Make training courses more accessible, responsive to market needs: Chan Chun Sing
With micro-credentials, learners can achieve full certification via bite-sized modules
TRAINING providers need to make their offerings more accessible, personalised and responsive to market needs, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing on Tuesday (Jul 9).
Greater accessibility, for instance, can be achieved with “micro-credentials” or bite-sized courses that fit more easily into working adults’ schedules.
“We know many adult workers are keen to upgrade to a full qualification,” said Chan at the annual SkillsFuture Forum, noting that government subsidies have made this more affordable.
“But we also know that this is not just about the financial cost. Adult learners may worry that they cannot commit to the full programme as many of them have family and work commitments,” he added.
This is where micro-credentials come in, the minister said.
Instead of committing to a full-time programme, learners can take stackable, modular micro-credentials that build up towards the same eventual certification. As each micro-credential is a standalone package, they can be spaced out over a few years.
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The flexibility offered by micro-credentials has been well-received, said Chan. There were 42,000 training places taken up for such modules in 2022, up from 34,000 in 2019.
Micro-credentials must also be formalised so that they can be recognised by both domestic and foreign employers, said Chan. Institutes of higher learning (IHLs) can do so by harmonising how these courses are named, and providing more information.
IHLs are also looking at cross-recognising one another’s credentials, so that courses can be taken across institutions.
For their part, the authorities will “innovate the micro-credentials landscape” by developing more courses with industry players, and bringing in more high-quality and industry-relevant courses by private training providers.
Personalisation, meanwhile, could involve the use of technology to tailor courses such that individuals can learn and be challenged at their own pace, in what is known as an adaptive learning approach.
Smart content platforms can use real-time feedback to personalise recommendations, said Chan. Training providers can also use the data and feedback to shorten the feedback loop when designing programmes.
Continued investment in research and capability building “remains a vital catalyst” for the adult learning sector, he added. The Institute of Adult Learning is leading this, with greater research into how to upgrade the sector’s capabilities.
Institutions are one of the three key players in strengthening Singapore’s national upskilling SkillsFuture movement, alongside employers and workers, said Chan.
Employers must set out the skills needed for their jobs and develop their employees. To help them do so, SkillsFuture Singapore has appointed professional bodies and trade associations as “skills development partners”.
These partners are also part of the micro-credentials effort. Under a new Industry Validation Track, they will curate micro-credentials offered in emerging or in-demand areas, and provide industry-recognised certifications for learners who have taken the relevant micro-credentials.
The Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES), for example, is rolling out the IES Chartered Engineer in Sustainability certification pathway, setting out the key skills needed and identifying micro-credentials that cover these.
Learners who complete the micro-courses will get the certification.
Finally, workers must take ownership of their skills development, Chan said.
Singapore has formally established SkillsFuture as a “key pillar in our social compact”, he noted.
“In Singapore, we are determined to… continuously invest in our people to help them stay competitive,” he said.
“But for SkillsFuture to succeed, it goes beyond just finding more public resources, more budget to invest in the various programmes. We also need individuals, industries and institutions to step up to their roles.”
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