1. I am happy to join you today to commemorate the fifth anniversary of iN.LAB's founding.
2. Five years ago, the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) launched iN.LAB to catalyse innovation in adult learning, against a backdrop of globalisation, evolving workforce demands, and impact of emerging technologies on work. I'm glad that our past leaders had the foresight to create iN.LAB.
3. COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies at the workplace. Likewise, training providers have had to adapt quickly and shift skills training onto online platforms. IAL picked up on this need, and promptly adapted all its programmes, certificate courses and workshops to be fully online. In April this year, in the midst of the Circuit Breaker, iN.LAB convened an online InnovLogue, which discussed online facilitation to support Training and Adult Education (TAE). The event was well-attended, with some 400 attendees from enterprises, training providers and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), as well as Adult Educators.
iN.LAB's role in innovating adult learning in a post-COVID-19 world
4. In the past five years, iN.LAB has galvanised the TAE community to innovate through hackathons and business clinics.
5. Funded by iN.LAB's grant, local EdTech company VisionarySchoolmen partnered Changi General Hospital to develop an AI-powered solution to train and assess nurses from the Emergency Department to perform more accurate triage of patients. This success story demonstrates the significance of iN.LAB's work, and the transformative impact of bringing together industry partners in a commitment to innovate.
6. I would like to congratulate iN.LAB for the role it has played in transforming the TAE sector in Singapore. Today, we will be witnessing the formation of a partnership between iN.LAB and eight industry partners including Spaze Ventures, a start-up incubator, HiverLab, a developer of Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) learning tools, and Playware Studios, a developer of simulation and game-based learning software. iN.LAB will work with these partners to develop an innovation and technology ecosystem for the TAE sector, with initiatives such as mentorship opportunities to help entrepreneurs develop educational technology prototypes and bring them to market.
Charting IAL's next phase
7. Beyond iN.LAB, IAL has a wider mission to transform our TAE sector. In IAL's five-year roadmap, IAL will focus on three strategic goals.
8. First, to nurture a cutting-edge and effective TAE sector, one which continually creates opportunities for reskilling and upskilling. Our vision is for IAL to be the go-to authority on TAE, as a key supporting pillar for the SkillsFuture Movement. IAL will strengthen adult education research capabilities and translate research findings into programmes.
9. Second, to build and support enterprises in workplace learning, through the establishment of the National Centre of Excellence for Workplace Learning at IAL (NACE@IAL), and facilitating SMEs' access to IAL's network of TAE professionals.
10. And third, to encourage and proliferate innovation and digitalisation, leveraging iN.LAB to bring together the TAE community to collaborate and foster learning innovation.
11. With a robust plan laid out for the next five years, IAL is well-positioned to lead the transformation of the TAE sector to support the Next Bound of SkillsFuture.
Conclusion
12. I look forward to the positive impact that IAL and iN.LAB will continue to bring to the TAE community, as you work in concert with the TAE sector partners and stakeholders towards the betterment of Singapore's workforce and industry.
13. Congratulations again to iN.LAB on your fifth anniversary. I wish you many more years of innovation ahead.