Reimagining Education Access: The Journey to Outcomes-Based Learning

After seven years of empowering diverse learners to build meaningful careers in the digital sectors, we've learnt one fundamental truth: career transformation is a risky and expensive endeavour, particularly for those who need it most. This understanding has led us to introduce Singapore's first outcomes-based payment model for our Digital Marketing Career Accelerator (DMCX), inspired by Income Share Agreements (ISAs).

Our journey since 2018 has been one of continuous learning alongside our diverse community of learners. We've worked with youths from underresourced backgrounds discovering their potential, persons with disabilities breaking into tech, and career-switchers daring to reimagine their professional futures. Upskilling is a complex journey, one that is emotional and filled with risk. Each story has reinforced a crucial insight: the barrier to education isn't just about content or curriculum – it's about access and risk.

Learning Through Our Learners' Eyes

Over the years, we've witnessed countless stories that have shaped our understanding of what education truly needs to be. We've seen:

• A frustrated job seeker juggling part-time work, uncertain about the benefits of upskilling
• A mid-career professional worried about taking the leap to change jobs without a clear pathway and understanding of the risks involved
• Fresh graduates eager to enter the digital sector but finding that university education did not adequately prepare them for the workforce

These experiences revealed a clear pattern: traditional education models weren't serving those who needed them most. We saw talented individuals repeatedly face the same barriers:

• The inability to commit to upfront course fees while managing existing financial responsibilities
• The fear of taking on additional debt without guaranteed outcomes
• The challenge of balancing immediate income needs with long-term career growth

This pattern of observations reinforced our belief that a fundamental change was needed in how we approach education and career transformation.

From Observation to Action: Developing Our Approach

These insights led us to fundamentally rethink our role as an educational institution. We asked ourselves:

• What if we could remove the financial barrier entirely until success is achieved?
• How might we create a model that truly aligns our success with our learners'?
• What would education look like if we shared the risk of career transformation?

The answers to these questions shaped our outcomes-based model. We believe that:

• Educational institutions must evolve beyond being mere training providers to become true partners in career transformation
• The risk of career transition should be shared between learner and institution
• Success should be measured not by course completion, but by actual career outcomes

Bridging the Gap: Our Outcomes-Based Model

The central belief that underlies Income Share Agreements is powerful yet simple: your future potential is worth investing in. While ISAs have transformed education financing globally, they haven't gained the same traction in Singapore, where government subsidies already heavily support traditional education and manage student debt. This unique context led us to ask: how could we adapt the core principles of ISAs to serve the specific needs of career transformation in Singapore?

Drawing from these insights, we've developed a payment model that fundamentally realigns the relationship between educational institution and learner. Our approach preserves the essence of ISAs – investing in human potential – while creating a more focused system tailored to Singapore's professional education landscape, where government subsidies are less prevalent.

Our model creates a straightforward, transparent system:

• Initial commitment: $500 deposit (fully refundable upon course completion)
• Payment structure: 10% of gross monthly salary
• Payment ceiling: Capped at $4,800 total
• Success trigger: Payments begin only upon securing a job paying $2,800 or more
• Duration: 72-hour comprehensive programme spread over 8 weeks

This isn't merely a financing option – it's a commitment to shared success. Unlike traditional education loans that require fixed repayments regardless of employment status, our model creates a genuine partnership that extends beyond the classroom, with payments aligned directly to career outcomes.

The Real Impact: What We're Seeing

Early responses to this model have validated our approach. We're hearing from:

• Career switchers who previously felt digital marketing was out of reach
• Small business owners who can now invest in their digital capabilities
• Individuals from non-traditional backgrounds who see a clear path to entering the industry

These reactions reinforce our belief that by removing financial barriers and sharing risk, we can unlock potential that might otherwise remain untapped.

Beyond Financial Innovation: A Holistic Approach

This payment model reflects a deeper understanding forged through years of working with diverse learners: when educational institutions share the risk of career transformation, it fundamentally changes the learning dynamic, creating perfect alignment between our goals and our learners' success. We recognize that technical skills alone don't guarantee success in digital marketing, which is why our programme combines practical training with comprehensive career coaching, industry networking, and ongoing support. The outcomes-based model extends this partnership beyond the traditional education timeframe, creating a genuine, long-term stake in each learner's success – making your journey to success truly our own.

Looking Forward: A New Chapter in Education

This model represents more than a change in payment structure – it's a fundamental shift in how we think about professional education. It's about creating an environment where:

• Talent and determination, not financial constraints, define opportunities
• Educational institutions are true partners in their students' success
• Career transformation becomes accessible to those who need it most

Whether you're a career transitioner exploring new possibilities in digital marketing, or a small business owner looking to expand your capabilities, our outcomes-based model is designed to remove the financial barriers that often stand between talent and opportunity.

Join the Movement

As we launch this pioneering approach in Singapore, we're not just changing how education is funded – we're reimagining what's possible when we truly align our success with yours. Ready to be part of this transformation? Contact us to learn more about how DMCX can support your journey into digital marketing.

Your career growth is our commitment – and now, we're putting our success where our promise is.

Curious about how DMCX can help you unlock your digital marketing potential?

Schedule a consultation with our programs manager to discover more about our outcomes-based payment option and take the next step in your career journey.