The New Enhanced CITREP Grant Scheme: Take Back Course Fee And Exam Up To 80% Savings

In order to be competitive in this challenging times, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) updated the rule for how much “rebate” one could get back from the existing 50% to a whopping 80% on CITREP course fees. Imagine taking a course that would normally cost S$5000, you will only pay S$1000 after applying the incentive. This is a very big saving indeed.

The Critical Infocomm Technology Resource Programme (CITREP) is an existing training incentive programme to encourage professionals to acquire critical and emerging infocomm skills. IDA has enhanced the CITREP to further incentivize professionals and companies to continue skills upgrading and competency development during the economic downturn.

The programme supports the course and examination fees for training courses and certifications in the following critical and emerging skill areas which are articulated in the National Infocomm Competency Framework (NICF):

• Infocomm Security
• Interactive Digital Media
• IT Services
• Network and Communications
• Project Management
• Software and Applications
• Telecommunications

According to IDA:

The enhanced CITREP funding allows both infocomm and non-infocomm professionals to update and upgrade themselves in the dynamic, competitive and fast changing infocomm industry as follows:

Enhanced CITREP (for FY09 and FY10)

• For Course and Certification Fees Support, up to 80% (from 50%) of the nett payable course and examination fees, capped at $3,000 per trainee; or
• For Certification Fees Support, up to 80% (from 50%) of the nett payable examination fees, capped at $500 per trainee; or
• For Organization-Sponsored Trainees only: The sponsoring organizations are eligible for Absentee Payroll, at $50 per day, when they sponsor their employees for Full-Time Training.

To be eligible for funding support under CITREP, a trainee must:

• Be a Singapore citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident;
• Meet the admission criteria set by the Course Provider or Certificate Awarding Body;
• Commence all training courses or certification examinations between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2011 (or otherwise stipulated by IDA);
• Ensure that the endorsed course providers or testing centers have submitted their enrolments for their intended courses or certifications on their behalf in the iTRAIN system before the commencement of the training courses or certifications;
• For Organization-Sponsored Trainees: The sponsoring organization must be incorporated or registered in Singapore. Employees of local government agencies are not eligible. Employees of these organizations can, however, qualify for CITREP under the self-sponsored category;
• For Course and Certification Fees Support: The trainee must complete the course and pass all examinations required by the certification or post-training assessment within 12 months from the course commencement date:
  • With at least 75% of the training as per endorsed roadmap; and
  • Achieve the final certification status (applicable to certifiable programmes only) or pass the post-course assessment; and
• For Certification Fees Support: Pass all examinations required by the certification within 12 months from the commencement date of the first examination (applicable to certifiable programmes only).

  A total budget of $25 million is estimated for Enhanced CITREP for FY09 and FY10. This programme is expected to benefit 10,000 infocomm professionals over the next two years.

The list of endorsed courses and certifications can be found on the iTRAIN website.

Note: CITREP funding does not support GST, registration and membership fees, rebates, incentives, discounts or any training grants offered by the Course Providers, Testing Centers or any other organizations in relation to the endorsed courses and certifications.