Career Trial

Who qualifies

• Must be registered in Singapore.
• Full-time jobs must pay at least $1,500 per month and part-time jobs must pay at least $750 per month.
• Jobseekers must be Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents, unemployed before and during Career Trial, and at least 16 years old with full-time studies and National Service completed where applicable.
• Host companies must offer employment to suitable jobseekers on permanent terms or contract terms of at least one year after completing Career Trial.
• Host companies must be registered or incorporated in Singapore with a UEN and have hiring needs.
• Career Trial must last at least 16 hours; the maximum is 480 hours for full-time positions or 240 hours for part-time positions, capped at 80 hours per month.
• Jobseekers who completed and claimed Training Allowance or Retention Incentive under Work Trial are not eligible.
• Jobseekers with a financial interest in the host company are not eligible; SWDA or NTUC's e2i may reject immediate family members of the business owners.
• Internship or other employment arrangements are ineligible, as is receiving training allowance or another grant from an SWDA-funded programme during the same period.

What it funds

• Recruiting, salary support, job redesign, career conversion

One-time funding includes Training Allowance of S$7.50 to S$15 per hour, a S$500 Retention Incentive and, for eligible long-term unemployed jobseekers or persons with disabilities, an additional S$1,000.

Payment: Direct one-off cash payout (e.g. IRAS-administered payouts).

How to apply

Applications are closed. Historically, jobseekers applied for Career Trial positions on MyCareersFuture with Singpass, then used the unique link in a host company's invitation email to complete the Career Trial Portal application.

The current official page states that applications are closed and is for claim submissions only; it publishes claim routes and deadlines but no new-application document list.

1. Browse Career Trial positions on MyCareersFuture and log in with Singpass to apply.
2. If shortlisted, open the unique URL in the original host-company invitation email and log in with Singpass.
3. Provide personal information, review and acknowledge the Career Trial Activities Plan and terms and conditions, then submit the jobseeker application.
4. Wait for written approval from SWDA or NTUC's e2i before commencing Career Trial.

Before applying

• The jobseeker must meet the citizenship, unemployment, age, study and National Service conditions.
• The host company and jobseeker must obtain written approval from SWDA or NTUC's e2i before Career Trial commences.

Claiming support

For Training Allowance, the host company submits completed hours and the claim; the jobseeker logs in with Singpass, reviews personal information, supporting documents and claim information, provides feedback, accepts the terms and submits the endorsement. For RI or ARI, the jobseeker logs in to the Career Trial Portal with Singpass and selects Create RI Claim or Create ARI Claim. SWDA pays via NRIC-linked PayNow and e2i via GIRO.

Training Allowance claim: 6 months from jobseeker application approval; Retention Incentive claim: 9 months from Career Trial end date; Additional Retention Incentive claim: 12 months from Career Trial end date.

Contact: SWDA: 6669 7932 or https://www.swda.gov.sg/home/about-swda/contact-us; NTUC's e2i: 6474 0606 or followup@e2i.com.sg

Application window: The last day for companies to send new invitations was 1 April 2025; jobseeker applications closed 15 April 2025, and approved trials had to commence by 31 May 2025 or within one month of approval, whichever was earlier.

Closes: 2025-04-15