As an institute that champions excellence in continuing education and training, IAL undertakes research projects that examine the various aspects of Adult Learning and Development. The data we gather and the results we analyse enable us to further the advancement of the CET sector in Singapore.

Some of our key research projects are:

Reflexive Practitioner Research for Professional Learning in CET

Researchers and trainers work together to identify issues and design, develop and carry out action research projects. Examples of the issues we might work together on include how to keep learners engaged and ways of handling workplace subject matter in a training room environment.

Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) and Workplace Learning and Assessment

This project explores what workplace learning and assessment mean for policy makers, employers, HR personnel, supervisors and workers. The project will investigate how learning takes place and what supports and constrains this learning. It will then map the learning against the relevant WSQ standards.

Mature Workers: Sustaining Employability and Competence

A research project that investigates the best ways to help mature workers maintain their workplace competency and productivity as they age.

Models of Workplace Development for PMETS

A research project that explores the extent of provision of workplace development opportunities for Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs) in Singapore. It will focus on the effects of and alternatives to competency-based training.

Conversion Programmes Impact Study

A research project that assesses the effect of workplace conversion programmes on participants, employers and industries.

You and Your Work: A Study of Skills Utilisation in Singapore

A research project that examines, from the workers' perspective, the variety of skills that are used in different jobs. For the first time, we will have information on whether generic skills are used, what some of these skills are, and how these coupled with workplace practices augment the workers' performance effort.

The Employability Skills Programme 2004 - 2010: Experience and Impact

This research is focused on the Workplace Skills programme. The research is being undertaken, primarily to provide data and analysis on the impact of Workplace Skills to inform decisions on the future funding, and shaping of the WPS component of Employability Skills and to provide research based data to improve the nature, quality and effectiveness of workplace skills training.

Learner's Experience Transiting from PET to CET

This study is designed to analyse policy initiatives that have been implemented in recent years to broaden choices for people and facilitate pathways, as well as examine the more qualitative issues of the experiences in, reasons for and consequences of moving from PET to the CET sector. The findings, we believe, will help to sharpen understanding of pathways and transitions in learner movement in Singaporean education and training, particularly the CET sector.