What is it?

The Training and Adult Education (TAE) sector plays a major role in raising the employability of Singaporeans and the capabilities of enterprises.

The TAE Industry Transformation Map (ITM) 2025 thus aims to develop an innovative high quality, market-responsive TAE sector that supports the transformation of other sectors.

It builds on the good foundations laid out in the TAE ITM 2020 to transform the TAE sector to better meet Singapore’s current and future training needs and in turn create new opportunities and achieve sector growth.

 

Training and Adult Education ITM 2025 Key Strategies

 

Improve Industry-relevance and Market Responsiveness of Training

For the TAE sector to effectively support transformation of other sectors, training must closely match industry needs and demand. SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) will continue to work closely with the industry through existing partnerships such as the SkillsFuture Queen Bees initiative. We will develop and support new collaborate models between training providers and enterprises.

SSG will also continue to drive skills recognition and skills credentialling through greater involvement by companies, unions, associations and professional bodies. For example, SSG launched the Skills Development Partners initiative in 2022 to work with Trade Associations and Chambers in identifying needed sectoral skills more responsively and better link skills development with ongoing enterprise transformation and job redesign within the sector. The initiative also aims to help enterprises better recognise employees’ skills acquisition and skills mastery.

Innovate and Digitalise at Scale

To provide training that support business performance and meet the skills needs of the industries they serve, the TAE sector will have to scale up their innovation and digitalisation efforts.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about opportunities for digital and technology-based training. Building on this momentum, SSG will support training providers in the development and adoption of innovative learning approaches. For example, in the area of e-learning, by co-funding promising training innovations through iN.LEARN 2.0, which consists of 3 programmes – innovation incubator (innovPlus), innovation accelerator (innovSpur), and an innovation Sandbox to temporarily remove regulatory obstacles that impedes innovation.

SSG will promote process digitalisation to help training providers reduce the burden of training administration and improve customer service, as part of the continued effort from the TAE ITM 2020.

As training innovations are built on the foundation of strong understanding of the science of adult education or andragogy, SSG will also work closely with the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) as the National Centre of Excellence for Adult Learning (NCAL) to intensify the translation of andragogy research into improved and effective andragogical practices and tools and to raise the adoptions of such practices and tools across training providers.

Invest in Adult Educators and Sectoral Capabilities

In view of the emerging skills required by the TAE sector, training providers will need to invest in building a strong and skilled TAE workforce.

SSG worked with IAL to revamp the Workforce Skills Qualifications Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance (WSQ ACLP). This enables aspiring adult educators to acquire the essentials of classroom facilitation, tech-enabled learning and workplace learning delivery and assessment in a shorter amount of time.

Aspiring adult educators will be able to complete the revamped WSQ ACLP in three months, compared to the six to nine months required previously. SSG will also work closely with IAL and industry stakeholders to provide more support for our adult educators to develop their skillsets, particularly in areas that are growing in importance and demand. These include skills in the areas of EdTech, workplace learning, and career coaching.

Internationalise to Strengthen Sector Resilience

Internationalisation will enable the TAE sector to diversify its provisions and test its capabilities in overseas market. SSG, in partnership with Enterprise Singapore and Ministry of Trade and Industry, will work with promising training providers to export Continuing Education and Training to the region and beyond.

                               
20 Sep 2024