Public-private partnership key to lifelong learning

ADVANCES in technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, cloud computing, and others, along with ubiquitous connectivity and social media have ushered in an era of rapid technological change.

In March 2001, futurist Ray Kurzweil wrote that as far as technology is concerned, the world would not experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century; it will be more like 20,000 years of progress "when compared to today's (2001) rate". His point was that technological change is exponential and in a few decades, the world would be unrecognisably different.

His prediction is spot on. Many of the technologies that we take for granted at work or at home in the third decade of the 21st century were not even on the drawing boards in 2001. While this rapid change has undoubtedly benefited society on multiple fronts, it poses a challenge for education and skills development, especially for the modern technology-driven workplace.

In our book chapter titled SkillsFuture: The Roles of Public and Private Sectors in Developing a Learning Society in Singapore, published by the Asian Development Bank in the Springer book Powering a Learning Society During an Age of Disruption in May this year, we discussed how traditional education and training systems have become inadequate in imparting the necessary skills in an environment where change is a constant. Fresh graduates need to be prepared with relevant skills, knowledge, and expertise to meet the requirements of today's and future jobs, where the skills required are changing at a breakneck speed.

The need of the hour is a new education system and pedagogy that can provide people, from all segments of society, the opportunity to adapt and learn throughout life. This will enable them to remain relevant and employable even as industries and jobs change.

Education systems that concentrate learning in the first two decades of an individual's life must evolve towards a lifelong learning paradigm. To cope with a future where change is the only constant, pedagogy must shift towards equipping individuals with critical foundational skills in these early years rather than rote learning, to nurture a spirit of adaptability as self-directed learners who take personal responsibility to develop and deepen their skill sets throughout their lives.

HOLISTIC, INCLUSIVE APPROACH

To achieve this, governments need to create new avenues for learning that encompasses multiple pathways and sources of knowledge. Many of today's emerging skill sets do not originate from higher education institutions, and are instead being defined and advanced by industry. Such emergent knowledge and skills often evolve at a rate faster than the ability of educational institutions to update their curriculum and equip their teachers. Greater emphasis on skills-based education is required to supplement the traditional education approaches.

The SkillsFuture movement in Singapore is an example of how we are evolving the education and training system to provide comprehensive access to opportunities for lifelong learning. Multi-stakeholder partnerships with institutions, training providers, government agencies, industry, trade bodies, and unions are part of the holistic and inclusive approach.

Lifelong learning is a necessity not only for individuals, but also for companies who need to ensure that their workforce remains competitive as new technologies and processes are introduced. However, companies are traditionally reluctant to invest in training because of cost and loss of productivity.

One solution is co-investing between the public and private sectors. This helps to reduce both the public sector's fiscal burden in the provision of education and training opportunities, and reduces the burden on private enterprises in scouting for the right talent and skill sets required in today's fast-moving technology landscape. Such partnerships are beneficial for both public and private sectors.

An example of a public-private partnership is the Salesforce Career Kickstarter Programme, a six-month course under the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme - Company Training. A joint collaboration between SkillsFuture Singapore, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Salesforce, the course helps to train mid-career professionals in emerging skills that will lead to a range of career opportunities with Salesforce and partners in their ecosystem. Besides a monthly training allowance, trainees will also receive career advisory and employment assistance in their search for relevant jobs.

Companies can also take the lead in training to help uplift the industry. One example is Salesforce's Trailhead programme, which empowers those who are keen to learn marketable skills.

A PUBLIC GOOD

Another example is the UiPath Academic Alliance programme developed by UiPath, a global enterprise automation software company. This global programme launched in Singapore in 2019 and enables higher education institutions, professional bodies and non-governmental organisations to train students and experienced professionals for in-demand automation jobs.

Through the programme, UiPath has made its curriculum available to more than 1,000 higher learning institutions and workforce development organisations globally. Out of those, 20 are in Singapore, including NTUC, NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Learning, NTU, Singapore Management University, and more. Since its creation, the programme has impacted numerous educators and students, helping the latter secure employment thanks to their new automation skills.

The 2015 report Rethinking Education: Towards a global common good? by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization advocates that education should be viewed as a public good, and the rising need for lifelong learning raises the imperative to consider universal access and provision as a collective social endeavour. In moving towards positioning lifelong learning as a public good, governments need to rethink their fiscal policies and governance principles relating to education and training.

Drawing upon the experience of Singapore and other countries that are pioneering lifelong learning, policymakers leading the development of learning societies within their respective countries can formulate policy interventions that are fitting to their contexts.

Ultimately, the goal is to inculcate a mindset of continuous learning and to make lifelong learning accessible and affordable for everyone. To do so successfully, it is important that governments involve the private sector and the community at large.

• Michael Fung is deputy chief executive (industry); chief human resource and chief data officer of SkillsFuture Singapore Agency. William Sim is vice-president of Salesforce (Asia-Pacific). Renzo Taal is senior vice president and managing director (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) of UiPath.