ERIC Number: EJ1376074
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2042-3896
EISSN: N/A
Employers' Perspectives of Effective Continuing Education and Training in Singapore
Leow, Anthony; Chua, Shuyi; Billett, Stephen; Le, Anh Hai
Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning, v13 n2 p217-232 2023
Purpose: Employers often claim that the lack of employee competence is a limitation in their enterprises' success and viability. Consequently, employers are important stakeholders in considerations for workforce continuing education and training (CET) policies and practices. Hence, the authors undertook an exploratory investigation to understand how employers perceive provisions of CET offered through tertiary education institutions and how they might be improved. Design/methodology/approach: Overall, 40 employers from a range of industry sectors in Singapore were surveyed and interviewed about effective CET for their employees. Findings: These employers reported preferring one-on-one training in the workplace and being willing to invest in their employees' training so long employees remained committed to their companies. They value online education, but prefer that it is combined with workplace or face-to-face learning experiences. They proposed effective CET trainers as those with relevant industry knowledge and teaching skills and effective CET learners as those who were self-motivated, goal oriented and open-minded. Originality/value: A study of such nature that focusses on the perspectives of employers, as opposed to employees and educators, has not been undertaken before in Singapore. Given Singapore's increasing emphasis on lifelong learning and the workplace as a vital site for that learning, the lessons learnt here transcend national boundaries and may serve as a useful reference for other countries that seek to provide inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all.
Descriptors: Employer Attitudes, Professional Continuing Education, Professional Development, Skill Development, Job Skills, Workplace Learning, Foreign Countries, On the Job Training
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Singapore
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A