How Singaporeans Are Future-Proofing Careers with AI?

Singaporeans are in a time crunch. With the SkillsFuture Credit (SFC) scheme’s S$500 training top-up expiring on 31 December 2025, many are scrambling to enrol in courses that deliver real value for their careers. While thousands still sit on unused credits, a growing number are turning to AI-focused training that builds practical skills for today’s workplace.

Among the most in-demand options is the Generative AI course at Vertical Institute, designed for busy professionals who want immediate, job-relevant AI skills. From finance directors to retirees and career switchers, learners across Singapore are picking up tools like ChatGPT and Gamma AI to streamline work, improve workflows, and make faster decisions.

Vertical Institute has seen a surge in enrolments since June 2025, as more Singaporeans realise AI is no longer optional, but an essential skill for employees across industries and functions

The opportunity to reskill is real. The time to act is now.

Quick Takeaway

• The S$500 SkillsFuture Credit top-up expires on 31 December 2025. Most Singaporeans haven’t used it yet.
• Vertical Institute’s Generative AI course helps professionals use tools like ChatGPT and Gamma AI to work faster and smarter.
• Real learners like Fion, a Chief Financial Officer (CFO), use what they’ve learned to speed up market analysis reports, improve presentations and improve business communication. Vertical Institute instructors John Amos Tan and Dr Peter Finn teach prompt engineering and AI judgment, skills employers now expect.
• The course is beginner-friendly, with weekday evening and weekend classes, pre-work, after-class support, and lifetime access.
• No coding required, just practical, task-based training you can apply immediately.
• Vertical Institute also offers Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, UI/UX Design, Digital Marketing, Data Science, Advanced Data Analytics, and Blockchain.
• Don’t let your SkillsFuture Credit go to waste, enrol now to stay ahead while others are catching up.

The SkillsFuture Credit Countdown

In 2020, the Singapore government issued a one-time SkillsFuture Credit top-up of S$500 to all citizens aged 25 and above as of 2020. It was meant to support mid-career learning and professional growth. But five years later, about 70% of recipients still haven’t used it, even though the top-up will expire on 31 December 2025. And any unused amount will be forfeited.

With the clock ticking, more Singaporeans are seeking courses that actually sharpen their abilities, especially in high-growth areas like AI. Vertical Institute’s Generative AI course is one that has seen high take-up rates.

According to 8world Frontline, since June 2025, Vertical Institute has doubled its new enrolments, led by a surge in interest for practical AI training. Learners want skills and AI tools they can apply immediately at work and in their personal lives.

What makes these courses work isn’t just the content. It’s the format. As CNA reports, AI is already reshaping hiring expectations. Employers want candidates who can use tools well and think clearly about when to trust or override them.

That’s why Vertical Institute stands out with its beginner-friendly and skills-first curriculum. For anyone still holding on to unused credit, this is a smart and timely way to upskill yourself before the deadline passes, just in time to prepare for your 2026 career goals

Curious how this training translates into real impact? Here’s what one of Vertical Institute’s alumni had to say.

Real Results with Generative AI: Vertical Institute Alumna Fion Heu’s Productivity Surge

Fion Heu, a 48-year-old Chief Financial Officer (CFO), completed Vertical Institute’s 21-hour Generative AI course while juggling a full-time leadership role and family commitments. Her goal was simple: reduce repetitive tasks and improve her output.

She started applying what she learned immediately. For financial reporting, she now feeds raw figures into ChatGPT to generate draft analyses in minutes. What used to take hours now takes only ten minutes. From there, she reviews and adjusts the content, cutting down time without cutting corners.

Fion also used what she learned to overhaul how she builds presentations. Instead of designing slides manually, she uses Gamma AI, which lets her pull in visuals, graphs, and layout suggestions instantly. No more toggling between tabs or struggling with formatting.

Beyond work, she has applied AI to her personal life too. To support her daughter in preparing for O-Level exams, Fion now creates AI-generated mock test questions tailored to what her child needs. She no longer relies solely on past year papers or generic workbooks.

“It saves time and reduces stress,” she shared in an interview with 8world Frontline. “Now I can focus on decisions, not just the data.”

Related Article: How In-Demand Courses Helped Three Professionals Boost Their Careers

What Makes Vertical Institute’s Generative AI Course Work

The curriculum is designed around one thing: practicality. Learners aren’t buried in theory or jargon. Instead, they’re guided by experienced trainers like John Amos Tan (陈顺德). He holds a Master’s in International Business Management and specialises in prompt engineering, the skill of asking AI the right questions to get quality results.

In an 8world Frontline interview, John said: “The better your prompt, the better the outcome. It’s not just about using AI. It’s about communicating with it effectively.”

