Living the Pioneering Spirit: Heng Swee Keat

From 'study book' or du shu to learning with joy for life
This is an edited excerpt of a speech by Education Minister Heng Swee Keat in Parliament yesterday.
The Straits Times, 7 Mar 2015

IN 1965, education meant du shu or "study book". Our pioneers had a sense of where they wanted to be in the future, where they were, and worked hard to bridge that gap. The big gap then was basic literacy and numeracy skills - so "study book" made sense as they learnt the three "Rs" - or reading, writing, arithmetic.

Many became literate and numerate. We then built on this education system. At critical points, we made important choices to adapt and change. Educators, parents, students responded with spirit, and each wave allowed us to make further progress with purpose. But there were also inadvertent negatives. In our mind, "study book" became increasingly about exams, grades and qualifications.

A strength - in focusing on academic grades - can be overdone and become a weakness, as we leave little time to develop other attributes that are necessary for success and fulfilment.

Students tell me of the stress they faced because of the high expectations placed on them. The chase for better grades fuelled a tuition industry. It created a vertical stacking of qualifications, as well as the tiering of schools in the minds of parents based mainly on academic results - a hierarchy of grades.

We are not unique in this. The same "study book" culture that enabled the three East Asian dragons - South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan - to make great strides is also generating the same, if not even greater, pressure in their societies.

Like our pioneers before us, we have to ask anew: Where do we want to be in the future, where are we today, and how do we make the leap?

ITE aims to ensure students are career-ready

It will ramp up internships, work mentors will help assess students
By Pearl Lee, The Straits Times, 17 Feb 2015

ALL Institute of Technical Education (ITE) students must go through 40 hours of training on career readiness from this year.

The hours will be spread across two years, with students learning resume writing and interview skills as well as making visits to workplaces.

Students will also receive career counselling from six full- time career guidance staff at each of its three colleges.

"Right now, students may just want to pursue a qualification instead of a career," ITE's deputy chief executive Sabrina Loi said yesterday, when laying out the institute's five-year plan.

"We want to ensure that students know their strengths, weaknesses and interests so that they can choose the right career and develop along the pathway throughout their working lives."

Internships will also be ramped up. By 2020, all ITE courses will have a structured work component. Students will be co-assessed by their lecturers and workplace mentors.

Currently, six out of 10 ITE courses have a work component, but they are more loosely managed and interns tend to do work on an ad-hoc basis.

ITE chief executive Bruce Poh said: "With the new strategic plan, we are putting more emphasis on students to be career- ready."

The institute has been moving to be more career-centric. Since 2013, students have been taking a cluster of related courses such as accounting, finance and retail, before specialising later on.

The aim is to ensure students can move with industry trends, rather than rely on a single skill.

The changes are in line with the Government's new SkillsFuture initiative, which aims to integrate education, training and career progression.

ITE will add more places to courses with high industry demand, such as in the marine and precision engineering sectors. For a start, 100 places will be offered on the more advanced Higher Nitec courses this year, with 200 more to come by 2017.

Where have all the engineers gone?

Urgent need to attract talent to sector seen as 'dirty and boring'
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 10 Feb 2015

WHEN Mr Marcus Chew decided to become an electrical and electronics engineer in 2002, it sounded like an interesting career choice.

But after graduation and four years into his job at a semiconductor firm, the profession was fast losing its shine.

"The pay went up by around $50 a year, no matter how hard you worked. It was very demoralising," said the 33-year-old, who also found designing speaker circuits for radios a far cry from what he had signed up for.

"My idea of engineering was like Iron Man but it wasn't like that," he added with a laugh, referring to the comic superhero created by a fictional engineer.

Like about half of his fellow engineers, Mr Chew left the field, and is now a civil servant looking at quality assurance for training.

Engineering, long the backbone of Singapore's economy, has been losing its lustre in the eyes of the young for over a decade. Many covet jobs in banking and finance instead.

So, despite initiatives over the years, including school contests and workshops, firms are increasingly hard-pressed when it comes to finding engineers.

Last year, for the third year running, engineering jobs took the lion's share of professional occupations with the most vacancies. Five - including civil and mechanical engineering - are among the top 10 jobs on the list, according to the latest Manpower Ministry statistics for 2014.

