From providing advice on wine to developing mobile apps, there is a wide range of courses that Singaporeans can sign up for under a government scheme to encourage them to pick up skills.

For the first eight months of this year, more than 80,000 people have signed up for the initiative, which gives Singaporeans aged 25 and older an initial $500 credit to pay for skills courses.

In all, they have used about $22.5 million under the SkillsFuture Credit scheme introduced in January for more than two million people.

While most Singaporeans have yet to use their credits, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) told The Sunday Times this is “an encouraging number for a start”.

“We encourage Singaporeans not to rush as it is important for them to understand and learn about their skills and training needs and use their credit to achieve their skills training and career goals,” it said. About 62 per cent of those who have used their credits are 40 and older.

The five popular areas of training are information and communications, security and investigation, personal development, food and beverage, and language skills.

The credits do not expire and will be topped up at various intervals, so they can be accumulated for more expensive courses.

SSG said “no decisions have been made yet on the timing and quantum of the next top-up”.

Nonetheless, the SkillsFuture Credit scheme’s uptake has grown in the past few months.

In Parliament in April, Acting Education Minister (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung said over 18,000 people had utilised the credit in the first three months of this year, using about $5.2 million. Experts said the latest figure, while modest, is promising.

National University of Singapore economics lecturer Kelvin Seah said only a small proportion of Singaporeans have tapped the scheme, as the credits have no expiry date. “There is, therefore, no urgency to use them. People might be taking a wait-and-see attitude, anticipating that the list of courses offered will only increase with time,” he added.

The list of courses eligible for SkillsFuture Credit has expanded at a staggering pace. Today, there are over 16,000 courses, about 6,000 more than in January. They range from floral arrangement to business analytics.

Dr Seah said Singaporeans may be waiting for the right time – when they go through “a change in employment or a change in job scope” – before using their credits for courses. “This way, the skills they acquire can be more targeted.”

The SkillsFuture Credit scheme is only one part of the Government’s plan to get Singaporeans to think about lifelong learning. There is a plethora of initiatives under the SkillsFuture umbrella. These include the Earn and Learn scheme for fresh polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates to work and gain qualifications at the same time, and the SkillsFuture Study Awards for early and mid-career workers.

Dr Timothy Chan, director of SIM Global Education’s academic division, said: “For an employee, his investment of time and effort in training will enhance his employability and lower the risk of job displacement due to obsolete skills. It is really up to the individual to see it as a necessity, and his own responsibility to ensure that his skills are still relevant to his job and to keep him employable.”

This article was first published on Oct 16, 2016.
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Survey shows 1 in 4 married couples here are thinking of divorce. Chai Hung Yin speaks to counsellors to find out why amount of time spent on the phone.

Singapore often scores poorly in surveys on marriages and relationships.

A 2016 Prudential Relationship Index, based on an online survey of 500 Singaporeans, shows about a quarter of married people are thinking of divorce.

Also sobering for couples are divorce statistics from last year.

In 2015, there were 7,522 divorces and annulments, the third highest annual figure on record, according to a report by the Department of Statistics released in July.

In the Prudential survey, couples say what they argue over include children and money.

But here’s a startling statistic for those glued to their mobile devices. One in four couples fight over the

Their partners prefer spending time with their mobile phones and not them, said 32 per cent of respondents.

These complaints are all too common to counsellors who spoke to The New Paper on Sunday.

More women in their 50s and 60s get divorced

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times

ObSESSION

Senior manager and principal consultant with Fei Yue Community Services, Ms Evelyn Khong, shared an example of how a couple in their early 30s witnessed their relationship deteriorate because of the husband’s obsession with computer games.

The husband would insist that the family eat together, but would hurry his seven-year-old child through dinner so that he could get to his computer games. And he would be at it until 3am.

If the child ate too slowly, he would even resort to slapping the child. The wife was so upset, she sought help.

Says Ms Khong: “Couples should also focus on managing the (technology) that we have subtly allowed into our lives, letting it pull our relationships apart.”

Families in this era face a lot of challenges, more so than before, says Mr Willy Ho, the lead counsellor with The Counselling Paradigm.

He says: “If you go back 20 years, you wouldn’t have parents who needed to play games on the computer.”

