Skills Frameworks FAQs

I have met all the skills requirement defined for the occupation/job role. Can I expect to get the salary indicated or get a promotion?

No. Having the required skills does not guarantee promotion or salary raise.

The salary information in the Skills Framework is based on past years’ trends, and it provides an indication of the range of the salaries for the occupations/job roles as a reference.

How do I assess my skills based on the Skills Framework?

Based on the skills identified for the occupations/job roles, you will be able to do a simple self-assessment to assess your skills match or skills gap.

If more clarity is needed to understand the breadth and depth of the skills, you will be able to refer to the detailed skills and competencies description for each occupation/job role.

The government is working with the relevant parties to put in place occupation profiling tools to further enhance the skills assessment experience. More information will be provided when the service is ready.

How do I know the programmes listed in the Skills Framework are of relevance?

The programmes listed in the Skills Framework are listed based on alignment to the knowledge and abilities underpinning the skills and competencies required for the job roles.

As the knowledge, abilities, skills and competencies are validated with employers and key stakeholders, programmes that are aligned to the Skills Framework will be of relevance to meet industry’s needs.

I am a freelancer, is the Skills Framework still relevant to me?

Yes. You can refer to the Skills Framework to address your skills queries or needs.

I am interested to upgrade myself, how can the Skills Framework help me?

The Skills Framework lists and spells out the skills required by each job role.

Please refer to the Skills and Competencies Descriptions.

You can assess your skills against the technical and generic skills and competencies to determine your skills match or skills gaps with respect to your current position.

You can refer to the Career Map to identify the skills required for both vertical and lateral progressions and/or higher-level job roles. Using the Training Programmes Listing in the Skills Framework, you can select the programmes you are interested in, based on the skills that are linked to the programmes.

I am looking to start a new career, how can the Skills Framework help me?

Through the Sector and Employment Information, you will be able to gather a broad understanding of the sector and employment prospects.

From the Occupation/Job Role Descriptions, you will be able to understand the job scope, the work context and the attributes which are required by employers, and gain a deeper understanding of the job and skills nature to inform your new career options.

The Career Map will provide an assessment of the career pathway and potential development prospects.

You can use the information to assess your career orientation and prepare application letters and job interviews if you are shortlisted for the positions you have applied for.

Am I allowed to amend and change the skills contents in Skills Framework when I use them for my human resource planning?

Yes. Skills contents in the framework are meant to inform and serve as an industry benchmark. Employers can customise and adapt the contents to suit your companies’ contexts and needs.

Do I follow the salary scale indicated in the Skills Framework to pay my staff?

The salary information is based on past years’ trends and provides an indication of the range of the salaries for the occupations/job roles listed in Skills Framework. Salary setting is not what the Skills Framework aims to do, or can do.

How can I use the Skills Framework to benchmark and build new capabilities?

From the Sector and Employment Information, employers will be able to gather the emerging trends and skills needed to support business growth. Employers are able to use the Occupation/Job Role Descriptions, Skills and Competencies Descriptions in the framework to identify relevant skills and competencies required for your employees, and design/optimise job roles and organisation structure needed to support business needs. This would in turn inform hiring requirements and staff development.

How can I use the Skills Framework to develop job profiles?

Employers can create job profiles using the Occupation/Job Role Descriptions and customise the content to suit your companies’ needs. The same process can be used to create job advertisements.

How can I use the Skills Framework to develop my company’s training plan?

Employers can use the Training Programmes Listing to augment your company training plan based on the job roles and skills requirements of your company. As this may require professional help, companies may want to engage specialised expertise for this effort.

How can I use the Skills Framework to enhance talent attraction, management and retention?

Employers can adapt the relevant Career Map outlined in the Skills Framework for their needs, and tap on it to identify possible vertical and lateral pathways that are aligned with the business goals. This will help to provide career mobility for employees in the company and in the longer run, enhance the attractiveness of the company to retain talents and recruit new ones.

How can I use the Skills Framework to explain job scopes to my employees and job applicants?

Employers can use the technical and generic skills and competencies under the Skills and Competencies Descriptions to explain the breadth and depth of the skills requirements. The Skills and Competencies Descriptions can also be used during appraisals to discuss and assess skills match and skills gaps. Through the Training Programmes Listing, employers can immediately identify the programmes that aim to address the skills needs of employees.

