A systematic approach to adult educators’ professional development in Singapore: challenges and future developments

This paper explores and analyses adult educators’ professional development (PD) in Singapore at three levels: national, organisational (training providers) and individual and examines the gap between skills supply and demand of adult educators. Requirements for adult educators’ competencies established by the government initiative SkillsFuture, views of training providers and adult educators themselves on skills requirements are included as the demand side. Individually self-reported skills proficiency of adult educators is considered as a supply. The results identified that there is a close match between skills demand from training providers and individual and supply. However, some targets in terms of skills required for adult educators set up by the government policies have not been viewed by training providers or adult educators as priorities for development. This paper argues that in planning for continuing PD for adult educators, particular attention should be given from a systematic perspective that takes into consideration the wider context where the adult educators work. It can serve as a reference point to inform localised PD programmes and policies in the broader landscape of adult education and lifelong learning.