BCA Approved Construction Courses
The Construction Registration of Tradesmen (CoreTrade) Scheme was introduced by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to allow the built environment sector to build up its core group of competent and experienced construction personnel in key construction trades and supervisory roles to anchor and lead the construction workforce.
What is CoreTrade?
The CoreTrade Scheme is a registration system that is meant to raise the quality and productivity levels of workers in the construction industry.
Who is eligible for the CoreTrade Registration System?
This CoreTrade scheme is available for both local Singaporean workers and foreign workers with relevant years of experience working in the construction industry in Singapore.
CoreTrade provides a platform to retain better and more experienced personnel by providing a clear career progression path and recognition.
According to the BCA, there are two types of construction personnel a worker may be categorized into:
- Construction Tradesmen – construction workers that are skilled in specific construction trades
- Construction Foreman – also known as a construction supervisor; in charge of coordinating and supervising tradesmen in a specific construction trade
What are the benefits of the CoreTrade Training Course?
Apart from equipping your workers with new knowledge and additional technical skills, your company can benefit by having them recognized by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and upgrading them into Higher-Skilled Workers.
By upgrading your construction personnel with a BCA-approved training course like CoreTrade, employers will pay a lower levy rate and an extended maximum period of employment. Instead of 14 years for a Basic-Skilled Worker, Higher-Skilled Workers actually have their period of employment extended to a maximum of 26 years!
Signing your employees up for a familiarisation course provides a lot of benefits to you and your company. You get to keep your company’s high-performing construction personnel with additional training and testing through this CoreTrade Scheme.
No need to worry about re-hiring new workers all the time when you can keep the core group of personnel essential to your business for a long time.
What Is The Levy Rate for Workers with CoreTrade?
The levy rate is basically a pricing mechanism to regulate the number of foreign workers in Singapore and varies depending on the sector involved.
The levy rate that employers pay mainly depends on two factors:
- The worker’s qualifications.
- The number of Work permits or S Pass holders hired.
The levy rate for the construction sector are:
| Monthly | Daily | |
| Malaysians and NAS – Higher-Skilled | $300 | $9.87 |
| Malaysians and NAS – Basic-Skilled | $700 | $23.02 |
| NTS and PRC – Higher-Skilled, on MYE | $300 | $9.87 |
| NTS and PRC – Basic-Skilled, on MYE | $700 | $23.02 |
| NTS and PRC – Higher-Skilled, MYE waiver | $600 | $19.73 |
| NTS and PRC – Basic-Skilled, MYE waiver | $950 | $31.24 |
Just based on looking at the Foreign Worker Levy Scheme, it’s super worth it to register your workers for a CoreTrade course as it lowers the levy rate for you and upgrades your general builders to become more skilled in key construction trades and become recognized as certified CoreTrade personnel! Now all you got to do is see whether your personnel are eligible for it!
Eligibility to sign up for CoreTrade Training Course
Based on the core trade scheme implemented by BCA, to be eligible for the CoreTrade training course, the eligibility requirements include:
| Qualification of Worker | Years of Construction Experience in Singapore | Practical Test | Theory Test |
| CoreTrade Tradesmen | Minimum 4 years | PASS | – |
| CoreTrade Foremen | Minimum 6 years | PASS | PASS |
| CoreTrade Supervisor | Minimum 8 years | PASS | PASS |
Applications for the CoreTrade training course should be in PDF format and submitted online for registration. Interested applicants should prepare the required documents as listed below:
- Worker’s NRIC (for Singaporean and Singapore PR) or valid work permit/employment pass (for foreigners)(front and back on a single page). For a company application, the name of the employer in the application must be similar to the employer stated in the foreign worker’s work pass.
- Skills Evaluation Certificate (SEC/SEC(K) or approved technical/academic qualification [foreign work permit holders who have obtained their (SEC/SEC(K) previously are not required to attach this certificate). A list of recognized qualifications can be found here.
- Valid Crane Operation Licence issued by the MOM (front and back on a single page). This is mandatory for all licensed crane operators.
- Valid Plumber or Electrician Licence. This is mandatory for all licensed plumbers or electricians.
- Worker’s employment details (for work permit holder) obtained via the Ministry of Manpower website (WP Online), to verify the applicant’s years of local construction experience. This is mandatory for all foreign work permit holders. A sample for the correct document attachment and information can be downloaded here.
