SINGAPORE – Workers with expertise in their industries will soon be better equipped to provide coaching and mentorship to juniors in new training programmes under development.
One initiative involves the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) linking up with SBS Transit and training provider NTUC LearningHub to train about 80 senior bus captains from the public transport operator over three years.
IAL, an autonomous institute of the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said on Friday that it plans to launch more programmes by early 2024 and expand the scheme to sectors such as healthcare, social services, infocomm technology and professional services.
IAL executive director Yeo Li Pheow said the programmes are designed to cater to people who might find it challenging to participate in courses due to work commitments or other constraints.
“Based on our experience working with different partners across industries, there is a demand for such specialised professionals,” Associate Professor (Practice) Yeo told The Straits Times.
“Beyond just instruction, these experts also serve as mentors or coaches, guiding others through the nuances of their industry.
“While there are existing trainers, like bus driving instructors, the depth of expertise and mentoring capability offered by these industry expert trainers can be distinct and immensely beneficial.”
The initiative was announced at IAL’s Learning Enterprise Alliance awards ceremony on Friday, where agreements were also signed between IAL and the Agency for Integrated Care, Home Team Academy and learning technology company Kydon to co-develop workplace learning programmes.
Minister of State for Education and Manpower Gan Siow Huang told the event that workplace learning is a key strategy for companies to grow their role in reskilling and upskilling their employees.
Industry experts can enhance the pool of adult educators and are often tapped by employers to deliver workplace training, she said.
The SBS Transit programme will be conducted in-person over about 40 hours. Senior bus captains who complete the programme will gain skills for roles like service mentors or seconded bus captains at the Bus Captain Development Centre, and could pursue careers as public transport driving instructors, said Prof Yeo.
The training will be based on problem-based learning, in which trainees are given scenarios to work through, such as how they would guide an anxious junior bus captain facing for the first time a bus breakdown while on a morning peak hour route.
Mr Oon Boon Hee, a senior bus captain who has been driving with SBS Transit for 25 years and mentoring colleagues for 18 years, hopes to expand his knowledge further through the new training programme.
“We’ll get to have small group discussions with other mentors, so that we can learn from each other’s experience,” he said in Mandarin.
Mr Oon added that he likes mentoring new captains to help them get used to the job more quickly. He teaches them about the routes, safety and how to help passengers, and shows them around their work environment.
“The mentor system helps them be more safe and more confident when they drive,” he said.
