iN.LEARN 2.0 launched to accelerate development and adoption of innovative solutions in the Training and Adult Education sector

IAL to lead new initiative to propel innovation in adult learning

SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) has launched the Innovative Learning 2.0 (iN.LEARN 2.0) initiative that supports development of innovative solutions in the Training and Adult Education (TAE) sector, to drive impactful learning outcomes for workforce and enterprises. Institute for Adult Learning (IAL), an autonomous institute of the Singapore University of Social Science (SUSS), is appointed to drive this initiative.

Refreshing the Innovative Learning Initiative

iN.LEARN 2.0 follows in the footsteps of iN.LEARN 2020, which was launched in 2015 to promote innovative and blended learning in the Continuing Education and Training (CET) ecosystem. SSG has refreshed the initiative to better foster supportive market conditions that can increase the rate and adoption of innovative training approaches and practices. CET providers can tap on iN.LEARN 2.0 for co-funding and co-sharing the risks of promising innovations, as well as receiving exemption from regulatory requirements.

iN.LEARN 2.0 will focus on four key areas:
      i.         increasing the uptake of online and blended learning by individuals;
      ii.        amplifying enterprises’ adoption of innovative learning technology;
      iii.       developing effective remote assessment and proctoring solutions for individual and enterprise-led training;
      iv.       developing effective placement solutions that tighten the industry-training nexus.

The initiative is targeted at training providers, Education Technology solutionists, enterprises, and Training and Adult Education professionals.

Support for innovative solutions will encompass several stages of development, from minimum viable products to commercialisation of minimum marketable products through an innovation incubator (innovPlus) and accelerator (innovSpur), as well as an innovation Sandbox for testing of new ideas in SSG’s funded-training space.

Applications for the three programmes under the iN.LEARN 2.0 initiative are now open, interested applicants with innovative solutions and training related challenges are invited to participate. Please refer to Annex A for more details on the three programmes.

Appointment of IAL

With its experience and expertise in spearheading innovation in CET, SSG has appointed IAL as the programme manager for iN.LEARN 2.0 to support innovations from ideation to commercialisation through its three key programmes – the innovPlus,  innovSpur  and Sandbox.

Mr Tan Kok Yam, Chief Executive of SSG, said “The refreshed iN.LEARN 2.0 initiative signals SSG’s strong commitment to encourage and support innovation in the TAE sector. We hope that new ideas will emerge that prove to be effective and scalable, in helping more working adults learn and upskill themselves.”

Professor Lee Wing On, IAL’s Executive Director said, “A rapidly evolving environment demands a proactive response, even more so one that can anticipate the changes to come. IAL is a stalwart advocate of learning innovation for workplace transformation, and as appointed Programme Manager for iN.LEARN 2.0, we are emboldened in our task of supporting enterprises and solutionists as they navigate to address challenges in CET, and sustain the progressive pandemic-driven momentum of transforming learning design and delivery. With iN.LEARN 2.0, we are able to expand the scope of solutioning and enhance scalability of these innovative projects, aligning with our long-term vision of achieving greater adoption of disruptive solutions in the learning innovation space."

Annex A

Key Programmes under iN.LEARN 2.0

innovPlus

The innovPlus, an ongoing programme of inlab, will be updated to align with the new iN.LEARN 2.0 in the development of commercialisable products. In this ideation stage, projects will be developed into minimum viable products, or basic products that support must-have features.

Projects may receive up to SGD 200,000 per project over one year, to develop a minimum viable product. The project owners are required to co-fund 10% of the project’s eligible cost. Promising projects with the potential to scale may continue to participate in innovSpur.

innovSpur

The innovSpur, the new anchor programme of iN.LEARN 2.0, will support innovators in scaling up minimum viable products to the commercialisation stage, that is ready for the Learning and Development market. Applicants will be evaluated according to innovativeness, market and competition, impact, scalability, risks mitigation, track record and project team competencies.

Projects may be awarded a grant capped at SGD 500,000 per project, for up to one year. The successful applicants are required to co-fund 25% of the project’s eligible cost.

Sandbox

The Sandbox provides innovators a conducive space for the experimentation and implementation of innovative CET solutions by granting time-limited regulatory waivers so that courses delivered using these innovative solutions can be eligible for SSG course fee funding and/or SkillsFuture Credit. If approved, CET courses using these innovative solutions could continue to be eligible for SSG course fee funding for up to two years.

Applications for the first round of innovSpur and Sandbox are open until 19 September 2022. Interested applicants with innovative solutions for the TAE sector can learn more about iN.LEARN 2.0 and apply to join the innovPlus, innovSpur and Sandbox initiatives via https://www.ial.edu.sg/innovation/innovspur/.

Proven and established solutions that did not go through the innovPlus and innovSpur are also welcome to collaborate with IAL to participate in the Sandbox.

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