | S$5,000 |
| Mature workers aged 40 and above, or long-term unemployed | Up to 90% of monthly salary | S$7,500 |
The length of the funded training period varies by programme. Where a CCP requires structured courses, course fees are subsidised at 70%, and employers may receive a further 20% top-up: the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy for mature Singapore Citizens, or Enhanced Training Support for SMEs for SME-sponsored Singapore Citizen and PR employees. The tiering is deliberate: it steers the subsidy towards the workers who most need a route back into good jobs.
Eligibility for employers and jobseekers
For Place-and-Train and Job Redesign Reskilling, the employer must be registered or incorporated in Singapore and offer an employment contract on permanent terms, or a contract of at least one year, directly related to the CCP job, with pay commensurate with the market rate. Since 1 April 2025, these roles may be offered on a full-time or flexi-load basis (for example part-time employment) and still qualify for CCP support, which opens the scheme to employers redesigning roles around caregivers and returners. Attach-and-Train hosts must offer full-time attachment positions. Employers must also commit to the CCP training arrangements and work with SWDA or its programme partner on administration. Individual CCPs may set extra requirements, such as a minimum salary, so check the terms of the programme for your sector.
On the jobseeker side, participants must be Singapore Citizens or PRs, at least 21 years old, and at least two years past graduation or National Service. The move must be a genuine career conversion: a new hire must be going into a role substantially different from their previous job (unless they have been out of work for at least two years), and an existing employee must be moving into a growth role under the Jobs Transformation Maps. Shareholders, immediate ex-staff and relatives of owners or decision-makers are generally excluded. Individuals weighing a switch can read our guide to CCPs for mid-career switchers.
Because a CCP hire is a genuine employee, the usual employment-law obligations apply from day one. Make sure the employment contract is properly drafted and that you are meeting your CPF and statutory duties.
Why the CCP is worth the paperwork
For a small or growing company, the economics are compelling. Instead of competing for scarce experienced hires at market rates, you recruit for attitude and transferable skills, then convert the person into the role you need while the government carries much of the wage cost during training. Done well, you end up with a loyal employee who was given a career break by your company, and a lower effective cost of hire. It sits naturally alongside other capability-building support: the Workforce Development Grant (Job Redesign+) funds job redesign consultancy, and our directory of Singapore government grants covers the broader toolkit, including the EDGE Grant that replaced EDG, PSG and MRA on 30 September 2026.
How to apply
1. Identify the role and mode. Decide whether you are hiring externally (Place-and-Train) or reskilling existing staff (Job Redesign Reskilling).
2. Find the relevant CCP. Check SWDA’s CCP page on OurWorkforce for a programme in your sector and role family, and register your interest.
3. Apply as a participating employer. Submit the company’s details, the job role, the training plan, and the salary offer.
4. Onboard and train. Once approved, hire the individual on a permanent contract or a contract of at least one year and run them through the structured training.
5. Claim the support. Submit salary-support and training-cost claims per the programme terms during the funded period.
Frequently asked questions
Is the CCP only for large companies?
No. SMEs are actively encouraged to participate, and the salary support is often most valuable to smaller employers who cannot easily absorb the cost of training a career-changer.
Can I reskill my existing employees?
Yes. That is the Job Redesign Reskilling mode, which funds reskilling staff into growth roles within your company.
How long does the funded period last?
It depends on the specific CCP and the trainee. Check the programme terms for the training duration and any retention conditions before you commit.
Does the hire have to be a Singapore citizen?
CCPs are for the local workforce: Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents. Foreign hires go through the work-pass framework instead.
Can a part-time hire qualify?
Yes. Since 1 April 2025, Place-and-Train and Job Redesign Reskilling CCPs can be offered on a flexi-load basis, such as part-time employment.
How Raffles Corporate Services can help
We support employers with the corporate, payroll, and employment-compliance groundwork that CCP participation requires, from drafting compliant employment contracts to keeping CPF and statutory records in order. If you are considering a CCP hire and want the back office ready, we can help you set it up.
Information checked against official sources on 6 November 2026.
The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services
For a related funding option, see funding available through the Mid-Career Pathways Programme for host companies.
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