Besides poorer pay prospects, people also think engineering jobs involve getting one's hands dirty and are boring, partly because engineers are not recognised for their work.

"Steve Jobs is famous, but not the engineers behind the iPad," noted Nanyang Polytechnic engineering lecturer Edwin Foo.

A conversation with Indranee Rajah

ITE training model draws overseas interest

Institute's private arm boosting its revenue from consultancy services
By Amelia Teng, The Straits Times, 28 Nov 2014

EVEN as Singapore looks at improving the prospects of its Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates, others are looking to it for help in improving vocational training, drawn by its high-quality education and facilities and its practical educational model.

ITE's wholly owned private arm, ITE Education Services (ITEES), has been boosting its revenue from consultancy, skills accreditation and training.

When ITEES started in 2003, it took in about $1 million a year.

It now earns $7 million a year and expects annual takings to reach $10 million in the next three years, its chief executive Tan Seng Hua told The Straits Times.

The 61-year-old - who took up the post in August and is also deputy chief executive of academic matters - has seen greater interest from other countries which want to share in Singapore's educational experience.

"Many countries are turning to vocational training as a solution to unemployment," he said. "In the past, officials spoke only about developing tertiary education and universities, but now they're changing their focus."

Singapore is also strengthening its vocational education system.

In September, the Government accepted recommendations by the Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE) committee to improve the quality of education and job prospects of ITE and polytechnic students. These include enhanced internships and work-study programmes.

The completion of ITE's three mega campuses - the first of which was the $240 million ITE College East in Simei in 2005 - has also attracted interest.

Each year, ITE hosts more than 1,000 visitors from 40 countries at its campuses in Simei, Choa Chu Kang and Ang Mo Kio.

More studying part-time at UniSIM

Enrolment up 6% as working adults are keen to improve career prospects
By Sandra Davie Senior Education Correspondent, The Straits Times, 19 Nov 2014

THE enrolment for part-time degree programmes at SIM University (UniSIM) has grown by almost 6 per cent in the last year, reflecting working adults' enthusiasm for pursuing further qualifications to improve their career prospects.

The university received 5,500 applications this year, about the same number as last year.

But as there were more qualified candidates this year and the university expanded its campus, it pushed up its enrolment to 13,300 this year from 12,600 last year.

This does not include the 200 places in its first three full-time degree courses this year, which drew 1,500 applications.

UniSIM president Cheong Hee Kiat expects enrolment for its part-time degree courses to go up further next year to 14,000, because workers’ interest in upgrading their skills is likely to grow.

“Working adults want to further themselves in their career. Some want to make a switch. Uni-SIM offers them a flexible path to work and study for a degree at the same time,” he said.

While this seems to go against the Government’s recent push to get Singaporeans to move away from chasing qualifications, starting with recommendations by the Applied Study in Polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education Review (ASPIRE) committee, he stressed that the Government is not dissuading Singaporeans from pursuing degrees.

Instead, it hopes that Singaporeans will pursue the qualifications relevant to their jobs, which will help them further themselves, said Prof Cheong, who served on the committee.

Most UniSIM students are not enrolled in the university just to chase qualifications, he said. “They are the kind of working adults that the ASPIRE committee wants. They have had enough experience and take up courses to develop themselves further.”

SkillsFuture Council begins work: Driving national effort to develop skills for the future

Shorter, more relevant training plans for workers
New council looking at ways to develop deep skills among Singaporeans
By Amelia Tan And Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 6 Nov 2014

TRAINING programmes for workers will be shorter, more manageable and relevant to the industry as a national effort to develop deep skills among Singaporeans gets under way.

But the journey will be a long one and both employers and educational institutions must lend their support, said Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam yesterday.

Speaking to the media after the first meeting of a new national council that will drive programmes to develop deep skills in workers, he laid out three areas that the council will work on.

One is that training courses need to be kept bite-size and modular, to encourage workers to go for them. By keeping training modules short, the hope is that workers will be more willing to make the sacrifice and may even decide to enrol in more courses.

Second, companies must invest in talent and reward workers for their mastery of skills. More importantly, there should be guidelines on the kinds of skills that workers need to advance in their respective industry and careers.

Employers are a critical part of this equation and they will need to promote career advancement based on skills progression.