The course spans 21 hours, with options for weekday evenings and weekends, making it suitable for full-time professionals. It covers tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Co-pilot, Gamma AI, Suno, and teaches real tasks: summarising reports, automating emails, creating visual decks, and generating content that’s clear and useful.

There’s no coding or tech background required. Anyone can pick the generative AI skills with hands-on learning, guided by instructors and supported by peer collaboration.

Students walk away knowing how to use AI tools and how to apply them to augment their work. For Fion, that meant moving faster at work. For others, it’s about reducing busywork, getting more high-value tasks done, or finding new ways to stay relevant.

Why AI Literacy Is the New Core Skill

AI isn’t just changing job roles; it’s changing hiring standards. Employers today aren’t just asking if you can use AI. They want to know how well you can think alongside it.

According to Jobstreet’s Report 2025, over 54% of employers in Singapore now consider AI skills a key hiring factor. Nearly 1 in 5 employers place AI literacy among their top three criteria for new hires.

But using AI casually isn’t the same as using it well.That’s exactly what Dr Peter Finn, a Generative AI instructor at Vertical Institute, teaches in class. Featured in CNA’s Big Read, he explains the importance of “human–AI teaming”, the ability to collaborate with AI tools, while maintaining your judgment and oversight.

“The professionals who thrive are the ones who treat AI as a collaborator, not a crutch,”

In his classes, students learn to prompt more precisely, give clear instructions, and troubleshoot inconsistent outputs. Instead of treating tools like ChatGPT as magical black boxes, they learn to steer them intentionally, with structure and critical thinking.

It’s not about memorising commands. It’s about thinking in systems, knowing what to ask, and how to assess the results. That’s what makes the skill transferable across roles, from finance and marketing to admin and project coordination.

Inside a Vertical Institute Class

So what actually happens during the 21-hour Generative AI course?

Classes are available on weekday evenings or weekends, and you can choose what suits your schedule. Before stepping into class, you’ll complete pre-work through VI’s e-learning portal, covering core AI concepts and tools to get you ready. You’ll also gain access to VI’s Telegram community, so support from peers, instructors, and alumni is never far away.

The online classes via Zoom focus on hands-on, task-based learning. You’ll learn how to write better prompts, generate content, automate admin work, and use OpenAI tools to analyse data and online content. It’s not abstract theory, it’s practical work you can apply straight away.

Expect to explore techniques like chain-of-thought prompting, simplify and summarise texts, and use tools like ChatGPT, Gamma AI, and OpenAI APIs. You’ll even touch on ethical concerns, security risks, and video automation workflows, giving you a well-rounded foundation in how AI fits into real-world tasks.

Our approach keeps class sizes small. You’ll learn alongside peers from industries like marketing, finance, education, and operations, so discussions are grounded, not hypothetical. By the end, you’ll know how to work with AI confidently, not just run tools on autopilot.

And if you need help after the course? We offer post-course instructor support, lifetime access to learning materials, and even career guidance, all included.

“Most students arrive with fear,” . “They leave with applicable AI skills and confidence.”

The Job Market Is Changing Fast

AI isn’t wiping out all entry-level jobs, but it’s definitely rewriting the rules.

Entry-level postings in Singapore fell by over 25% in early 2025, while total job openings slightly increased. Roles once filled by fresh graduates, like customer service and basic content work, are now often handled by AI. Four in five employers said they’ve cut junior hiring because AI manages routine tasks, and nearly one in five have shifted roles specifically to support AI-related functions.

This shift isn’t about replacing people. It’s about raising expectations. Employers want candidates who can prompt clearly, think critically, and know when to step in. As Dr Peter Finn mentioned in CNA, “Critical thinking and “trust calibration” in AI is knowing when to verify or override an output”.

That’s where training makes the difference. At Vertical Institute, learners don’t just follow instructions. They learn to challenge AI when it gets it wrong, spot patterns, and use outputs as a starting point, not the final word.

Across industries, AI is changing how work gets done. The people who succeed are those who know how to work with it, not just around it.

FAQs: Learning AI with Vertical Institute

Conclusion

If Fion could transform the way she works with just 21 hours of training, so can you. She’s saving time, reducing stress, and getting more done without working longer hours.

At Vertical Institute, instructors John Amos and Dr Peter Finn both emphasise the same core idea: AI is a tool that’s only as good as the person using it. They teach you how to prompt with clarity, evaluate responses, and apply AI with real judgment, exactly what today’s employers value most.

AI won’t replace your job. But someone trained to use it will have the edge.

Your S$500 SkillsFuture Credit top-up expires on 31 December 2025. Don’t sit on it, use it to learn a skill that makes work easier and results faster. Sign up for courses at Vertical Institute today.