Powering the next generation of AEs: Mentorship in action

Description

Earning a professional certification in Training and Adult Education (TAE) is an important first milestone on the road to becoming a confident and capable Adult Educator (AE). But this is just the beginning.

What truly shapes an AE is the hands-on learning that happens in the field—guided by experience, shaped by peers, and enriched by the expertise of those who have walked the path before.

Recognising this, IAL’s Adult Education Mentorship Pus programme connects emerging and mid-career AEs with seasoned professionals, creating a space for meaningful learning, guidance, and growth.

“The programme is designed to create the opportunity for those new to the Adult Educator role, helping them connect with seasoned mentors in the trade. The work as an AE can require applied skills that expands beyond classroom learnings, especially when it is done in different organisations to meet different objectives, and cater to diverse learner profiles. Having a dedicated mentor to help you navigate the complexities of the field can offer insights that accelerate your professional growth and foster invaluable skills,” says Ms Joanna Tan, Assistant Director, Learning & Professional Development, IAL. “This programme not only enriches your knowledge but also helps you build strong industry connections.”

We caught up with one such mentor-mentee pair—Dr Casey Ho, an expert in People and Organisational Development with deep roots in both industry and adult education, and his mentee Wee Kim Chye. After completing a fulfilling 10-month mentorship journey, they share how the experience has enriched them and what makes mentorship work.

Mr Wee Kim Chye (left) calls on Adult Educators who are serious about building your career in the TAE industry to join the mentorship programme. (Photo courtesy of Mr Casey Ho)

How did the idea to join the programme come about for the both of you?

Dr Ho: Kim Chye was one of my learners at the Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance (ACLP) 2.0 programme when I facilitated it in 2024. I found it easy to have good conversations about a range of topics and he was keen to learn more about using the Skills Framework in practical ways. We decided then that the mentorship programme would be an ideal platform for us to work together.

Wee: Dr Ho actually mentioned the mentorship programme in one of the classes! So I approached him after the class to sound him out on mentoring me!

That’s a great example of taking charge of your learning! How did the both of you work together to make the mentorship journey a rich and meaningful one?

Dr Ho: So, the programme actually lasted 10 months. We made it a point to be committed to meeting once a month, whether in person or virtually. Each session would last two hours or so. In between, we would communicate via WhatsApp or email, and I would send him materials to read and think about.

We also set up a milestone chart to track progress. Each time we meet, we would first start with topics like industry trends, global happenings, before diving into the goals set for mentoring.

Wee: We decided that Dr Ho would mentor me in a project I was working on, where I was advising an engineering SME on its business development. The project required intensive work on talent acquisition and development to support the company’s growth plans. So Dr Ho and I focused on diving deep into the Skills Framework for the sector.

Interesting. Did the mentorship contribute to your project?

Wee: Yes! The company I was advising wanted to pivot to a new business sector and did not have the right talents for the job. Part of my work was to help them acquire and develop the right skillset to secure projects and grow.

For example, their original hiring process was rather informal and did not map to their existing skills gaps. We came up with documents and processes to make hiring much more rigorous so that the talents were a good fit with the company and had clear roles and deliverables.

Dr Ho helped a lot with diving deep into the Skills Framework and Technical Skills Competencies of the hires, such as the sales force. More importantly, he also helped me to see that the project can be managed strategically, such as getting stakeholder buy-in by co-creating the new processes with the team, and building in quick wins and tangible results.

Dr Ho: Kim Chye’s overall goal was to enhance the organisational efficiency as the company moved to the next phase of growth. I would challenge his assumptions such as the idea of a “natural sales people”. We constantly bounced ideas. The work involved change management, so I suggested to him that he needed to help the top management see the benefits of the new processes and manage their mindsets so that the project did not lose steam.

Would you say the journey has enriched the both of you?

Dr Ho: Certainly! Kim Chye has very strong domain expertise in business development and I find it very interesting to hear his perspectives. I’ve learnt a lot from him as well in areas such as how to grow a company, business strategies, and engaging customers. Most importantly, we have formed an authentic relationship. The programme has already ended but we are still in touch and regularly sharing ideas!

Wee: Dr Ho is very experienced in adult education. For someone like me, who is undergoing a mid-career transition, it is very valuable to have an old hand like him to show me how to apply adult education and facilitation knowledge to a real-world project. He is very open to discussing different approaches and really coaches very well.

Lastly, for AEs looking to be part of the programme, what advice would you give them?

Dr Ho: For veteran AEs, I would encourage them come forward and be mentors, and to impart their knowledge and expertise to younger and upcoming AEs who are passionate about the industry. Then they can take the sector forward. Once you are part of the programme, be committed. Dedicate time for thought-provoking discussions. Look for interesting reads and research to excite your mentees about the field.

Wee: If you are serious about building your career in the TAE industry, joining the mentorship programme is a concrete step. You need to find ways to be part of the training community and the industry, and to make yourself known so that you could build opportunities.

Also, as mentees, we need to be conscious that the mentors and IAL have invested significant effort and time to create and run this programme. So, committing to the programme, having the right attitude, being aligned with the mentor, and having the appetite to learn—these are crucial to ensuring the journey would be fruitful.