Committee of Supply 2024 debate, Day 4: Foo Mee Har on deepening lifelong learning

The Government should nurture a new generation of industry-linked training providers specially designed to serve the unique learning needs of working adults to ensure that Singapore has the programmes that target skills upgrading and acquisition rather academic qualifications, said MP Foo Mee Har. Speaking in Parliament on Monday (Mar 4), she said these industry-linked training providers must be deeply integrated with the sectors they serve through partnerships. The course offerings should undergo regular review cycles to remain responsive to evolving industry trends and skills demands, while the assessment of learning outcomes must align with industry relevance, she added. Industry leaders should have strong representation on the Board of Directors of the schools to ensure strong alignment of resources and outcomes with industry needs. Ms Foo suggested starting a SkillsFuture accreditation framework based on the curriculum’s relevance, involvement of qualifying industry trainers and employers and endorsement of employment outcomes. She said industry-linked training providers with a proven track record of delivering strong outcomes should receive support and recognition comparable to that accorded to publicly funded Institutes of Higher Learning. She believes such a measure would foster a new generation of highly specialised schools, each with deep domain expertise in their respective industries.