Mr Eric Gwee, Chairman, ITE

Dr Law Song Seng, Director & CEO, ITE

Parents and Graduands

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

DEVELOPING CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE IN TECHNICAL EDUCATION

Introduction
1      It gives me great pleasure to be here this afternoon, to celebrate the success of another batch of ITE graduates.  My heartiest congratulations to each and every one of you.

2      The ITE education which you have received over the past two years has prepared you well for the next chapter of your lives, whether you join the workforce, pursue further education or take the plunge and start a business.  Indeed, you are fortunate to be graduating at a time when Singapore’s economy is in much better shape than in the last few years.  The Straits Times recently reported on a survey which found that more companies intend to hire new employees than at any time in the past three years.  And salaries are moving up.[1] Times are looking better and you are in a good position to seize the opportunities that lie ahead.

Delivering a quality and relevant education
3      We take great pride in the fact that our ITE graduates have enjoyed high marketability among employers, even at times when the economic climate is less than favourable.  During the slump in the economy last year, when we had the SARS crisis, our ITE graduates remained highly employable.  Eighty-five per cent of fresh ITE graduates or those who completed National Service found employment within the first three months of their job search.  This was in fact a 3 percent increase over that of the preceding year.  The average monthly salaries of these graduates rose as well.[2]

4      The high employability of ITE graduates is the best indication of the dynamism and relevance of an ITE education.  The ITE is a critical pillar in our education system, training young Singaporeans in the skills that meet the needs of the marketplace.  It has played a vital role in Singapore’s transformation into a modern economy, and remains a source of competitive strength for Singapore in our next phase of growth as a knowledge-based economy.  The high quality of our people, the skills they acquire and their willingness to innovate on the job will continue to give us an edge in a fast-changing global economic environment, marked by the rise of the two Asian giants, China and India.

5      Continual innovation is the only way forward.  In this regard, I am glad that ITE continues to adapt and refine its curricula to plug the gaps in skills as they arise, and to prepare its students for the new opportunities that have emerged in recent years.  [This is illustrated for example in the new NITEC courses in Mechatronics (Equipment Assembly), Precision Engineering (Aerospace), Communications Technology, Electronics (Wireless LAN), Digital Media Design, and Service Skills (Retail) as well as a new Higher NITEC course in Integrated Logistics Management.  ITE is also considering other new courses in the services sector which will increasingly become an important source of jobs.]

New ITE education model - “One ITE system, Three colleges”
6      I am glad that in its drive for educational excellence, ITE has constantly reviewed its systems and structure to ensure that they are better aligned and responsive to a changing environment.

7      In 2000, the ITE campuses were regrouped from 10 small campuses into two Networks, namely ITE East and ITE West, with five campuses each.  The aim was to promote multi-disciplinary learning and achieve synergy in teaching and learning, while devolving greater autonomy to the Networks.  In 2001, then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong announced the plan to develop the campuses further into three bigger Regional Campuses over a fifteen-year period.  The first ITE Regional Campus at Simei Avenue is now ready to take in its first batch of students in January 2005.  It has an enrolment capacity of 7,200 full-time students, compared to 1,800 full-time students each under the existing campuses.  Two more regional campuses will be built at Choa Chu Kang and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 over the next 10 years, to replace the existing ITE West and ITE East Networks respectively.

8      In tandem with the development of the first ITE Regional Campus, I am pleased to announce that the ITE campuses will be further enhanced and renamed as “Colleges” under a new “One ITE System, Three Colleges” Model with effect from January 2005.  The new Model will build on the strengths of the ITE brand name and identity, which have been established over the years, to deliver consistent standards, quality programmes and successful graduates.  However, it would involve greater autonomy and differentiation among the ITE Colleges.  The three ITE Colleges will be ITE College East for the new Regional Campus at Simei; ITE College West for the existing ITE West Network; and ITE College Central for the existing ITE East Network.

Towards autonomy and differentiation
9      What will the new ITE College Model look like?  The ITE Colleges will have greater autonomy to run their operations and deploy their resources, consistent with ITE’s corporate vision and strategic goals.  All three Colleges will offer ITE’s trademark core courses in Engineering, Business Studies and Info-Commmunications Technology.  To ensure their responsiveness to industry, each ITE College will be restructured into four Schools, namely, Engineering, Business, Applied & Health Sciences and Info-Communications Technology.  The Schools are aligned with Singapore’s broad industry clusters and will each be supported by an Academic Advisory Committee comprising professionals from industry.