The BCA will also charge a non-refundable application fee of $15 for each application submission.
Aesperon Construction is a BCA-approved training centre! We have plentiful courses and certified trainers available in our centre that help people working in construction trades to learn new skills and upgrade themselves to be more valuable in the industry. The language of instruction in our courses will be primarily held in English and Mandarin Chinese. Test papers in the Tamil and Thai language are also available and can be provided by BCA.
If you need more information regarding any of the schemes and registration process or find out how you can upgrade your workforce and cut your costs at the same time, call us at 67413131 or email us at hello@aesperon.com.sg for a no-obligation enquiry!
Here is a list of our CoreTrade Courses:
What Is SEC(K)?
SEC(K), which stands for Skills Evaluation Certificate (Knowledge), is a skills certification framework conducted by the Building and Construction Authority to assess a worker’s competency and skill in a particular construction trade.
Workers can apply for SEC(K) at the BCA Academy or at the BCA Approved Training and Testing Centres (ATTCs). Companies can also apply for their workers to take the 2nd SEC(K) at Overseas Test Centres (OTCs).
In the event that the worker has less than 4 years of construction experience in Singapore and only the first SEC/SEC(K), employers are unable to submit a Multi-Skilling application for the applicant as per the requirement.
If you need more information regarding any of the schemes and registration process or find out how you can upgrade your workforce and cut your costs at the same time, call us at 67413131 or email us at hello@aesperon.com.sg for a no-obligation enquiry!
Our Most Popular SEC(K) Course
What you will benefit from this course:
Lowered levies for construction companies when workers are SEC-K certified
Meet BCA 10% RI requirement for construction companies (direct R1)
Longer working years and higher employability in Singapore for construction workers
COURSE CONTENTS
This course aims to provide trainees with knowledge and skills in painting. They will be trained to recognize different types of paint, techniques of application, and proper handling of painting tools and equipment. More importantly, trainees will be taught to practice good painting habits and worksite safety relating to painting. The course consists of the following topics:
- General Knowledge & Safety in Painting Works
- Painting Materials and Estimation
- Methods of Application
- Quality & Defects in Painting
- Practical Projects
Trainers of different nationalities (Chinese, Bangladeshi, and Indian) will be present to assist workers during the training.
More information on our painting course can be found here.
How To Apply For SEC(K) Courses?
Workers can apply for SEC(K) at the BCA Academy or at the BCA Approved Training and Testing Centres (ATTCs). Companies can also apply for their workers to take the 2nd SEC(K) at Overseas Test Centres (OTCs).
In the event that the worker has less than 4 years of construction experience in Singapore and only the first SEC/SEC(K), employers are unable to submit a Multi-Skilling application for the applicant as per the requirement.
What is Multiskill?
The Multi-skilling scheme provides an alternative pathway for the industry to upgrade their experienced workers from Basic Skilled R2 to Higher Skilled R1 workers.
The Multi-skilling scheme aims to build up a pool of workers who are competent in multiple skill sets to carry out more than one type of task on-site.
Employers will have greater flexibility in deploying multi-skilled workers,
hence reducing downtime and improving their productivity.
Higher Skilled R1 workers would enjoy a long allowable period of employment (up to 22 years in Singapore), and lower foreign worker levy than Basic Skilled R2 workers.
Currently, a worker must possess SEC(K) certificates in two different construction trades and have a minimum of 4 years of construction experience in Singapore before they can be registered under the Multi-skilling scheme.
Since 1 October 2016, this upgrading pathway will be extended to longer-staying workers who are specialized in safety-related works on site.
All registered multi-skilled workers must meet the Continuing Education & Training (CET) requirements before renewing their registration every 2 years.
Who is eligible for the Multi-Skilling Scheme?
The Multi-Skilling Scheme, as the name suggests, is meant for construction workers who are to be deployed on-site to carry out more than one type of work task.
According to the Ministry of Manpower, any worker with construction experience in Singapore can apply for the multi-skilling scheme:
- General Construction Worker
- Workers trained in approved safety courses
- Landscape Construction Worker
What are the benefits of Multi-Skill?
The benefits of Multi-Skill are the same as CoreTrade which was covered previously.
Apart from equipping your workers with new knowledge and additional technical skills, your company can benefit by having your workers recognized by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and upgrading them into Higher-Skilled Workers.
