Taking course got use meh?

No one taught me how to be a dad but I guess I’m alright.

I’ve never been the best kind of student growing up. Trust me, if you ask any of my teachers throughout my school life they would probably say that I’m a nice kid but they will never say anything about me being diligent or obedient. Far from it in fact.

A lot of my friends didn’t understand why I took my degree some years ago when I was already running my very first business. Especially when I’m not even one that excels in school.

I put myself in a position where I need to struggle to focus in the classroom, start my company, and also make sure I earn enough to feed everyone in the office and pay off a study loan at the same time. LOL. (I do think I’m crazy on hindsight but I will not change anything if I’m given a second chance.)

I didn’t take a degree because I wanted a paper to slot into my resume which is currently hidden somewhere at home, or in the office, or even at my mother’s place. (I’ve no idea where is it really.) I took the degree because I wanted the knowledge. Although I’ve picked up a lot of relevant skills and experience while working, I thought I would prefer to know how the school teaches it.

Attending a lesson at NTUC LearningHub.

Recently, I actually attended an Adobe Photoshop course at NTUC LearningHub. Some of my friends were so shocked when they saw my Instagram stories about me attending the course.

“Eh, I thought you knew how to use photoshop? All your artwork which you did over the years?”

“You damn free ah? With your new company and young son you still go take course?”

“Why waste money learning photoshop bro? This kind of courses damn expensive right?”

Some were kinder than others,

“Sounds interesting leh this course! How come you bo jio?”

“Learning to photoshop ah? Can help me photoshop my pictures or not?”

Most of my friends knew that I started as a computer engineering student, and I managed to get a degree in marketing, which I mentioned earlier. I picked up my photography, editing and even writing (albeit with grammatical errors) skills, without going through any formal lessons at all. I learned by asking people around me, watching YouTube, reading lots of articles, and lots of trials and errors.

But this time round I told myself, why not sign up for a lesson to learn it properly instead of just doing a search on YouTube all the time without understanding why? Sometimes you need a teacher to explain the theory and help you connect the dots...

Moreover after using  SkillsFuture Credit, UTAP funding, SDF funding and other types of funding, the final price is pretty affordable.

It has been a while since I went back to school as a student and I was really kinda worried and excited at the same time. I guess I’m not the only one given the amount of questions I’ve been getting. So here’s another QnA for all you curious adults out there who are giving upskilling a thought.

Where is this NTUC LearningHub?

Located right besides Bras Basah MRT Station is the NTUC Trade Union House which has great facilities and a conducive environment to have lessons.

What’s your motivation to attend lessons at NTUC LearningHub?

Food, they actually serve us food. In fact they served us food twice daily, once in the morning and one in the afternoon. Life is good! Kidding, I like to learn and like I mentioned the fees are really affordable after all the help we get from various funding.

So how much did you pay?

It’s a misconception that I’m rich because I own a business (I’m not saying this because I’m worried that you will call me one day to borrow money). Even if I’ve money it’s not like I’ve to spend it like I’m crazy. Here is the price list that’s listed on their site, which is already affordable. But if you can make use of your SkillsFuture Credit and UTAP funding, your course might just be FREE! YES! FREEEEEEE!!!!!

Who are the lecturers? Are they experienced?

The lesson itself was very informative. I can’t sing enough praises about my lecturer. Mr. Wong was so patient throughout the 3-day course. Besides obtaining the Adobe Certified Expert in Illustrator CS6, ACTA (Facilitated Learning), he is actually a designer with more than 10 years of experience in graphic design and teaching of software applications including Adobe Photoshop, In-Design, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and Flash.You know what that means? That means he has lots of workplace tips to share, which you can then apply to your own work! He’s not just a paper general, which I felt is very important if you’re teaching adults who are looking for practical, useful lessons.

Can I join if I have ZERO knowledge? I’m worried that I will slow down everyone.

We have people from all walks of life attending the course. There was a school teacher, a buyer from one of our local supermarkets, a person who just signed up for the class because she loves photography and wishes to use Photoshop to enhance her pictures. These people didn’t have much knowledge about photoshop either but everyone did well.

I talked to some of them and they were sharing with me that they signed up purely out of interest. One mentioned that he feels it’s good to know how to do his own simple artwork as compared to passing them on to agencies or freelancers all the time.

Conclusion

One can never be too prepared, isn’t it? In the VUCA economy today, no one can really say that their jobs will always be there. We should always be prepared to pick up skills and equip ourselves for future jobs and not land ourselves in a situation where we get caught off guard.

These older guys were not there for my photoshop lesson but they really earned my respect. Lifelong learning indeed.

Many are complaining that technologies and robots are taking over our jobs but the truth is while they are taking away some of the more manual work, ICT jobs are on the rise and it's now a good time to consider picking up digital/IT skills for a potential career switch. With better ICT skills, it means that you will potentially get a higher paying job, or one that gives you more job satisfaction and better career longevity. So is taking course and upskilling important? You tell me.

NTUC LearningHub actually has a lot more to offer. Besides creative courses such as the one I attended, they also have courses for soft skills, IT skills, HR diplomas and even online courses by Udemy!

I’m actually toying with the idea of doing another course soon. Anyone game enough to join me? #DontSayBoJio

On an unrelated note, I’m very addicted to this show on NetFlix - How to get away with murder. Sounds like a course to sign up for?