How can I use the Skills Framework to strengthen organisational capability to develop staff for improved performance?

Employers will be able to use the technical and generic skills and competencies under the Skills and Competencies Descriptions of the relevant job role(s) to benchmark the performance of your employees, determine skills gaps and invest in skills training e.g. through the programmes identified in the Training Programmes Listing.

I have adopted the WSQ framework for my HR practices. With the Skills Framework, does this replace the WSQ framework?

Moving forward, the Skills Framework will be a common reference to provide information on occupations, job roles, skills and competencies. WSQ Frameworks will be aligned with the respective and relevant Skills Frameworks. Employers may want to review their in house training to update the relevance, or for inclusion into their existing HR practices.

I am a parent/teacher/career guide, how can the Skills Framework help me?

Through the Sector and Employment Information, you will be able to gather a broad understanding of the sector and employment prospects. From the Occupation/Job Role Descriptions, you will be able to understand the job scope, the work context and the attributes which are required by employers, to gain a deeper understanding of the job and skills nature. The Career Map provides an understanding of typical career pathways and potential development prospects. You may navigate information in the Skills Framework to serve your intended purpose.

I am looking for a choice of study, how can the Skills Framework help me?

Through the Sector and Employment Information, you will be able to gather a broad understanding of the sector and employment prospects. From the Occupation/Job Role Descriptions, you will be able to understand the job scope, the work context and the attributes which are required by employers, and gain a deeper understanding of the job and skills nature. The Career Map will provide an understanding of typical career pathways and potential development prospects. As the occupations/ job roles are mapped to skills and competencies that are linked to relevant education and training programmes under the Training Programmes Listing, you can determine your preferred choice of study based on your aspirations.

How do I know that the programmes listed in the Skills Framework are of relevance?

The programmes listed in the Skills Framework are listed based on alignment to the knowledge and abilities underpinning the skills and competencies required for the job roles. As the knowledge, abilities, skills and competencies are validated with employers and key stakeholders, programmes that are aligned to the Skills Framework will be of relevance to meet industry’s needs.

I am looking to start a new job, how can the Skills Framework help me?

Through the Sector and Employment Information, you will be able to gather a broad understanding of the sector and employment prospects. From the Occupation/Job Role Descriptions, you will be able to understand the job scope, the work context and the attributes which are required by employers, and gain a deeper understanding of the job and skills nature to inform your new job options. The Career Map will provide an assessment of the career pathway and potential development prospects. You can use the information to assess your career orientation and prepare application letters and job interviews if you are shortlisted for the positions you have applied for.

What is the difference between the Skills Framework and the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications Framework?

"The Skills Framework provides information about industry, employment, career pathways, occupation, jobs, skills and competencies, and training programmes. By doing so, the Skills Framework provides a common set of transparent information that can be used by different stakeholders such as students, parents, teachers, career guides, employees, employers, education and training providers, and government to make informed decisions.

The Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Framework, on the other hand, is a certification system. With the Skills Framework, the WSQ will make reference to, and aligned with the skills and competencies in the Skills Framework. As a certification system, the WSQ is governed by a robust quality regime covering areas such as training organisation accreditation, course accreditation, continuous improvement and review audit, certifications issuance, and qualifications design. The WSQ will continue to serve as one of the national continuing education and training systems to certify skills for employment and lifelong learning."

How can I list my programme in the Skills Framework?

There are pre-requisites for programmes to be listed in the Skills Framework. For further information, please contact 6785 5785 or send your enquiry to SSG’s feedback portal at https://service-portal.skillsfuture.gov.sg/feedback.

How can I use make reference to the Skills Framework to inform my curriculum development?

Under the Skills and Competencies Descriptions, there are technical and generic skills and competencies drawn up for each job role. Training providers can use this information to plan the courseware and curricula, and research on ways to embed suitable pedagogies to achieve the learning outcomes. Training providers are also encouraged to use the Skills and Competencies Descriptions, to help companies develop progressive HR practices for skills recognition and benchmarking.

I am a WSQ Approved Training Organisation (ATO), will the Skills and Competencies Descriptions replace WSQ Competency Standards?

Yes. With the Skills Framework, the WSQ will make reference to, and aligned with the skills and competencies from the framework. The WSQ will continue to serve as one of the national continuing education and training systems to certify skills for employment and lifelong learning.

For more information on the impact of Skills Framework on WSQ, please visit here.