The importance of skills development and the continuing relevance of lifelong learning are at the core of LiPACE’s philosophy. As such, its part-time Professional Certificates and Diplomas are designed to meet various needs such as professional competencies for employment (arboriculture, occupational health and safety, property management), personal development for career advancement (renal nursing, treasury markets), knowledge enhancement (child psychology) and life enrichment (Chinese antiques, calligraphy and painting). Tendered programmes include a long-running collaboration with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department for training public health inspectors, and more recently, a partnership with the Immigration Department to train immigration assistants. As a long-time champion of non-formal learning, its two flagship programmes for women and senior learners have gone from strength to strength: the Capacity Building Mileage Programme (CBMP) initiated in 2004 by the Women’s Commission attained its 100,000th enrolment in October 2018, and the Elder Academy (EAOU) supported by funds from the Elderly Commission turns ten in 2019.

101