Forum: Senior workers need help to enrol on skills upgrading courses

I refer to the Opinion piece “Some vulnerable workers may need more help to act on the latest upskilling measures” (Feb 24). Sentiments raised in the article resonate with adult learners.

There are numerous hurdles impeding adult learners from enrolling on skills upgrading courses.

Employers tend to select younger workers when choosing staff to send for training as they think older ones have a “shorter runway” to reap post-training benefits.

Mid-career adult learners who are unemployed and contemplating whether to enrol on a course will have doubts about whether they can get long-term gainful employment after completing training.

The number of courses available on the SkillsFuture portal (about 29,000) makes it difficult for new users to select the appropriate courses.

There are a few possible solutions to address some of these challenges.

It must be impressed upon employers that senior workers often bring their years of experience to the table and it is more cost-effective to send them for training to address specific skill gaps than to send junior employees for training and wait for them to accumulate sufficient work experience.

Most of the curriculum in SkillsFuture’s Workforce Skills Qualifications courses involves group discussions.

Training providers should encourage trainees to introduce friends to courses as attending classes together with friends has been proven to amplify the learners’ level of motivation.

Research has shown that social components are major contributory factors to adult learners’ eventual successful completion of courses. As an incentive, the learner who introduces friends can be given discounts when he signs up for subsequent courses.

To help new users navigate the numerous courses available on the SkillsFuture portal, an online training needs analysis system can be set up to help them map their current skill sets and competencies to the courses.

Jason Goh