By upgrading your construction workers, employers will pay a lower levy rate and extend the maximum period of employment. Instead of 14 years for a Basic-Skilled Worker, Higher-Skilled Workers actually have their period of employment extended to a maximum of 26 years!
This means employers get to keep their company’s all-stars just by upgrading their workers. No need to worry about re-hiring new foreign workers when you can keep those who are essential to your business for a long time.
Eligibility to sign up for Multi-Skill
According to the BCA, to sign up for the Multi-Skilling Scheme, the requirements include:
- Obtain at least 4 years of construction experience in Singapore
- Obtain certification in a second SEC(K) trade skill that is different from the first SEC(K) / SEC trade skill. If you have Malaysian employees with valid work permits, a certification in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) is needed.
- Meet Continuing Education & Training (CET) requirements (for Renewal)
Applications for the Multi-Skilling Scheme should be in PDF format and submitted online. The required documents for an interested applicant are listed below:
- Worker’s NRIC (for Singaporean and Singapore PR) or valid work permit/employment pass (for foreigners) (front and back on a single page). For a company application, the name of the employer in the application must be similar to the employer stated in the foreign worker’s work pass.
- Worker’s employment details (for work permit holder) obtained via the Ministry of Manpower website (WP Online), to verify the applicant’s years of construction experience in Singapore. This is mandatory for all foreign work permit holders. A sample of the correct document attachment and required information can be downloaded here.
- Skills Evaluation Certificate (SEC/SEC(K))
- 120 hours of training in Approved Safety Related Courses
- Proof of employer’s registration with Landscape Company Registry (LCR) (for Construction-Related Landscape)
- Must have an active email account
If you need more information regarding any of the schemes and find out how you can upgrade your workforce and cut your costs at the same time, email us at hello@aesperon.com.sg for a no-obligation enquiry!
Here is a list of our Multi-Skill Courses:
Difference Between SEC(K), Multi-Skilling and CoreTrade
Previously we have talked about what is CoreTrade, Multi-Skilling and SEC(K). Now we will explain on what are the differences between them.
Multi-Skilling Scheme
As we know, the Multi-Skilling scheme was developed following feedback from the industry on the need for more upgrading pathways for construction workers. It is an alternative pathway for them to progress from “Basic Skilled” R2 workers to “Higher Skilled” R1 workers under the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)’s Foreign Worker Levy.
Multi-Skilling workers offer greater flexibility in deployment on site and hence help to enhance productivity by reducing productivity downtime. This will benefit firms as they will be able to deliver their construction work with lesser workers.
CoreTrade Scheme
While the CoreTrade Scheme recognizes those workers specializing in key construction trades, i.e. possessing “deep” skills, the Multi-Skilling scheme complements the CoreTrade scheme by recognizing experienced workers who are competent in multiple trade skills or have completed 120 training hours of approved safety courses.
Apart from equipping your workers with new knowledge and additional technical skills, your company can benefit by having them recognized by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and upgrading them into Higher-Skilled Workers.
Employers will be able to pay a lower levy rate and an extended maximum period of employment, upon upgrading their construction personnel with a BCA-approved training course like CoreTrade.
SEC(K)
SEC(K), which stands for Skills Evaluation Certificate (Knowledge), is a skills certification framework conducted by the Building and Construction Authority to assess a worker’s competency and skill in a particular construction trade.
Workers can apply for SEC(K) at the BCA Academy or at the BCA Approved Training and Testing Centres (ATTCs). Companies can also apply for their workers to take the 2nd SEC(K) at Overseas Test Centres (OTCs).
In the event that the worker has less than 4 years of construction experience in Singapore and only the first SEC/SEC(K), employers are unable to submit a Multi-Skilling application for the applicant as per the requirement.
If you need more information regarding any of the schemes and registration process or find out how you can upgrade your workforce andcut your costs at the same time, call us at 67413131 or email us at hello@aesperon.com.sg for a no-obligation enquiry!
Why choose us?
To start working as a construction worker in Singapore, it is a requirement to possess a skills evaluation certificate. We have a more than 95% Passing Rate for our certification courses. As we understand that weekdays are mainly the important workdays, many weekend training slots are available in ATTC. Free transportation will be provided as well! (Terms and conditions apply).
If you have any queries, do not hesitate to contact us!