"Individuals feel that investing in their skills will develop their careers within the firm as well as the industry, and pays off," said Mr Tharman, who is also the chairman of the 25-member SkillsFuture council.

Third, the council agreed that the transformation of Singapore's workforce will be a long-term effort. "This is a long journey... but we have to take early steps and get some momentum into this process," said Mr Tharman.

New S$30 million SkillsFuture Jubilee Fund will help Singaporeans master skills

By Nicole Tan, Channel NewsAsia, 3 Nov 2014

A new fund has been created to help Singaporeans master skills for the future, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Monday (Nov 3).

The SkillsFuture Jubilee Fund will be used for study awards for those who wish to pursue mastery of their craft. The focus will be on those already in the workforce, and will be aimed at encouraging mastery in every skill and industry, Mr Lee said.

He said he hoped to attract donations from employers and unions, which the Government will match dollar-for-dollar. The fund has a target of S$30 million.

Speaking at the inauguration of The Metropolis, where he announced a S$5 million donation to the fund by Ho Bee Land chairman Chua Thian Poh, Mr Lee said the fund will get the SkillsFuture Council’s efforts to a “strong start”.

The council, established in September and chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, will develop an integrated system of education, training and progression for all Singaporeans. It will also look at ways to promote industry support and social recognition for individuals to advance based on their skills.

"The fund will be used for study awards for those who wish to pursue mastery, and focus on those already in the workforce, and aim at encouraging mastery in every skill and every industry," he said. "Keeping our economy competitive and creating opportunities for our workers to do well is a national effort. I am confident that if we continue to work together, businesses will prosper and workers will see their incomes rise."

Too many lawyers? Or too few?

Some say too many lawyers are being minted, resulting in a rush for training places in law firms. Others point out that there's a shortage of family and criminal practice lawyers. The truth is: It doesn't matter. Law grads can excel in banking or politics - and in the theatre.
By Simon Chesterman, Published The Straits Times, 1 Nov 2014

"THE first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." Most lawyers are familiar with Dick the Butcher's line from Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 2. Most also appreciate its double significance.

Typically the line is invoked in jest - a shorthand example of the many jokes about lawyers that accuse our profession of being something that society would be better off without. (What's the difference between a jellyfish and a lawyer? One's a spineless, poisonous blob. The other is a form of sea life.)

But Shakespeare was also highlighting the role that lawyers play as the guardians of stability and order, standing between society and the unruly mob. If you want chaos or to start a revolution, getting rid of the lawyers is a reasonable first step.

I was reminded of this during the recent discussion over whether there is a "glut" of lawyers in Singapore, as Minister for Law K. Shanmugam suggested in August.

The problem, as presented, is that not every Singaporean graduate with a law degree is getting a training contract, and not all those with training contracts are getting permanent jobs as lawyers.

To address this problem, a variety of solutions has been proposed. No one is suggesting mass slaughter, but most proceed from the assumption that there are too many lawyers entering the market. (What do you call 500 lawyers on the bottom of the ocean? A good start.)

Indranee Rajah: Parents, bosses 'must look beyond paper qualifications'

Govt is committed to doing so, though it will take time
By Amelia Teng And Pearl Lee, The Straits Times, 30 Oct 2014

PARENTS, students and employers need to look beyond paper qualifications and recognise workers' skills and abilities - something the Government is committed to doing - said Senior Minister of State for Law and Education Indranee Rajah.

But, she acknowledged yesterday, this will take time.

"The traditional thinking was that there's only one path to success, but I think the reality is that it is much more complex," said Ms Indranee, who led the Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE) committee.

Last month, the Government accepted ASPIRE's recommendations to improve the quality of education and job prospects of Institute of Technical Education and polytechnic students.

These include giving students the chance to work while studying, and helping workers build up their skills.

"It's not one-size-fits-all," she told a 200-strong crowd of students, staff and alumni who attended the National University of Singapore's (NUS) monthly U@live forum. It was the first dialogue on the issue since the recommendations were accepted.

Aspire to expand the economic pie

By Devadas Krishnadas, Published The Straits Times, 15 Oct 2014

IN AUGUST, the Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE) committee released its recommendations to ensure that future polytechnic and ITE graduates have more marketable skills, better career choices and superior professional paths.

