Singapore's lifelong learning scene is ripe for transformation

Bold strategies can be taken to better engage workers and employers across the board and it goes beyond funding.

- Terence Ho

Next year, the SkillsFuture movement will be 10 years old. Over the past decade, continuing education and training (CET) has become a national priority driven by advancing technology and intensifying global competition.

While the CET ecosystem has matured, challenges remain: how to get more workers and employers to invest in training, and how to get the most bang for the buck from public spending on CET.

Addressing these challenges will take tighter coordination across stakeholders in the CET ecosystem.

At The Conversation, an event hosted by the National University of Singapore, I listened to thought leaders from the institutes of higher learning (IHLs), National Trades Union Congress, public agencies and the private sector who had come together to make sense of the CET landscape and consider what could be done collectively to strengthen it.

The Conversation raised several interesting ideas to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of CET in Singapore. One thing was clear: a greater level of engagement and innovation could take CET forward.

FOR WORKERS: CUSTOMISATION, FLEXIBILITY AND FUN Among those who are reluctant to take up training, some perceive it as neither engaging nor relevant; others may have struggled in school and dread a return to the classroom.

We often forget that learning should be enjoyable for everyone, not just children. For adults juggling work, caregiving and other family responsibilities, attending training sessions can feel like an added burden, making it seem more tempting to spend that time catching up on much-needed rest. Even those who are motivated to learn may be hindered as a result.

The solution for this goes beyond funding - giving employees time away from work may also not suffice as trainees have to deal with a backlog of e-mails when they return to the office. Flexible learning options such as digital, online and workplace learning could help.