Meet Dylan, the co-founder of Equinet Academy, a visionary entrepreneur who launched this WSQ Approved Training Organisation in 2013 with a clear mission—to upskill Singapore’s workforce and drive digital transformation across industries. Over the past decade, he has led the academy to remarkable growth, building a dynamic team of over 40 trainers and employees.
Equinet Academy has delivered practical, results-driven training in Digital Marketing, Ecommerce, Web Design, and UX Design to more than 10,000 professionals from SMEs, government bodies, and multinational corporations. With a strong belief in outcome-focused learning and comprehensive post-training support, Dylan is committed to equipping businesses with digital innovators who can enhance productivity, maximise ROI, and contribute meaningfully to the economy.
What inspired you to found Equinet Academy in 2013?
There was this digital skills gap that me and the co-founder noticed. He was actually more of an angel investor. He was helping my dad with his flyer printing and marketing activities.
I was doing freelance digital marketing work for different clients—building websites, doing SEO, performance marketing campaigns like Google Ads. This investor looked at my dad’s digital assets and was quite impressed by them.
So he gave me an opportunity. He saw the gap between digital marketing and traditional marketing and suggested we start a school together—teaching real digital knowledge with practitioner skills. At that point in time, I was open to anything and said, “Okay, let’s try it out.”
He carved out a small office space and turned it into a classroom. We also attended some workshops around Singapore just to observe the landscape, and we felt we could do better. That’s what inspired us to start.
Over 10 years, you’ve grown to over 40 trainers and served over 10,000 trainees. How have you maintained training quality and consistency at that scale?
To be honest, at the beginning, we weren’t very strong on quality. Based on course effectiveness and student responses, we realised there was a lot of room for improvement. I also learnt that even if you have passion and knowledge, it doesn’t mean you can deliver results.
So, in line with the SkillsFuture framework, I took the ACTA (Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment) certification. That opened my eyes. Training is not just about lecturing or imparting knowledge—it involves instructional design methodologies, pedagogy, reflective learning, case studies, discussions, and roleplay.
Training quality means the trainer must know how to deliver content effectively and be a practitioner or subject matter expert. Otherwise, the practical aspects of the class won’t meet expectations.
Another thing we’ve done to maintain quality and consistency is through the TRAQOM feedback—SkillsFuture’s quality outcomes measurement initiative. After every class, we look at the feedback and conduct reviews with the trainer. We constantly update course content and have regular validations with other subject matter experts to ensure our curriculum remains current.
What are the most common challenges businesses face when embarking on digital transformation, and how does Equinet Academy help them overcome these obstacles?
Common challenges include the academic nature of higher learning at tertiary institutions, which often lacks practical hands-on application. At Equinet, we provide real tools and software for practice during class. Our subject matter experts are well-versed in these platforms, including AI tools, and they provide live examples and up-to-date insights.
Traditional marketers often struggle to bridge the gap to digital skills and are overly reliant on digital agencies—usually run by the younger generation. As they progress in their careers, they end up just managing agencies without knowing what’s going on behind the scenes. That’s why many attend our courses to catch up.
Having someone to provide coaching and mentoring is also crucial. Our post-training mentoring helps them apply what they’ve learnt and receive industry-relevant feedback. While we can’t solve budget issues, we help businesses prioritise their efforts. Through real-world experience and examples of past failures, we shorten learning curves and help them avoid costly mistakes. That’s where education plays an important role.
It’s also about taking action. Many people think and plan too long and don’t get things done. It’s better to start today than to wait for the perfect plan and not even start next month.
Can you share a success story where your post-training support initiatives made a tangible difference in a company’s productivity or ROI?
One notable example is a massage equipment company. Before COVID, they had a few retail outlets across the island. They attended our SEO course, participated in the post-training mentoring (which I conducted at the time), and implemented what they learnt. Their website rankings steadily improved just before the pandemic hit.
When physical stores were forced to close, they had already launched an e-commerce store. Their online sales helped maintain revenue, and they only kept one physical store open. Importantly, they didn’t have to retrench any staff. It was a combination of good timing, hard work, and having the right knowledge implemented at the right time.
How do you ensure your curriculum stays ahead of rapidly evolving industry trends?
One major trend now is AI. We ensure our trainers meet regularly, share updates, and form a tight-knit community. We have group chats to quickly share news. Being in a community of subject matter experts helps us keep ahead. We host regular internal events, and with our new training centre, we invite trainers to network and exchange knowledge.
AI is now integrated into our curriculum where applicable. We also track class feedback and hire trainers who are actively practising or consulting. If a trainer isn’t up to date, the curriculum will naturally fall behind. Our course developers are usually also the course trainers. So when they notice changes or trends, they update materials directly.
Regular validations by subject matter experts—required by SkillsFuture—also help us ensure everything is up to date.
What do you think makes a good entrepreneur?
I wouldn’t say I’m a good entrepreneur, so I don’t think I’m fully qualified to answer that. But I do know that when an entrepreneur makes mistakes, he or she should be open to feedback and assess whether the feedback is valid. It’s about learning from mistakes and not being too rigid. Making mistakes should be seen as a positive learning experience.
It’s also about taking action. Many people think and plan too long and don’t get things done. It’s better to start today than to wait for the perfect plan and not even start next month. By then, things might have changed. So yes, take action.
What are your plans for Equinet Academy’s next phase of growth?
For our next phase of growth, we’re experimenting with different learning modes and methods. We’re looking to offer more resources and assets. We also want to invest in staying current, keeping up with trends, and improving learning methodologies.
For example, we’re revamping our Learning Management System to make it more seamless and exploring how to integrate AI into our systems. Our focus is on product development and enhancing the learning experience.
What’s your vision for Singapore in the next five years?
It’s hard to say, especially with global uncertainties like tariffs. But Singapore’s natural resource is its people—human capital. I think the government is on the right track with upskilling across industries and supporting career switches.
My hope is that everyone can find something they love doing and be supported in pursuing it. If you’re unhappy, switching careers mid-way can be a very scary thing. So hopefully, people will find fulfilling work that also supports their livelihood.
Connect with Dylan: EquinetAcademy and LinkedIn.
