Enabling Education 3.0 for Singapore’s Skills-Based Learning Revolution

16 May 2025

Robin Ngan, Director of SITLEARN, the lifelong learning division of the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) looks at the coming skills-based education revolution.

In an era of digital disruption and evolving work models, higher education must adapt. Traditional degrees alone can no longer meet the fast-changing needs of industry or learners. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023, 44% of workers’ core skills are expected to change within five years. By 2027, six in ten employees will require training, yet only half will have access to adequate learning opportunities.

The message is urgent and clear: the future belongs to agile education systems that can deliver relevant skills continuously and flexibly and cater to the needs of companies and working adults. Institutions that adopt skills-based models aligned to workforce transformation are better equipped to serve both learners and employers[1].

Education 3.0: A Paradigm Shift to Competency-based Education Model

The World Bank, in its 2023 Human Capital Report, notes that countries that build flexible, demand-led education systems will enjoy stronger productivity, inclusion, and resilience. This calls for an evolution in the way education is delivered, especially for working adults looking to upskill or reskill.

To meet this need, the global focus is shifting from mere paper qualifications to competencies, defined as “a combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required to perform effectively in a given context” by the World Economic Forum. This highlights the rising importance of cognitive flexibility, self-efficacy, resilience, and lifelong learning as essential meta-competencies.

Education 3.0 reflects the paradigm shift from traditional full-time and part-time degrees to a competency-based model required for the skills-based era. The learner-centred, technology-enabled education model emphasises tailored and flexible learning through formats like micro-credentials, stackable modules, and real-world application.

Education 3.0 is particularly relevant for mid-career learners, who need targeted, flexible pathways to reskill or pivot in an evolving economy. According to OECD data, workers without access to ongoing learning are twice as likely to experience job displacement from automation or industry restructuring.

Meeting the Demands of Skills-Based Hiring in Singapore

In Singapore, the shift toward skills-based hiring is gaining momentum, with nearly 80% of job vacancies in 2023 not requiring academic qualifications, according to the Ministry of Manpower[2]. This reflects a growing recognition among employers that practical skills, work experience, and demonstrated competencies often matter more than formal degrees—especially in sectors like information technology, logistics, and service industries. Government efforts, such as initiatives under SkillsFuture, are supporting this trend by promoting upskilling and modular learning.

At the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Education 3.0 has taken on the form of Competency-based Stackable Micro-credentials (CSM) to support Singapore’s move towards a skills-first economy. CSM focuses on the timely mastery of competencies that benefit both learners and employers. Together, these developments signal a broader move toward more inclusive and adaptable hiring practices aligned with the needs of a fast-changing economy.

Driving Skills and Scale through Modular and Stackable Learning

CSM demonstrates how universities can become skills integrators and aggregators. In essence, the micro-credentials are demand-led, industry-responsive, and mapped to national skills frameworks. CSMs are designed based on the following key aspects to support employers’ and learners’ needs:

1. Competency-based learning that shifts the focus from classroom learning to the actual demonstration of skills and knowledge: Learners progress by proving mastery of clearly defined outcomes, making the approach more flexible, targeted, and aligned with real-world performance standards.
2. Industry-relevant pathways that link directly to in-demand skills and job roles: Each CSM is designed to provide just-in-time, job-relevant upskilling or reskilling that allows learners to complete without leaving the workforce. This agility is critical in enabling learners to stay relevant and keep pace with evolving industry demands by contributing meaningfully to workplace innovation.
3. Standalone and stackable credentials that can be accumulated and converted into formal qualifications: These credentials can be taken as standalone learning blocks to meet the competency needs of job roles. Upon completing the assessment, learners earn a Specialist Certificate that recognises the attainment of the competency. In addition, learners can also choose to stack micro-credentials to higher qualifications, allowing them to progress towards degrees at their own pace. This ensures that learning is not a one-off event but a lifelong, cumulative process—a key recommendation from the OECD’s Skills Outlook 2023, which calls for systems that support ongoing skills development, especially among mid-career workers and vulnerable job segments.

Partnerships That Power Workforce Transformation

Universities are critical enablers of workforce transformation by working closely with industry to co-develop curricula that reflect current and future skill needs. At SIT, CSMs are developed in collaboration with companies such as Singtel, NCS and STMicroelectronics to address specific industry challenges and workforce needs. These partnerships ensure that learning remains relevant, applied, and aligned with evolving job roles and technologies.

Education 3.0 is not just a digital enhancement or curriculum reform—it represents a fundamental shift in how, when, and why learning takes place. Realising its full potential will require collaboration across institutions, industry, and government to build flexible, relevant, and learner-centred pathways. The work has only just begun.

About the Author

Robin Ngan is the Director of SITLEARN, the lifelong learning division of the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). He oversees the university’s continuing education and training (CET) strategy, holds over 20 years of experience in talent development, and is passionate about building a future-ready workforce.

[1] Source: ‘Taking a skills-based approach to building the future workforce’, McKinsey, 2022.

[2] Source: ‘More employers looking beyond academic qualifications; nearly 8 in 10 vacancies don’t require them’, The Business Times, 28 March 2025