NTUC LearningHub’s AI training helps mid-career worker boost productivity and confidence

Preparing the initial draft of a detailed grant proposal used to take Danial Fadzlon two to three days. He had to research similar proposals, gather information from different sources and work through requirements such as objectives, methodology and budgets.

Now, after picking up artificial intelligence (AI) skills through NTUC LearningHub, he estimates he has reduced initial drafting time by about 70 per cent.

For the business development manager at PERTAPIS Community Services (PCS), the value goes beyond completing paperwork faster. It means more time to strengthen proposals and help a small team focus on work that supports the community.

“I began to see AI as a tool that could amplify the capabilities of a small team by reducing time spent on routine work and freeing us up to focus more on human-centric tasks,” he said.

A mid-career switch from maritime to community services

Danial’s move into community services follows a career spanning entrepreneurship, engineering and maritime operations.

He graduated from Nanyang Technological University in 2005, majoring in Civil Engineering with a minor in Entrepreneurship.

In 2009, he co-founded a company which placed advertisements on cups at hawker centres.

The venture taught him lessons in logistics, marketing, and financing, but it eventually closed after the business struggled to find its footing and pivot.

He subsequently spent three years as an executive engineer in the Land Transport Authority’s Rail Division.

There, he managed stakeholders and worked on projects including expanding train depot capacity, half-height platform screen doors, and barrier-free access.

In 2013, Danial entered the marine industry, taking on logistics and manpower operations.

He also completed a one-year conversion diploma in shipping operations and management at Singapore Polytechnic’s Singapore Maritime Academy to deepen his knowledge.

Over the next 13 years, he progressed through the corporate ranks and worked with international clients.

But as he entered his 40s, profitability challenges at his company prompted him to reconsider his next chapter.

He decided to move into community services, where he could combine professional growth with his interest in serving others.

Today, his work at PCS includes researching corporate partners, drafting proposals, analysing service data and working with programme heads to expand the organisation’s reach.

Taking the first step into AI with NTUC LearningHub

In his new role, Danial had growth ideas but knew a small team had limits.

He saw colleagues spending hours preparing reports, researching grants and summarising documents.

Rather than a single defining moment, this gradual recognition of how much time routine work consumed encouraged him to explore AI.

Returning to the classroom, however, came with some apprehension.

He said: “I felt slightly out of my depth and was a little nervous about returning to the classroom while managing a full-time job.

“At the same time, I knew that lifelong learning was important if I wanted to remain relevant.”

He enrolled in NTUC LearningHub’s Generative AI Essentials and Tools for Business Professionals course. Its focus on practical business applications appealed to him more than an in-depth study of coding or algorithms.

During the two-day course, a hands-on exercise showed him how AI could produce the first draft of a business proposal.

“I was struck by how quickly it could generate a structured and well-written starting point. Previously, I could spend hours staring at a blank page,” he recalled.

The course trainer also explained how to write effective prompts and refine AI-generated responses, helping make the technology less intimidating.

Danial said government training subsidies made the course more financially accessible.

The experience encouraged him to continue exploring AI tools and building his capabilities beyond the classroom.

Using AI to draft grant proposals, with human judgement

Danial now applies those lessons to craft grant proposals that require detailed explanations of a programme’s objectives, methodology and budget.

He gives AI the core grant requirements and key programme information, then asks it to draft the required sections.

He said the tool can produce a structured starting point within minutes.

He then works on the narrative, checks the information and refines how the proposal presents the programme’s intended outcomes.

Danial estimates he has reduced initial drafting time by about 70 per cent, but he added an AI-generated document is ready for submission.

For him, reviewing the work remains essential. He said the team must verify facts, statistics, and budget figures, and the final proposal must reflect his team’s judgement and work.

He has also found the structured format useful for addressing the grant requirements and making the proposal easier for reviewers to follow.

“One key takeaway for me was that AI should be seen as a powerful assistant, not a replacement for human intelligence,” he said.

The course’s emphasis on remaining in control of the technology stayed with him.

AI provides a foundation, but he remains responsible for what he ultimately submits.

Building confidence through lifelong learning

Learning AI has also changed how Danial thinks about his career.

Where he once viewed effective work as a combination of people and processes, he now sees intelligent tools as another part of that equation.

He feels more confident preparing for the future, and some colleagues have started asking how to use AI to streamline their own work.

His idea of meaningful work has broadened too.

Beyond helping beneficiaries directly, he sees value in enabling colleagues to work more efficiently and giving the organisation greater capacity to serve the community.

For workers who are curious about AI but unsure where to begin, Danial recommends choosing a course suited to their experience, with practical exercises and an approachable introduction to the tools.

“After all, you don't need to know how an engine works to drive a car,” he said.

He also encourages learners to seek support from family and employers, check available training subsidies, and continue experimenting with tools on their own.

His advice is simple: “Be brave to learn new things.”

For Danial, that first step into an NTUC LearningHub classroom is part of a larger journey: building the skills and confidence to make his next career chapter more meaningful.

Explore AI courses and training support through NTUC’s AI-Ready SG initiative.