SINGAPORE: Training provider FirstCom Academy has been suspended for three months over its non-compliance with guidelines stipulated by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG).
This comes amid layoffs at the company, which focuses on short Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses ranging from digital content creation to social media marketing.
In a statement on Wednesday, SSG said that it has been investigating FirstCom Academy’s marketing practices and course quality since early this year after receiving public feedback.
FirstCom Academy will be suspended from Jan 1, 2025 to Mar 31, 2025, over “concerns relating to use of a referral programme for marketing, which is non-compliant with SSG’s terms for training providers”.
During the suspension, FirstCom Academy, which operates four training centres at Paya Lebar, Woodlands, Chinatown and Tiong Bahru, cannot start WSQ courses.
SSG said it will also suspend funding subsidies for all courses at FirstCom Academy that start within that three-month period. This means that those courses will not qualify for government course fee subsidies or SkillsFuture Credit usage.
SSG will also terminate two of the training provider’s WSQ courses due to “lapses in ensuring course quality”.
According to SSG’s website, the WSQ is a national credential system that “trains, develops, assesses and certifies skills and competencies for the workforce”.
Learners whose courses have begun or will start before the suspension period will not be impacted, even if the courses conclude during those three months, said SSG.
Those whose courses have not started and who do not want to continue with FirstCom Academy can contact the company to make alternative arrangements. They may also approach SSG for similar courses offered by other SSG-registered training providers.
The onus is on FirstCom Academy to inform affected learners that they will not receive the funding subsidies for their courses, and that they will be unable to attain the WSQ Statement of Attainment, which is awarded upon completion of each WSQ course.
“FirstCom Academy should take this time to improve the practices and standards of their marketing processes and course delivery,” said SSG, adding that it will not hesitate to take action against training providers found to have engaged in marketing misconduct.
A check by CNA showed that FirstCom Academy had put up an announcement on its website following its suspension.
“To provide a better learning experience, our WSQ course curriculum will be undergoing an improvement process in Q1 2025. Please note that there will be no WSQ courses and course funding available during this period (Jan 1 to Mar 31),” it said.