He too has seen cases of husbands complaining about the wife who is always always on the mobile phone and vice versa.

He says: “If you have your phone all the time, that behaviour can be very suspicious.

“The spouse may suspect that there is a third party involved.

“You need to (make it clear) why you need to have the phone with you. It could be work-related.”

Mr Jason Wong, chairman of Focus on the Family Singapore and founder of the Dads For Life movement, says technology can be a tool to build relationships.

For instance, he uses it to keep in touch with his daughter who is studying overseas.

He says: “I have a personal philosophy: If I am physically connected, I should be digitally disconnected.”

Let’s face it, couples fight

But quit on the relationship?

In any given week, 24 per cent of married people in Singapore who were surveyed think seriously about leaving their spouse.

One in three (34 per cent) feel their partners upset them at least once a week.

The same proportion also say they argue with their partners quite often, including 20 per cent who say these arguments lead to verbal abuse.

What do they fight about?

– Children (46 per cent)

– Money (41 per cent)

– Housework (29 per cent)

– Spending too much time on the computer or phone (28 per cent)

– Being inattentive (27 per cent)

Why do they fight?

Counsellors say that the different backgrounds, cultures and upbringing of couples can cause tension in a relationship.

Different parenting styles and knowledge can also lead to problems, says Mr Willy Ho, a counsellor. He is not surprised that couple fight about housework.

He says: “If I don’t want to do the laundry, you don’t want to do the laundry, who is going to do the laundry? Having a helper is a way to solve the issue but helpers do require days off, you cannot rely on them all the time. You still need to do some basic things.”

Mr Ho says that couples should seek help immediately when there is a communication breakdown. “Charged up emotions are disruptive to communication patterns,” he says.

Chairman of Focus on the Family Singapore, Mr James Wong, says couples should spend more time nurturing their relationships.

He says: “Currency for the economy is money. The currency for a relationship is time.”

About the 2016 Prudential Relationship Index

More than 5,000 adults aged between 25 and 55 were surveyed from July 13 to July 31 this year to develop the 2016 Prudential Relationship Index, that was revealed on Thursday.

The index aims to understand the state of personal relationships in Asia. People from 10 countries and territories – Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam – were interviewed.

SINGAPORE FINDINGS

The online survey involved 500 residents with household incomes of at least $4,000 a month.

Seventy-seven per cent are in a relationship with a partner, including 59 per cent who are married. Half of them are parents.

What is valued

Partners who:

– are easy to get along with

– are comfortable in each other’s silence

– enjoy doing things together

– respect individuality

– have honesty

More men than women in Singapore feel that close bonding is one of the most important aspects in a partnership and want their ideal partner to express their love for them.

Other results

– 15 per cent think that an ideal partner would provide financial support.

– Singapore has the most number of singles in Asia at 23 per cent.

– Of those aged 40 or above, 17 per cent are single, have never married and are without a partner.

chaihyn@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on October 16, 2016.
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You can make it anywhere as a musician if you can make it in Singapore. That was the advice local singer Nathan Hartono gave to hundreds of fans at a meet-and-greet session yesterday at Bugis+ shopping mall.

The crooner, who came in second in the latest season of reality singing competition Sing! China in Beijing on Oct 7, was there to mingle with fans.

“I’ve been performing in shopping malls like this for a long time,” he told the crowd, as he reminisced about his first performance on stage at Bishan’s Junction 8 mall in 2005 when he was just 14 years old.

“The music performer I am today is moulded from being in Singapore. If you can make it in Singapore as a musician, you can make it anywhere. It’s a tough crowd here.”

Hartono was also at Bugis+ to fulfil a Milo promise in person.

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Hundreds show up for Nathan Hartono and free Milo ‘peng’

Source:

The Straits Times

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In an earlier interview with The Straits Times, Hartono had said that if he won the contest, he would “rent a fleet of Milo vans and treat everybody to Milo peng (iced Milo)”.

He may not have won, but Nestle Singapore, which manufactures the chocolate malt beverage, went ahead to deploy the green vans thrice to give out free iced Milo drinks – once at Plaza Singapura on Oct 7, a few hours before the competition final; another time at Bedok Mall on Friday; and once more at Bugis+ yesterday.

