03/11/2016

Key Recommendations To Elevate Training And Adult Education Sector

New Training and Adult Education Sector Transformation Plan launched

The Training and Adult Education Sector Transformation Plan (TAESTP) was launched today to raise the quality of Training and Adult Education (TAE) in Singapore, and support the expansion of this sector. In line with the SkillsFuture movement, the TAESTP aims to transform the TAE sector, in order to enable Singaporeans to keep pace with the changing skills needs of the economy and achieve skills mastery.

Enhancing Competitiveness, Innovation and Capabilities amongst TAE Providers and Professionals

Developed by the TAE Skills Council in consultation with more than 150 professionals in the industry, the TAESTP recognises that TAE Providers and Professionals are critical partners in building up a skilled workforce in Singapore. There are seven key recommendations identified under the TAESTP, across three focal areas – Reposition for Growth, Strengthen Enabling Infrastructure, as well as Address Manpower and Skills Needs.

Reposition for Growth

The TAE sector is transforming rapidly, driven by SkillsFuture. TAE Providers should reposition themselves for the growth opportunities available. The development and publication of the Industry Transformation Maps and Skills Frameworks will enable TAE Providers to better understand the skills and manpower needs of the industries they serve. TAE Providers should therefore review their business strategies and operating models to ascertain how their training best meets these needs.

To support innovation in training delivery, iN.LEARN 2020 was launched on 28 October 2015, making available up to $27 million to TAE Providers and Professionals. iN.LEARN 2020 sets out to expand the capacity for learning innovation, and to support TAE Providers in innovative pedagogy, to deliver blended learning and technology-enabled learning. This includes the setting up of iN.LAB to catalyse the use of technology and innovation in learning, and to drive capability development of TAE providers and professionals. By 2020, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) envisages that 75% of the full Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses will be delivered via blended learning.

We have made progress under iN.LEARN 2020 over the past year. Almost 4,000 training places have been filled, across more than 90 capability development programmes conducted in iN.LAB. These programmes covered different spects of learning innovations to help the TAE sector adopt e-learning tools and appropriate learning technology as well as deliver blended learning. iN.LAB has also organised InnovPlus, a challenge-based hackathon, and three winning teams have been awarded prototype development grants of up to $200,000 each to develop their innovative learning solutions. Another $1.5million has also been committed under the e-learning development grant. As of September 2016, more than 50% of WSQ full qualification programmes are delivered via blended learning.

TAE Providers and Professionals are urged to continue to innovate, in order to increase the quality, effectiveness and accessibility of training. They should also consider how to integrate training as part of the delivery of holistic business solutions.

To strengthen the link between learning and performance, and to increase information transparency to individuals and organisations, SSG will also develop a Training Exchange and publish training outcomes and quality indicators of individual TAE Providers by the end of 2017. This will enable individual learners and enterprises to make informed choices on training.

Strengthen Enabling Infrastructure

At the same time, the systems and processes of TAE Providers will have to keep pace with the projected expansion of the sector. TAE Providers will need to become more operationally efficient and continue to improve how training is delivered. They can do so by tapping on technology.

Currently in development, the National Training Management System is expected to be ready in 2018 and will be made available to interested TAE Providers. This will help to strengthen training administration in the sector and enable TAE Providers to better serve learners.

As TAE Providers increasingly use technology to deliver blended learning, they will require learning management and delivery systems that can support their operations. As such, iN.LAB has made available LearningSpace.sg, a proof-of-concept total online learning solution that supports the development and delivery of online learning content. Currently being used by eight TAE Providers, it enables e-learning content creation and authoring, enhances learning analytics and reporting, and provides social learning features.

Address Manpower and Skills Needs

To effect this transformation of the TAE sector, TAE Providers and Professionals will need to assess and address their manpower and skills needs. TAE Providers that invest in building a strong and skilled TAE workforce will gain a competitive edge.

In view of the emerging skills required by the TAE sector, SSG and IAL have, in consultation with the industry, refreshed the Training and Adult Education Professional Competency Model (TAEPCM), which was first launched in 2012. The refreshed Version 2 of the TAEPCM is now available and includes new skills required by the sector, such as learning and performance consulting, business and entrepreneurship, as well as learning pedagogy innovation.

TAE Providers should create a learning workplace environment that embraces skills deepening and professionalisation. To support TAE Professionals in their skills deepening journey, the range of certifiable programmes offered by IAL has been broadened, including four Masters programmes. The SkillsFuture Study Award will be made available to TAE Professionals to encourage skills mastery and deepen their professional competencies. IAL also introduced the Adult Educators’ Professionalisation (AEP) initiative in 2015 to recognise Adult Educators (AEs) with different levels of skills and experiences. To date, more than 150 AEs have been recognised through the AEP, and more will continue to be accredited.

"As the SkillsFuture movement gathers momentum, a high-quality TAE sector is critical in providing Singaporeans with a wide range of training opportunities to effectively re-skill and up-skill themselves. The TAESTP is a pivotal roadmap in guiding TAE Providers and Professionals in this transformation, and in elevating the quality of the TAE system," said Mr Ng Cher Pong, Chief Executive of SkillsFuture Singapore.

The TAESTP was announced at today’s Adult Learning Symposium 2016 organised by IAL, where about 600 TAE Providers and Professionals will gain insights on the TAESTP and TAE landscape. The symposium themed "Future of Work, Future of Learning" this year, is a biennial event that gathers best-in-class industry experts, academics and practitioners in related fields to share their insights on people development and adult learning.