Why ACLP 3.0? My Journey Towards Becoming an Adult Educator

This is Part 1 of my ACLP 3.0 Journey series, documenting my personal experience of applying for the course

How It Started

Sometimes a new direction in life doesn't come from a carefully drawn-up career plan. It comes from something you unexpectedly discover about yourself.

I've spent most of my career in accounting and finance. Over the years, I've naturally found myself mentoring and guiding colleagues. Helping someone understand an accounting process, walking a colleague through a system, or simply sharing experience. I enjoyed doing these things, but I never really thought of myself as an educator.

That changed when I made a career switch and took on a role as an in-house IT trainer.

One of my responsibilities was to train new joiners on the company's system. Suddenly, I wasn't just using my knowledge to do my own work or helping an individual colleague who happened to ask a question. I was training new employees and thinking about how to explain something clearly, how to make it easier for someone to understand, and how to help them become comfortable enough to apply what they had learnt on their own.

And I realised that I actually enjoyed it.

That experience planted a seed. Perhaps teaching adults was something I could see myself doing. It also made me look at my own career experience differently. A few decades in finance may sound very specialised, but along the way I've accumulated knowledge not just in accounting, but also in systems, processes, problem-solving, workplace practices and working with people. Maybe those experiences could be useful to someone else. And perhaps, instead of thinking only about what job I could do next, I could think about what I could do to help other people learn.

Why ACLP 3.0?

The Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance (ACLP) seems like a natural next step. With some hands-on experience as a trainer, I want to understand how adults learn and develop the formal skills behind effective training and facilitation. More importantly, I want to find out whether this could become a new chapter in my working life. So, I decided to give it a try.

This is not a story about leaving finance behind. At least, I don't see it that way. Instead, I'm hoping to bring the knowledge and experience I've accumulated over the years into a different setting, one where I can continue learning while helping other adults learn too.

And so, my ACLP 3.0 journey begins.

First stop: creating an IAL account.
[Continue to Part 2: Getting Started with ACLP: Creating an IAL Account]

Disclaimer: This article documents my personal experience of applying for ACLP 3.0 and is intended for sharing and reference only. It is not an official guide or representation of IAL's application process. The information and screenshots reflect my experience at the time of application in August 2026. Course requirements, fees, funding arrangements and other details may change, so please refer to the official IAL website for the latest information.