Hartono, who returned to Singapore from China last Sunday, was his jovial self yesterday as he went on stage to answer questions in front of screaming fans.

“The last few months were very rewarding, but Singapore is still home,” the 25-year-old said, adding that he is glad to be back here. “The weather is a welcome warmth. I miss the humidity.”

Referring to his Milo promise, Hartono confessed it began as a joke. He said: “I didn’t think this was gonna be a thing. The Straits Times asked me what I would do if I won. I made a joke because I didn’t want to be boring.”

And he was anything but boring to his swooning supporters who showed up with cameras and gifts.

Some, like Ngee Ann Polytechnic student Zhang Yue, 20, were there from as early as 10am, even though Hartono was due to appear only at 3pm. The Beijing native, who was there with three other schoolmates, said: “We came early because we were too excited. We were afraid we couldn’t get close to him.”

But get close to him she did. Ms Zhang was one of 100 fans who got to take photos with Hartono on stage. “My heart kept racing. He sings well and he’s very handsome,” said Ms Zhang, giggling.

For nearly two hours, Hartono crooned, signed autographs, handed out cups of Milo to the crowd and played stage games with fans.

The performer almost won a game of musical chairs, but lost the final chair to a woman from Beijing.

“Second place again,” he said as the crowd roared with laughter.

Singaporean Charmaine Yeo, 14, a School of the Arts Singapore student, was there with her sister and father. She was also at Plaza Singapura on Oct 7 for Milo drinks.

“I’ve been a very big fan since he joined the competition. He has this charisma, a very nice voice and very good stage presence.”

Fans both at home and abroad can expect to hear more of his music soon, as Hartono said he feels a self-imposed pressure to ride on the wave of his success at the Sing! China competition. “The pressure right now is all my own pressure on myself. I want to go forward and not waste this opportunity. I want to keep making music in Singapore and outside Singapore.”

Local singer Nathan Hartono wows Sing! China judges

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The Straits Times, The New Paper, YouTube screengrabs, HBO Asia, Music & Movement

This article was first published on Oct 16, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Young people today may not hold the same views of marriage as their parents, said family and marriage counsellors.

FaithActs senior social worker Michael Tiew noted that some of them – in their 20s and early 30s – see the union as a step to companionship rather than having children.

“They want to build their own sense of identity and family culture first,” said Mr Tiew, who conducts marriage preparation and parenting talks. “In the past, you get married to have children, to pass on the family name. But today, women are more independent. Having children is a personal choice and responsibility.”

Ms Jessie Koh, head of Reach Counselling, added that most young people want to complete their tertiary education first before marriage. “By the time they finish a degree, they are older,” she said. “While they do want to start a family, they also want to be financially stable in their careers first so that they can provide for their children.”

Read also: You don’t need much space to have sex: Josephine Teo on ‘no flat, no child’ belief

Some couples said they want time to build a stable home of their own even before thinking about babies.

Ms Eunice Chew, who is engaged and whose Build-To-Order (BTO) flat in Telok Blangah will be ready next year, said: “Having kids isn’t on our radar yet… The home is the first thing we wanted to settle even before getting married.”

The 28-year-old, who works in the aviation industry, added: “It’s difficult to settle down without a private space. And we want to be more emotionally and financially stable so that it will be better for our family in the future.”

Ms Hazel Tan, 28, who got married in 2013, said: “Bringing up a child is an immense task and I want to make sure that I can be a good parent first.”

The housewife and her husband lived with her father before moving to their own flat last year. “Many young Singaporeans live with their parents all the way until marriage and they don’t do housework growing up,” she said. “We are learning to take care of household chores, pets and paying the bills.”

Counsellors said medical advances in fertility have also given hope to couples who want to wait to have children. Said Reach Counselling’s Ms Koh: “Progress in technology and methods like in-vitro fertilisation gives some reassurance and makes (young couples) not so fearful of having children later.”

Some couples agreed, saying that they are not overly concerned about the complications that might come with conceiving later.

“Science is quite advanced now, and I know colleagues in their late 30s who have been able to get pregnant… So, it doesn’t seem to be a problem,” said Ms Chew.

This article was first published on Oct 16, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.