SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) drives and coordinates the implementation of the national SkillsFuture movement, promotes a culture of lifelong learning and strengthens the ecosystem of training and adult education in Singapore. Through a holistic suite of national initiatives, SSG enables individuals to learn for life, pursue skills mastery and develop fulfilling careers, for a future-ready Singapore.

In 2024, SSG commissioned Eden, Padang & Co, and Savant Degrees to design and execute the SkillsFuture Idea Sprint. The competition was designed to harness private-sector expertise and crowd-source for solutions to some of SSG’s mission-critical challenges. The two competition themes were: (a) assisting mid-career individuals in transitioning to growth sectors; and (b) increasing training participation among SMEs.

APPROACH

To address the unique challenges faced by mid-career individuals and SMEs, Eden designed an ideathon by combining research, stakeholder engagement, and collaborative solution development.

Research & Hypotheses Development

• Conducted comprehensive secondary research using SSG studies, national statistics, and market reports to establish baseline insights.
• Led in-depth interviews with 25 SMEs and mid-career individuals to identify key barriers to training participation.
• Recommended gaps from the findings, helped to sharpen six actionable challenge statements, and provided a structured problem-solving framework for participants.

Structured Ideation & Mentorship

• Designed a multi-phase event agenda, including masterclasses (e.g., on topics like prototyping, go-to-market strategy), panel discussions, and user testing sessions.
• Jointly sourced with SSG, industry mentors, experts, and judges from leading organisations such as ASME, Google, Human Capital Leadership Institute, NCS, NTUC, SGTech, SAP, SUSS Academy, Temasek Polytechnic, Workforce Singapore.
• Facilitated the SkillsFuture Idea Sprint, including organising brainstorming sessions with industry mentors, pairing teams with experts to refine and validate their solutions.

Solution Development and Evaluation

• Developed an independent Resource Manual for Improving Adoption of Continuing Education, equipping participants with practical tools such as sector statistics, education innovation design principles, and tools.
• Structured user testing sessions to ensure solutions aligned with real-world needs and industry requirements.
• Established a multi-stage judging process (i.e., semi-finals and finals) to assess the feasibility, scalability, and impact of solutions.

IMPACT

Over 100 individuals took part as either individuals or company representatives. More than 60 percent of participants found the agenda and programming to be “Very Good” and “Excellent”.  Over 40 mentors, industry experts, mid-career individuals and SME representatives, and judges were involved in helping the teams shape and refine their solutions. Stakeholders shared positive feedback, emphasizing the effectiveness of the event in fostering an innovative and learning culture.