What is the initiative and where is it implemented (city or country, for example)?
The Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) is an autonomous institute within the Singapore University of Social Sciences. Its mandate is to be the national centre of excellence in learning, practice and research for the Training and Adult Education (TAE) sector in continued support of the national SkillsFuture movement.
How was the initiative established? How was it implemented?
IAL was established in 2008 to provide training for adult educators and lead research in adult learning. Under SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) – formerly the Singapore Workforce Development Agency – the institute provides continuing education and training for adult educators, conducts research in workforce development and lifelong learning, and fuels innovation in continuous education and training (CET).
SkillsFuture Singapore oversees the implementation of the national SkillsFuture movement which promotes awareness of lifelong learning and supports quality education and training in Singapore. SSG also works with stakeholders to ensure access to high-quality training relevant to the demands of industry and different sectors of the economy to ensure the supply of an innovative and productive workforce.
IAL is overseen by an independent Council, chaired by the Chief Executive of SSG. An Executive Director is appointed by SSG and SUSS. The work IAL undertakes is aligned with national priorities under the overall lifelong learning policy.
Which stakeholders are involved in the design and/or implementation of the initiative? Which sectors do they represent?
IAL works hand-in-hand with enterprises and the TAE community, believing that employers and the workforce will be the drivers of change for the future. In addition to building skills, shaping employment and CET decisions, and developing innovations in learning technology and pedagogy, IAL champions research in the key areas of adult education for sustainable economic and workforce performance and informed policies and practices.
IAL works in close collaboration with adult education professionals, businesses, human resource developers and policy-makers. It is governed by an independent council which determines its strategic direction. The council is made up of 11 members, representatives of government bodies, higher education institutions and key industry partners. To lead IAL in achieving its vision as the national centre of excellence in adult learning, practice and research, the council recruits members who bring with them expertise in continuing education and training.
In 2014, Adult Educators Professionalization (AEP) was launched by IAL – a new initiative to support adult educators with career benefits, training subsidies and networking opportunities. The initiative offers three tracks – Associate Adult Educators (AAE), Specialist Adult Educators (SAE), and either Curriculum Development and Facilitation (CDF) or Adult Educator Fellowship (AEF).
As of December 2020, the TAE sector of the institute counts 7,000 Adult Education Network Members, 1,798 Associate Adult Educators, 593 Specialist Adult Educators and five Adult Education Fellows.
What are the impacts of the initiative in terms of facilitating lifelong learning? Whom does it benefit and how?
Since April 2019, IAL has operated as an autonomous Institute within the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). It leads research in sustaining economic performance through skills, shaping employment as well as CET decisions, and developing innovations through learning technology and contemporary pedagogical practices.
SUSS is one of six autonomous universities in Singapore providing lifelong learning opportunities and equipping learners to serve society. It provides applied education that targets recent school graduates and adult learners with a focus on social sciences and lifelong learning. Various initiatives by SkillsFuture, SUSS and IAL promote active participation in the learning journey and pursuit of development.
In October 2020, IAL announced its Five-year Strategic Roadmap (2020–2025) to support building a resilient, adaptive and continuously learning workforce for the new economy (IAL, 2020). The roadmap outlines IAL’s aspirations of advancing towards the future and meeting the evolving needs of a dynamic industry and enterprise environment. Through this plan, IAL envisions a future where:
- A vibrant TAE community in Singapore is well-respected and valued by individuals and organizations;
- IAL is a port-of-call for individuals and organizations to continually upgrade themselves;
- IAL is at the forefront of innovation and digitization for the CET sector.
In April 2020, IAL transitioned to fully online learning for all programmes and professional development courses to meet the need for digital adoption in adult education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. IAL quickly transformed its teaching and learning methods to make a smooth and efficient transition from traditional classrooms to online learning platforms.
A total of 51 continuing professional development programmes for 3,240 learners were conducted fully online between April 2020 and October 2020.
Between April 2020 and August 2020, IAL held ‘Familiarization with Online Learning’ sessions to equip the TAE community with foundational knowledge and practical capability to conduct online learning using Zoom and Canvas platforms. An online dialogue session ‘Facilitating Online Synchronous Teaching – Tips for Adult Educators’, was organized in the midst of the Circuit Breaker period to garner feedback and address concerns on online learning.
References
IAL and SUSS, 2020. Annual report 2019–2020. Advancing towards a continuously learning future. [PDF] Singapore, IAL .Available at: www.ial.edu.sg/content/dam/projects/tms/ial/About-IAL/resources/IAL%20Annual%20Report%20(Final).pdf [Accessed 24 May 2021].
IAL, 2020. Strategic roadmap. [Online] Available at: www.ial.edu.sg/alwaysadvancing/index.html [Accessed 24 May 2021].
SUSS, 2018. Institute For Adult Learning to be restructured as autonomous institute within SUSS. [Online] Available at: www.suss.edu.sg/news-and-events/media-resources/media-releases/institute-for-adult-learning-to-be-restructured-as-autonomous-institute-within-suss [Accessed 24 May 2021].