Two SkillsFuture programmes for aviation sector to be launched

The new programmes aimed at Institute of Technical Education graduates are part of an initiative aimed at growing the talent pool for the aviation sector.
By Loke Kok Fai, Channel NewsAsia, 13 Aug 2015

Two SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programmes will soon be launched for Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates interested in joining the aviation sector and gaining on-the-job training as Passenger Service Agents and Ground Operations Specialists.

This was announced by Senior Minister of State for Transport and Finance Josephine Teo on Thursday (Aug 13) at this year's Aviation Open House at Suntec City Convention Centre, where she was the Guest of Honour. 

The new programmes are part of an initiative aimed at growing the talent pool for the aviation sector.

Building new talent pipelines is among the three thrusts of the long-term roadmap to develop manpower for the air transport sector by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the aviation sector.

The two other thrusts are: A drive towards enhancing careers and developing higher-skilled and meaningful jobs; and to deepen specialist skills and training, including the development of management talent and industry-relevant qualifications.

Mrs Teo said: "An air hub doesn't get built up overnight. It takes many years of effort. At the same time, the competitive landscape is developing very quickly. So, we must challenge the planners and the builders to make sure that the next air hub that we're building up is qualitatively a better one than what we have today."

"This requires Singaporeans with talent and commitment to be involved in the sector. It has to be a concerted effort. You can't just develop the hardware, and not have the people to manage the hardware," she added.

"For Singapore aviation to continue to grow, the industry must be able to continue attracting good people. And so our manpower development efforts must be relevant not just to the industry, but also Singaporeans who must find working in the aviation sector fulfilling, exciting and rewarding," she added.

Mrs Teo also announced that CAAS will roll out an integrated publicity campaign targeting youth and families under the theme "Singapore Aviation: Leading Tomorrow".

It will engage youth and the wider public to learn about job opportunities in the aviation sector through various media platforms, which will feature aviation professionals and their life stories to inspire and motivate youth towards such a career.

PARTNERING SCHOOLS TO TEACH STUDENTS

CAAS has partnered schools like Northbrooks Secondary to educate students as young as 14 about job prospects.

Northbrooks Secondary School's Special Projects Subject Head, Mr Ramasamy Venu Gopal, said: “This is one of the most promising, one of the industries that's coming up, and there are a lot of job opportunities available, whether you're in the pilot sector or the logistics sector.”

The school has also worked closely with CAAS to expose their students to aerospace not just in terms of curriculum, but also career prospects through learning journeys, workshops, enrichment programmes and other activities. This gives them not only an informed choice at a younger age, but also a headstart in the industry, said Mr Ramasamy.

Together with Hwa Chong Institution and Changkat Changi Secondary School, Northbrooks Secondary School received the Aviation in Schools Initiative award on Thursday for developing long-term plans to involve students and teachers in aviation.

Airbus Middle East Communications Manager Samsana Ismail said: "There is a shortage of talent especially in the aviation industry and on a global scale. While it's important that we motivate university students, we really need to take them at a grassroots level and inspire them to become the next engineers, the next pilots, the next technicians for the aviation industry to remain sustainable and to have the right talent to innovate."

As part of its efforts to inspire youths to consider a career in the industry, Airbus Singapore will be bringing over workshops organised by its Middle Eastern branch together with The Little Engineer foundation, to grow interest in aviation engineering and programming for teenagers aged 13 to 15.

400 sign up to Earn and Learn
New WDA initiative allows poly, ITE grads to gain work experience in chosen field while furthering their studies
By Amelia Teng, In Sao Paulo, Brazil, The Straits Times, 15 Aug 2015

More than 400 vocational students and graduates have applied for a new scheme that allows them to further their studies and work at the same time.

The Earn and Learn scheme, launched in March by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), caters to polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates.

So far, about 100 of the applicants have been hired by 49 companies across eight sectors, including food manufacturing and logistics. More than 80 per cent of the trainees are from polytechnics, while the rest are from ITE.

About half of the 400 applicants have not been placed on the programme because they are still studying or doing their national service.

The scheme, which spans 12 to 18 months, combines job training, mentorship, projects within the company and, possibly, overseas attachments.

Based on early signs, interest is strong, said WDA chief executive Ng Cher Pong. "We're hoping to create as many places as possible to cater for fresh poly and ITE graduates who are interested in this," he said.

WDA will also introduce the Earn and Learn scheme in another four sectors this year - construction, aerospace, public transport and power. Employers in these industries will start taking in trainees from this month until December.

Earn and Learn participants are paid around $2,000 a month while trying out various roles in their chosen fields. They may work for four days and devote one day to studies.

At the end of the programme, an ITE graduate will receive a diploma, while a poly graduate will obtain an advanced or specialist diploma.

Modelled on German and Swiss apprenticeship programmes, the scheme is part of the national SkillsFuture movement, which aims to help Singaporeans develop specialised job skills. The aim is to have one in three ITE and poly graduates on board by 2025.

Mr Ng spoke about the scheme on the sidelines of a global skills competition for youth in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which he is attending as part of a Singapore delegation.

The event started on Tuesday and will end tomorrow, and contestants from 60 countries will compete for medals in skills such as aircraft maintenance and restaurant services.

Regarding the scheme, Mr Ng said there has been "a good spread of interest" across sectors. Some, such as logistics, received more enthusiasm from companies, while students showed more interest in areas such as games development.

He added that even students who are not ready for the programme are keen. "They tell us in advance that they would like to be considered for the programme when they're ready," he said.

Mr Ng Ming Yang, 20, one of the 22 young people representing Singapore in Sao Paulo this year, is keen to get on the scheme as he can gain work experience.

"I hope to work for a few years before going to university so that I can first get a better understanding of what the industry is like," he said.

The young man, who graduated this year from Nanyang Polytechnic with a diploma in precision engineering, said he hopes to win at least an excellence award in his category.

During the four-day contest, he will be required to cut out products from materials like aluminium and steel, based on technical drawings.

He said: "Many of my competitors from Japan, South Korea and Thailand are apprentices, so they have an advantage in having work experience. So, winning a medal would be a bonus for me."

ITE supports our skilled talents at the WorldSkills Competition!
Posted by Institute of Technical Education, Singapore on Saturday, August 15, 2015