Lifelong Learning in Singapore: Why It's Never Too Late to Start Again

Lifelong Learning in Singapore: Why It’s Never Too Late to Start Again

A Career Reset, Not a Step Backwards

Not every career plan survives contact with reality.

Sheryl Danielle Eng originally set her sights on musical theatre, completing a diploma in theatre studies at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Then Covid-19 brought Singapore’s performing arts industry to a standstill, and she was retrenched from her job as an attraction operator at Universal Studios Singapore as the tourism sector took a hit.

Rather than stall, she looked back to something she had discovered through volunteering — organising programmes for seniors and children in secondary school and later with the National Youth Council’s Youth Corps. That experience pointed her toward a Higher Nitec in Event Management at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), even though she already held a diploma and knew people might question why she was “starting again.”

She was also conscious of being older than most of her cohort. But by her own account, the worry didn’t last — her younger classmates welcomed her without judgement, and the shared goal of learning mattered more than anyone’s age.

The bet paid off. Eleven years after her O-Level results, and after graduating from her Higher Nitec in 2023 while continuing on to ITE’s Work-Study Diploma in Event Management alongside a full-time job at International Conference Services, Eng was named Valedictorian (Diploma) of ITE’s Class of 2026 — collecting the Gold Course Medal for her diploma and the ITE-SkillsFuture Lifelong Learning Award along the way, as reported by The Straits Times.

And notably, her learning journey isn’t over. Eng has said she hopes to pursue a part-time degree in marketing next.

A Culture Built Around Lifelong Learning

Eng’s path reflects something bigger than one graduate’s story. Singapore has spent years building an education system that doesn’t treat learning as something that ends in your twenties. Initiatives like SkillsFuture, mid-career support schemes, and a growing acceptance of “non-linear” careers all point to the same idea: staying curious and upskilling isn’t a backup plan — it’s the plan.

That same spirit shows up just as clearly among working professionals who choose to return to formal education, often while running full-time careers or businesses of their own.

One such professional is Zhao Yiwen.

Running a Business While Going Back to School

Zhao Yiwen didn’t step away from his career to study. He is the person in charge of a drone company in Shanghai, and by most measures, already a successful one. Returning to the classroom while actively running a business is rarely a straightforward decision — it takes time, energy, and a genuine belief that the investment is worth it.

For Yiwen, it was.

He chose to pursue the Master of Science in International Business and Management (MSc IBM), awarded by the University of Suffolk and delivered at Hanbridge Institute, with a clear goal in mind: strengthening his leadership skills, gaining a global business perspective, and expanding his company into international markets — starting with Singapore.

In sharing his experience, Yiwen has spoken about how Singapore’s dynamic business environment shaped his decision to study here, how the MSc IBM programme has contributed to his professional growth, and how he envisions bringing his company’s drone solutions to a wider, global audience.

Like Eng, Yiwen didn’t let an existing qualification, an established career, or the fact that he was already “done” with school stop him from going further. Different stages, different industries — but the same underlying belief: education is not a chapter you close, but a resource you return to whenever your goals demand it.

No Age Limit, No Wrong Time

Whether it’s an ITE valedictorian proving that a career switch — and then some — is never too late, or a business owner strengthening his leadership through a master’s degree, the message is consistent: growth doesn’t follow a fixed timeline.

At Hanbridge Institute, this belief sits right at the heart of who we are. Continuous Learning is one of our core values — the encouragement for everyone in our community to adopt a life-long learning attitude, rather than treat any single qualification as a finish line. It’s a value we see play out in practice: students preparing for their very first Singapore classroom, learning alongside working professionals and business owners who’ve returned mid-career, all welcomed with the same Care and Concern that let a 27-year-old thrive among younger classmates.

We are proud to support professionals like Zhao Yiwen who continue to learn, grow, and pursue new opportunities — because at Hanbridge, we believe there should be no age limit to education.

If you, like Yiwen, are ready to invest in your leadership and global business perspective, the Master of Science in International Business and Management (MSc IBM), delivered in partnership with the University of Suffolk, could be your next chapter.

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