A Review of the Lifelong Learning and Continuing Education System in Singapore

Authors

Brian Teck Kin Heng, School of BusinessFollow
Mei Zhen Ng, SUSS Academy, Singapore University of Social SciencesFollow

Abstract

The workforce development field faces profound impacts due to rapid changes in the job landscape, necessitating new skill requirements driven by technological advancements. However, there remains a gap in studying and understanding the interaction between government support, employers/union support, and the learner themselves to influence a positive outcome for employment and employability. Therefore, this study will utilise semi-structured interviews where participants will be divided into two main groups: workforce leaders, and workforce members (comprises workers, employees and job seekers). The actor-oriented approach reveals the roles of the various identified players in the employment and skill-upgrading landscape. The interviews were designed with open-ended questions to encourage discussion and elicit participants' descriptions and understandings, providing a more in-depth exploration of the topics. We use thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2006) to interpret our data and develop our themes. These themes include employment, employability, lifelong learning, and workforce development perspectives. We discovered the dynamic interplay among stakeholders—each contributing to cultivating a skilled and adaptable workforce. This approach underscores the importance of government support, collaborative efforts, and individual empowerment in fostering lifelong learning and industry-specific skill development, aligning with workforce leaders' and members' priorities and expectations, ultimately enhancing employment and employability outcomes.

Keywords

lifelong learning, CET, employment, employability, adult learners, thematic analysis, interviews, convenience sampling

Author Bio(s)

Both authors are heavily involved in various CET training and lifelong education programmes at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). Hence, they are interested in analysing the current industry skill gaps and working closely with industries and governmental funding agencies to design training curricula for Singapore’s workforce, including graduates, to continue skill upgrading and retraining.

Associate Professor Brian Heng is a full-time faculty with the Singapore University of Social Sciences under School of Business. His research interest includes Digital economy, marketing, communications and B2B2C buying behaviours, Entrepreneurship and economic developments, Overseas Chinese capitalism and entrepreneurship, Future skills, future work and knowledge economy. Please direct correspondence to brianhengtk@suss.edu.sg

Dr. Ng Mei Zhen is a lecturer in Singapore University of Social Sciences under Center for Continuing and Professional Education. Her research interest focus on Future skills, future work, knowledge economy and digital marketing.

Publication Date

11-30-2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2025.6859

Recommended APA Citation

Heng, B. T. K., & Ng, M. Z. (2025). A review of the lifelong learning and continuing education system in Singapore. The Qualitative Report, 30(11), 4573-4591. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.6859