NS certificates to be recognised in SkillsFuture Career and Skills Passport as MINDEF expands cyber defence roles to boost employability

SINGAPORE: Skills gained during National Service will soon carry formal weight in the job market, as MINDEF rolls out new schemes to better match skills, redeploy expertise, and widen volunteer pathways. National Service (NS) skills will soon show up on a national career record.

From the second half of 2026, certificates earned during full-time NS and Operationally-Ready NS will be added to each serviceman’s Careers & Skills Passport. The move was announced by Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad during the Committee of Supply debate on February 27, 2026.

MINDEF said the trial will begin with selected Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) training institutes. Skills will be mapped to industry standards and verified by the government. The aim is to help servicemen show employers what they can do.

With many young Singaporean men worrying about losing career momentum during NS, formal recognition of skills could ease the shift back to study or work.

Mr Zaqy said the ministry wants servicemen to contribute meaningfully at every stage of their NS journey, from enlistment to reservist years and beyond. The passport initiative forms part of that plan.

In recent years, MINDEF and the SAF have expanded Work-Learn Schemes with local institutes of higher learning. Servicemen can earn diplomas or university credits while serving. There are now 10 schemes, with about 850 full-time national servicemen enrolled so far.

Early enlistment schemes allow selected polytechnic students to serve a year earlier and complete internships while in uniform. About 60 have joined these programmes to date.

The ministry has also reviewed NS allowances several times over the past decade, most recently in July 2025. The allowance for a recruit in Basic Military Training has risen by 65 per cent over 10 years.

Mr Zaqy also addressed calls to peg NS allowances to the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS). He explained that the LQS is an administrative tool that ensures local workers are employed and paid meaningfully in the employment context, not a minimum wage or general salary benchmark for all forms of service in Singapore.

NS, Mr Zaqy added, is a civic duty rather than a transaction or employment contract. As such, the state provides basic needs such as accommodation, food, and equipment, while additional support comes through schemes such as NS HOME, which offers top-ups for housing, medical, and educational needs. For reservists, better use of civilian expertise came into focus.

Since 2022, more than 850 Operationally-Ready National Servicemen have been redeployed under the Enhanced Expertise Deployment Scheme. They now serve in roles that match their professional skills, including legal, counselling, intelligence, and digital work.

Cyber defence skills are a new area in demand. From June 2026, NSmen with cyber expertise will be deployed to Sectoral Cyber Defence Teams to support the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore in protecting critical information infrastructure, such as telecommunications, power, and transport.

The change reflects current risks, with cyberattacks on critical systems a real concern. Drawing on professionals who already work in this field strengthens national defence in a practical way.

MINDEF will also set up the SG Defence Volunteer Network this year to bring volunteers under one umbrella. The SAF Volunteer Corps, which marked its 10th anniversary in 2025, has trained more than 1,500 volunteers. Women, permanent residents, and new citizens aged 18 to 45 can serve, and more operational roles are planned.

Exercise SG Ready, held earlier this month, tested responses to digital outages and prolonged power cuts. More than 1,000 organisations took part. Over 500 updated their business continuity plans. Close to 140 companies ran phishing simulations involving more than 8,500 test emails.

Defence today has gone beyond uniforms and camps. It includes data systems, businesses and communities. NS began in 1967 to secure Singapore’s survival. Nearly six decades on, the tools have changed, but the principle still remains the same. Service is still a duty, and now it can also build skills that count even outside the camp gates.