Here's why Continuing Education and Training is vital for Women at Work

According to the Ministry of Education’s 2013 statistics digest, women make up slightly more than half of the university graduates in Singapore. What’s more, the number of female doctoral-degree students in local universities have steadily risen over the years and is currently at its all-time highest.

The above clearly shows one thing: that women are a large, vital part of the modern Singaporean workforce, and that women of all ages have – and are continuing to – embrace the Continuing Education and Training (CET) philosophy so that they can continue being relevant and employable.

One such remarkable woman is NTUC union member Madam Aisha Bte Ahmat, 52, who recently received her second MDIS Scholarship through NTUC to do a part-time Advanced Diploma in Business Management.

Madam Aisha, who has worked in a motoring services company for 18 years, first enrolled for a Professional Certificate in Business Management in her 40s, before moving on to take a part-time Diploma in Business Management.

When she is not studying a full programme, she enrols in Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses and other short courses at various educational institutions to ensure that she has the skills to continue in her career.

When asked why she works so hard at improving herself, Madam Aisha remarked that the speed of change in today’s marketplace, both technological and cultural, can often make skills and knowledge learnt just a few years ago obsolete. If she did not continue to learn and upgrade herself, she said, she may very well find herself no longer industry-relevant.

Madam Aisha is the perfect example of someone who has benefited from embracing the CET philosophy. In addition to preparing one’s self for specialist, managerial, and leadership roles, CET is also an excellent way to keep one’s self ready to meet the ever-changing needs of the economy.

This is perhaps more true now than it has ever been. With the recent economic restructuring, some industries are set to shrink while others – such as aerospace engineering, pharmaceuticals, logistics and supply chain management, allied healthcare, and community and social services – are perfectly poised to flourish.

If one had the right combination of hard and soft skills, the growth of these sunrise industries may be the gateway to a better life that you have always been looking for.