As often as three times a week in the evening, Norazlina Binte Abdul Gani, 46, makes her way to Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Humanities & Social Sciences building. Her daughter is pursuing her studies in Early Childhood Development & Education there, but Lina isn’t there to pick her up. Instead, she’s there for her Diploma in Business course.

A manager at book distributor company Reader’s House, Lina had always wished to upskill and pursue higher education, but did not have the opportunity and resources to do so. Therefore, when she received the SkillsFuture Credit top-up in 2020, she was spurred to enrol for a course at Temasek Polytechnic in 2022.

Learning by Example

Her decision to pursue this course was driven by an intrinsic interest in human resources and psychology, which were key modules in the course. “I enjoy talking and getting to know people,” she shared. The human resources module appealed to her as she felt it was a field where human touch was irreplaceable in this age of AI, and one that she could remain relevant in, given her age.

Besides her passion, a major motivating factor was to set a good example for her children. 

“I wanted to show my children that if mummy can excel at her studies, my children can too. If you better yourselves through knowledge and education, nothing can stop you.” she said. “Plus, they can no longer give excuses about school work because I’m doing it together with them!” she added with a chuckle.

From Classroom to Career

Even before graduating, Lina has been putting her newfound knowledge to good use, enabling her to become more efficient at work while improving her husband’s business.

As a manager at a small company, she often wears many hats, requiring her to juggle multiple roles.

The practical skills she acquired through the Business IT and Application module has strengthened her understanding of Excel and Power BI, enabling her to present sales statistics more effectively at work. Additionally, the softer skills acquired from her Business Communications module have helped her craft persuasive emails and marketing materials, while the Learning & Talent Development module has equipped her to better prepare comprehensive lesson plans for staff training.

Beyond her day job, Lina has also applied her learnings to her husband’s barbershop, where she handles the administrative and marketing aspects, while her husband, who also utilised his SkillsFuture Credit to take barbering courses, manages the operations. Drawing on the insights from her marketing module, she was able to successfully expand their customer base and drive greater footfall to the shop.

A Strong Support System

Her children, whose ages range from seven to 19, have been very supportive of her learning journey, and help her out with online tools like Microsoft Teams. When she has exams, she also counts on her older children to take care of her youngest.

 “They’ve always been at the receiving end of my teaching, but now they’re the ones teaching me.” she said.

At work, her employer is also understanding of her packed schedule and provides flexibility. In her role, she leaves for work as early as 630am, going to schools to conduct book fairs. Despite the early start, she wraps up by 1130am, which allows her to fetch her children and continue her work duties from home. On days when her evening classes run late, she can head to work later and even complete her school assignments at work once her primary tasks are done.

In return, she’s able to employ her upgraded skills at work, handling administrative matters with better efficiency.

Taking the Leap

For those who are still on the fence about upskilling, she suggests starting with a short course on the weekends first, then considering a longer course if one can commit. 

"If you’re considering upskilling, it shows that you already have that interest to better yourself – and that’s the first step. There are a lot of opportunities out there – if you don’t try, you don’t know what you’re capable of.” she said

With plans to graduate in 2025 alongside her daughter, Lina is considering her next educational pursuit. “I’m always working with children in my full-time job, so I’m quite interested in continuing in that field,” she muses.