Please share with us your professional life’s journey and at which point in your career did you aspire to pursue this programme?

I enrolled in the programme at the lowest point of my career. After having worked and gained experience in the business for more than 25 years, I suddenly found myself no longer in the mainstream. It was implied that my knowledge and experience needed to be renewed and brushed up, which led to self-doubt and a lack of confidence. So, I decided to find out what I had missed and fill in all the gaps. The course I signed up for was one of the very few, if not the only one, that dealt specifically with my domain and incorporated new skills and knowledge in sustainability.

How was your learning experience with this programme?

I started as a sceptic about how much I could learn from such a short course. After all, I had been working in the business for so long. How much could this course teach me and enhance my knowledge? As it turns out, I was mistaken. The course strengthened my existing knowledge and experience. I gained newfound knowledge and skills in sustainability that sharpened my expertise and prepared me for the future. Most importantly, it boosted my self-confidence and self-worth, which helped me move forward in new opportunities.

Which aspect of this programme did you like the most?

The coaches were very much market savvy, ever ready to share real-world experience and solutions that not only work theoretically but have proven to be successful. Prominent market experts as guest speakers sharing market trends and solutions with highly organised but difficult-to-arrange site visits crystalise all the concepts and learnings. If I had to pick what I liked most, it would be the Q&A sessions - where discussions and debates pushed the boundaries of coaches, experts, and students. This is what adult lifelong learning should be; thinking out of the box, challenging, testing, and improving the status quo.

Could you share with us some interesting facets of the programme you enrolled?

My classmates are of varying ages and backgrounds, and they come from different industries, not necessarily the building industry. It is remarkable how different experiences, perspectives and industrial practices are being discussed and explored. Diversity is ever prominent in every field. This is clearly demonstrated in the final project presentation. Another very interesting aspect of the course is the job coaching modules. In my opinion, the knowledge and insight shared in the module truly embodied and completed the course. It strengthened my self-belief and faith to take the transitional leap into new opportunities with newfound knowledge and self-confidence.

What were the challenges you faced when trying to complete this programme?

During Day 1 of the course, I found the boot camp mode to be very valuable and subscribed to it. The exercises, projects and tests really pushed my skill set and set the tone for learning. Although I liked it, the pace and intensity proved to be tough and challenging as a working lifelong learner. Despite the hefty workload, I believe that coming through it is well worth the pain, sweat and tears.

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