10     Each College will also identify its own niche areas and core competencies.  ITE College East will specialise in Nursing, the Life Sciences and Logistics Management, ITE College Central in Wafer Fabrication and Digital Media Technology, while ITE College West in Precision Engineering, Automotive and Chemical Process Technology.

11     The new model of ITE Colleges, with each college having greater autonomy in responding to the market, and carving out its own niche, will encourage innovation, diversification and competition.  It will help us develop centres of excellence in technical education, in teaching and student development.  Students can look forward to more choices to meet their diverse talents and aptitudes.

12     The greater consolidation of resources under the new College system will allow each College to provide more options for cross-level and multi-disciplinary learning.  This includes providing greater opportunities for real work experiences within the Colleges, and, development of entrepreneurship skills.  With these enhancements, ITE’s Brand of Education will be a triumvirate of what it calls “Minds-on, Hands-on and Hearts-on” Learning.  The “Hands-on” training will equip ITE students with the skills-set required on the job, while “Minds-on” learning will develop them into independently thinking and flexible practitioners, who are able to keep learning and adapting to changes in the environment.  And “Hearts-on” learning will develop “complete” ITE students who care for the community and society.  These attributes underpin an ITE education, where students integrate theory with practice through coursework, industry exposure and community projects.

13     Indeed in a fast changing economic environment where specific job skills often lose their relevance after a few years, it is in the end the tenacity and willingness to keep learning that will serve our graduates well over the long haul.

The ITE path to success
14     And our ITE graduates have displayed this tenacity time and again.  They have defied stereotypes of what they are capable of, and proved that progression up the technical path is no less a success than moving up the academic pathway.

15     When I visited ITE two months ago, I was impressed by the enthusiasm and sense of purpose displayed by the students.  One of them, Ng Cheong Hong, who is now studying Electrical Engineering at ITE East (Tampines), shared with me how ITE has transformed him from being an unmotivated student to a focused, confident and purpose-driven individual.  He told me his ITE lecturers played a key role in his transformation.  Cheong Hong is set on becoming an entrepreneur.  He shared with me his plans to set up a computer firm after graduating from ITE,  and to help students from poor families.

16     I was also heartened to learn recently of two ITE graduates, Ang Cher Tee and Owen Gian, who became entrepreneurs even before graduating.  Both are currently running their own businesses in IT asset management and events management and services, respectively.

17     Many of you must have also heard about Shankar Gunalan, an ITE graduate, who was interviewed on Channel NewsAsia’s Get Real! Programme recently, and who defied expectations to make it to university.  He will enter NTU in 2006.  Nur Azizan bte Massiran is another fine example.  She completed her studies in Higher Nitec (Administration) at ITE East (Bishan) in June this year.  Although she secured a place in a polytechnic Business Administration course, she decided to start working immediately in view of her family commitments.  She began work as an Administrative Assistant in a law firm the day she completed her studies.  She has found the hands-on and practical skills she gained at her ITE course especially helpful at work, and plans to upgrade her skills further in future.  She plans to take up secretarial courses in the future, and if the economy requires it, she says she may take up a specialised course in logistics.

Conclusion
18     For each of these stories about your peers and seniors, there are many others.  They each show to us that an ITE education is just the beginning.  Your journey in learning does not end today with your graduation.  While an ITE education will give you an edge in an increasingly globalised economy, you will need to stay adaptable, and keep moving with the times.  And above all, you should persevere, stay determined as you encounter life’s inevitable setbacks, and chase your dreams.

19     Let me once again congratulate all our graduands, and each of this year’s award winners for their outstanding achievements.  I wish you every success in your future endeavours.

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[1] “Job market at its best in three years” (Straits Times, 5/10).  Survey was done by human resource consultancy, Hudson Global Resources, which found that 43 per cent of 500 companies polled in Aug 04 had indicated that they intended to recruit workers.

[2] Source: 2003 ITE Graduate Employment Surveys Results.

Source: Ministry of Education Press Release 12 Oct 2004