Institute for Adult Learning Launches People-Driven Innovation Strategy to Move Enterprises from Learning to Performance

The Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) today unveiled a suite of enterprise innovation initiatives designed to move organisations beyond fragmented training interventions towards integrated work and learning solutions that target workplace performance and sustained business improvement.

Announced at the Learning Enterprise Alliance (LEA) Awards Ceremony 2026, the rollout centres on the new People-driven Innovation in Enterprises (PIE) Programme for firms to grow their business pie by unlocking their people assets, alongside two other initiatives to strengthen Singapore’s workforce ecosystem, namely:
 

The ceremony, graced by Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Education & Sustainability and the Environment, recognised 28 organisations for their commitment to workplace learning and people building, bringing the total LEA membership to 186. This year’s theme, “Navigating Tomorrow Together,” highlights the necessity of collaboration between employers, training providers, and government. The ceremony included an Innovation Showcase demonstrating how emerging technologies can be integrated into daily work to drive enterprise growth.

IAL also formalised three new strategic partnerships with AI Singapore, the Healthcare Services Employees’ Union and Marshall Cavendish Education, strengthening collaboration across the AI, healthcare and professional learning ecosystems.

Associate Professor (Practice) Terence Ho, Executive Director of IAL, said, “Enterprises today are navigating AI adoption, tighter margins and rapidly changing customer expectations – often all at once. In this environment, investment in training has to be more strategic in meeting business needs. Organisations need the internal capability to innovate, redesign work and deploy new skills continuously. The initiatives we are announcing today are designed to strengthen the internal capacity to integrate training with business needs and business performance. When learning is embedded into daily work, and performance and purpose shape how resources are allocated, it moves beyond activity and begins to drive performance.”
 

Drawn from IAL’s research of over 2,800 SMEs across Singapore, the People-driven Innovation in Enterprises (PIE) Programme puts data and workforce strategy at the heart of SME growth. PIE is built on the ‘secret sauce’ of top-performing SMEs that stand out by creating differentiated products and services driven by their employees. Only 1 in 10 SMEs utilise this approach currently. With SMEs employing 70% of Singapore’s workforce, there is significant untapped potential to better harness the nation’s human capital.

Through PIE, SMEs start by benchmarking themselves against top-performing SMEs using IAL’s proprietary Enterprise Compass – a 100-question diagnostic tool that identifies gaps and sets out a clear transformation pathway. The programme then mobilises employees as co-creators of business growth, equipping them through workplace learning with capabilities in business foresight, market intelligence and product development. Early trials involving 70 SME employees delivered strong results, leading IAL to scale up the PIE Programme.

As a start, ten SMEs will be supported over a period of 9 to 12 months, starting in May 2026. (See Annex A for more details on PIE.)

Advancing AI Professionalisation and Sector Capability Through Strategic Partnerships

IAL also signed three MOUs at the ceremony, with AI Singapore (AISG), Healthcare Services Employees' Union (HSEU) and Marshall Cavendish Education (MCE).

Through the partnership with AISG, IAL will collaborate to advance AI capability and professionalisation within the Training and Adult Education (TAE) sector. This partnership underpins the launch of ADAPT – the AE Digital & AI Proficiency Taxonomy, Singapore’s first national taxonomy defining digital and AI proficiencies specifically for Adult Educators. (See Annex B for more details on ADAPT.)

ADAPT will set out practical proficiency levels to enable educators to assess their standing in digital and AI capabilities, identify gaps, and build relevant skills through continuing professional development (CPD) programmes under the Training and Adult Educator Professional Pathway (TAEPP). (See Annex C for more details on TAEPP.)

By providing a structured progression roadmap, ADAPT will enable adult educators to translate digital and AI know-how into improved curriculum design, delivery and assessment, strengthening professional standards in the TAE sector and supporting workforce readiness for AI-augmented workplaces.

Additionally, the partnership with HSEU will strengthen learning, capability development and skills-credentialling for the healthcare workforce. The collaboration with MCE will support co-branded knowledge-sharing initiatives and expand thought leadership in adult learning. (See Annex D for more details on the MOUs.)
 

To help businesses identify workforce-related barriers to growth, IAL has also launched the Learning Enterprise Framework. This 48-question diagnostic questionnaire assesses four key areas: Leadership, Knowledge & Learning, Systems & Processes, and Alignment. By using this framework, organisations can determine if performance gaps stem from a lack of skills or from misaligned internal processes, allowing for more targeted and effective interventions. The framework is designed to help businesses move beyond training programmes by embedding learning and capability building into work processes, leadership practices and organisational systems.

IAL will roll out the framework through pilot engagements and integration into enterprise transformation projects. (See Annex E for more details on the Learning Enterprise Framework.)