Special Interest Groups

SIG 2025: Elevate Your Professional Journey
As we enter 2025, we're thrilled to unveil the updated Special Interest Groups (SIGs) designed to elevate your professional development. While there are no new SIGs this year, we've made key updates to ensure our offerings remain relevant and impactful for our AEN community.

What's New for 2025 

Internationalisation for Sustainability: Formerly known as the Internationalisation track, this updated focus integrates sustainability into international initiatives. It aligns with global best practices, providing Adult Educators (AEs) with insights into regional and international opportunities, and equipping you with a global perspective to enhance your competitiveness as business consultants.

 

Note: The Learning Design track will not be offered in 2025.



A Holistic Approach to Member Development

This year, we are enhancing collaboration across our diverse SIG tracks. Each SIG is designed to foster synergy and provide a comprehensive approach to professional growth. From Coaching and Critical Core Skills to Entrepreneurship, Workplace Learning, Learning Technology, and Internationalisation for Sustainability, our SIGs offer tailored opportunities for skills development, knowledge sharing, and innovation. By engaging with these tracks, you'll join a dynamic and interconnected community, ensuring a holistic and impactful experience for all AEN members. 

Active Participation: Your Path to Personal Growth

Your active participation in our SIGs will enhance your personal and professional development. Joining a SIG goes beyond just attending sessions—it's about diving into discussions, sharing your experiences, and collaborating with peers. Whether you're honing your skills in Coaching, exploring Workplace Learning, or deepening your knowledge in Entrepreneurship or Learning Technology, your engagement will directly contribute to your growth.

By actively participating, you'll gain valuable insights, build a strong professional network, and enhance your expertise. This involvement will help you stay ahead in the field of adult education, positioning you for greater success. Your journey with us is about continuous learning and improvement, and your active role is key to making the most of these opportunities.


Get Involved! We look forward to an exciting year of learning, growth, and collaboration. Join a SIG today and take the next step in your professional journey!


The Seven SIG Tracks



Coaching


Chairperson(s): Mavis Ng and Lim Han Ee 


This year, Coaching SIG aims to create a thriving ecosystem for coaches (new and experienced) to grow, connect and contribute. The upcoming coaching sessions are specially designed to empower coaching enthusiasts by blending industry-specific insights with meaningful community engagement. Community members will engage in interactive sessions focused on professional growth, practical application, and fostering connections within the coaching community.  


1. Stay tuned for the upcoming session






Critical Core Skills


Chairperson(s): Andrea Chan and Kris Loy


According to the Skills Demand for the Future Economy Report 2022, employers have been increasing their demand for specific soft skills (also known as Critical Core Skills) in their workforce (Refer to Critical Core Skills That Employers Want | Education, Career and Personal Development). Individuals who demonstrate a combination of soft and hard skills are seen as talents in demand. Therefore, it is important to hone both skills to become an all-rounded individual to enable organisations to stay nimble and agile. 


IAL recognises the momentum to create awareness and support individuals to embark on the journey of developing their critical core skills. In 2024, we explored 4 critical core skills, namely, in self-management, thinking critically through sense-making and transdisciplinary thinking, and communication. 2025 will continue to present opportunities for you to take actions to become a better ME to future-proof your practices and skills in areas of communication, collaboration, learning agility and problem solving. Me2.0 is a series of discovery and experiential engagements to bring you through a journey of self-reflection and exploring the possibilities to hone your critical core skills as Adult Educators and HR Professionals. This will in turn influence and inspire your learners and workforce to take charge of their critical core skills. 


1. Stay tuned for the upcoming session






Entrepreneurship


Chairperson(s): Steven Koh

Tailored for passionate Adult Educators venturing into TAE entrepreneurship, this track cultivates your entrepreneurial acumen by delving into vital business aspects such as business model intricacies, market opportunity identification, Edtech product development, and effective fundraising and investment strategies. 


1. Succeeding in Training and Adult Education: Market Insights and Growth Strategies (7 March 2025)
2. Stay Tuned for more upcoming sessions






Facilitation


Chairperson(s): Chan Earn Meng 


The Facilitation SIG is a platform dedicated to honing the art and science of facilitation. It is specifically designed for educators who aspire to elevate their facilitation skills to new heights. In this SIG, we will deep dive into specific tools and techniques of facilitation so that you develop facilitation core skills and experience firsthand the transformative impact that a skillfully conducted session can have on your learners. We will also engage in rich discussions with our peers – share case studies, exchange best practices, and learn from fellow professionals. Together, we can build a stronger community of skilled facilitators. This is more than just a learning opportunity; it's a chance to be part of a community that values growth, collaboration, and excellence in facilitation. Enhance your skills, share your experiences, and learn from the best.


1. Stay tuned for the upcoming session






Internationalisation for Sustainability 


Chairperson(s): Dr Alvin Oh and Gerald Ong


Targets Adult Educators (AEs) and Training and Adult Education (TAE) businesses seeking to broaden their awareness of global education trends with the intent of scaling their businesses beyond Singapore. By focusing on sustainability as a core pillar, the track empowers participants to explore and design initiatives that align with international best practices, fostering sustainable growth and long-term impact. This SIG track will allow AEs to gain insights into the regional and international project opportunities, equipping them with a global perspective to enhance their competitiveness as business consultant. 


It also emphasizes the integration of sustainable consultative practices to future-proof their offerings, ensuring alignment with the evolving demands of the TAE sector. Participants will explore how internationalisation will bring the most out of GreenTech and Sustainable Innovation, the AI revolution on Sustainability and how Eco-Friendly Tourism provides innovation and investment opportunities for international entrepreneurship. Methodologies will include an intro to the use of MindPowered models for entrepreneurial thinking towards internationalisation. 


1. Growing Your Consultancy Services in Sustainability and Landing Your Shores in Philippines (14 March 2025)

2. Stay Tuned for more upcoming sessions





Learning Technology 


Chairperson(s): Eunice Lim and Darren Tjan


Discover and stay on top of learning technology trends to support your professional practice as an Adult Educator. Collaborate with practitioners to share, experiment and harness various learning technologies to optimise learning experiences. Join us on this journey as we explore the transformative landscape of learning technology, creating a space where shared ideas and collective knowledge foster innovation and growth.


1. Future-Forward Educators: Embracing Technology to Transform Learning in 2025 (14 Feb 2025)
2. Stay tuned for more upcoming sessions 







Workplace Learning


Chairperson(s): Clare Poon and Cynthia Lau


Are you curious or have responsibilities in designing and implementing industry-aligned workplace learning programs? If yes, then join us along with workplace learning practitioners and enthusiasts to learn and discover the unique workplace learning initiatives and approaches in this current dynamic and evolving work environment.  We focus on the sharing of authentic successes and challenges and explore new practice possibilities so that you and your organisation can advance impactful workplace learning initiatives.


1. Using Workplace Learning to Unleash the Power of Collaboration and Technology (28 Feb 2025)

2. Stay tuned for more upcoming sessions 






Find out more about our available SIGs and sign up for them now!

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