Building Confidence, Not Just Systems

Fresh out of university, Valerie Lee launched her career as a full-fledged engineer. She was immersed in backend processes — testing equipment, fine-tuning systems, ensuring that every component worked as it should. The work was precise and logical, but something felt missing.

“It was very technical, very process-driven,” she recalls. “I realised there was very little human touch in what I did. I was solving problems, but only with machines.”

Valerie wasn’t a born adult educator. As her engineering career progressed, she discovered she enjoyed meeting people and demystifying technology more than focusing on equipment. She then pivoted into procurement engineering in design centers, purchasing mechanical parts, managing negotiations and auditing suppliers. That move brought her face-to-face with people, not just machines.

“I got to visit plastic and sheet-metal factories as part of the supplier audit process. Though these industries are largely male-dominated, I saw it as a learning experience.” she says. “I found I could build rapport quickly.”

 

This pivot revealed an important strength: Valerie could translate technical complexity into meaningful conversations that built trust and clarity — a skill that would later define her as an educator.

Embracing the world of adult education
 

Learning is what brings Valerie to where she is today. (Photo provided by Valerie Lee)

By 2016, Valerie was ready for a bigger leap. She enrolled in an MBA and later pursued professional qualifications with the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL), including the Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance (ACLP) and the Diploma in Design and Development of Learning (DDDLP). These courses deepened her understanding of how adults learn, while giving her the confidence to step into training full-time.

The transition was not without its hurdles. “Honestly, I don’t like doing presentations in front of large groups,” Valerie admits. “Before my first training session, I couldn’t sleep properly for months. I rehearsed endlessly, just to make sure I wouldn’t lose my footing.”

Over time, her persistence paid off. “At some point, I learned to stop focusing so much on my slides and start enjoying the interaction. That’s when things changed - I realised the joy comes from the energy in the room!”

Learning from learners

Valerie’s approach to teaching is grounded in interaction and empathy. One of her most memorable courses involved training frontline officers to detect scams. The programme taught frameworks, but the real learning came from participants themselves.

“They’re the ones who deal with potential scammers daily, so they always brought in fresh, real-life cases,” she says. “Every session, my learners would share a new encounter, and the whole class would learn from it. By the next session, another officer would apply that lesson in practice. It became a cycle of real-time learning.”

For Valerie, this is what sets adult education apart: the classroom becomes a hub for exchange, where lived experience is as valuable as formal expertise.

Agile Learning

Lifelong learning, for Valerie, is about staying curious and relevant. She is a firm believer in just-in-time learning - short focus courses that provide immediate insight.

When robotic process automation (RPA) was gaining traction, she took a two-day course to grasp the essentials. She did the same with Internet of Things (IoT) and, more recently, artificial intelligence. “These quick courses give me enough to understand what the hype is about, and to connect it to my work,” she explains. “After attending an IoT course, for instance, I guided subject matter experts to develop new and improved modules that integrated those insights.”

This approach ensures that her courses remain grounded in the realities of a rapidly changing world, equipping learners with skills they can apply immediately.

Building a portfolio of expertise

Since her pivot, Valerie has built a formidable learning portfolio. Beyond her MBA, ACLP, and DDDLP, she earned an Advanced Certificate in Sustainability and is now pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration.

Her research and teaching increasingly focus on AI, Innovation and sustainability, which she views not as passing trends but as forces fundamentally reshaping business, education, and work.

Today, she is recognised as a specialist adult educator in areas ranging from digital transformation and AI/IoT, to innovation, digital marketing, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. Learners consistently describe her as approachable and able to simplify complexity. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), her guidance often sparks tangible improvements.

“The best part is seeing that ‘aha’ moment,” she says. “When a learner realises they can apply something right away — that’s what makes it meaningful.”

Beyond the classroom

Valerie’s life outside training is equally dynamic. She pursues vocal music, maintains a diverse fitness routine, and keeps a keen eye on emerging technologies. These interests reflect her broader philosophy: growth is not confined to work but extends to all aspects of life.
 

Her profile — technical expert, educator, innovator, and creative learner — captures the essence of the modern professional.

Valerie’s journey, from nervous first-time trainer to confident educator guiding businesses through digital change, underscores the transformative power of lifelong learning. She represents a new breed of adult educator: one who bridges technical know-how with empathy, research with practice, and personal reinvention with professional relevance.

“Lifelong learning is about more than chasing credentials,” she reflects. “It’s about finding confidence in discovery, and joy in the journey. That’s what I want my learners to experience too.”