Among its recommendations: Enhance internships for students at polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), and have place-and-train programmes where students study and work at the same time.

While laudable, the ASPIRE committee's recommendations face the challenge of implementation.

On internships, will there be enough placement opportunities of sufficient quality to match the number of students and graduates in their skill fields?

On the place-and-train programme, will the Government have to audit industry to ensure that it can fulfil its role and maintain training standards?

A further challenge is sustainability. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may not be able to spare the additional manpower required to mentor workers under the place-and-train scheme.

They also may not be able to afford the opportunity costs of sending their workers for Continuing Education Training (CET) programmes.

Future macro-level shocks to the economy such as a regional or global recession would further increase the constraints placed on employers to support such programmes.

How would the Government ensure the continuity of internship and on-the-job development under contracting market conditions? In economic extremis, would it pay or subsidise wages of ASPIRE participants and finance the costs of their CET?

Despite its operational challenges, the ASPIRE plan is part of a very worthwhile effort to broaden emphasis on upgrading the workforce. In recent years, the accountancy, medical and legal professions have been the subject of legislative or professional adjustments to lift and maintain standards.

But raising standards in the professions, or indeed turning more service areas into professions, is not necessarily going to help the economy.

Instead, the future of Singapore requires us to expand and grow the economic pie. To support that expansion, we need to improve in three critical areas.

More grads suffer underemployment

Rate falls for all here except degree holders despite tight job market
By Rachael Boon, The Straits Times, 13 Oct 2014

MORE Singapore workers are getting jobs that match their skills, bar one group: degree holders.

The proportion of university graduates who have jobs but are "underemployed" inched up last year from the year before, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

For all other workers, the underemployment rate fell.

Post by Tan Chuan-Jin.

Unlike the unemployed, those who are underemployed have some form of work, but not as much - or not as high-paying - as what they are qualified for.

MOM defines an underemployed person as someone aged 15 and above who normally works less than 35 hours a week, but is willing and available to engage in more work. This covers those who are looking for full-time work but can land only part-time gigs.

Underemployment also refers to people who are highly skilled, but working in low-paying or low-skilled jobs.

Generally, underemployment figures drop as the educational level rises. On the whole, Singapore's underemployment rate fell from 4.6 per cent in 2011 to 4.2 per cent last year.

The glaring exception are degree holders, for whom the underemployment rate has held steady and even climbed, despite the tight job market.

CET 2020: 5-year plan to identify, build skills for the future; New SkillsFuture Council set up

Steps to help workers have quality jobs as economy transits to next level
By Amelia Tan, The Straits Times, 18 Sep 2014

WORKERS will get more access to training, career guidance and job market information to help them navigate an economy that is being shaped by the twin forces of technology and competition.

Companies will also partner government agencies and educational institutes to anticipate and identify future skills that will grow in demand.

These new moves were laid out by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam yesterday in a five-year plan which will see Singapore's economy transit to the next level.

Speaking at the launch of the new Lifelong Learning Institute in Paya Lebar yesterday evening, Mr Tharman said technology is sweeping a wave of changes across the global economy.

Automation has begun to replace human tasks across a broad swathe of jobs and even professional jobs such as auditing, legal advice and surgical tasks are being shaped by computerisation and machines, he said.

Developing countries are catching up with Singapore and competition is heating up, he said.

"We cannot change the world, but we can respond to and take advantage of the way the world is changing," he said. "We have to take advantage of new technologies and new global consumer demands to ensure that we remain a vibrant economy, and we give every Singaporean a chance to have quality jobs and fulfilling lives."

Singapore's economy is evolving to become an advanced economy. This will require workers with a mastery of their skills, honed by experience and time.

"We must cherish and respect the mastery of skills - the knowledge, practice and passion that goes into mastering skills, no matter what the job. That has to be our ethos as a society," he said, adding that this is at the "heart of an inclusive society".

Singapore will aim to build a continuing education system which will "intertwine education and the world of work", he said.

"It (the system) will enable every Singaporean to maximise his potential, from young and through life. It will build an advanced economy and ensure us a fair society," he added.

To do this, the Government will provide a full suite of career services that will help Singaporeans plan for their future careers.

Workers will have to be prepared to be lifelong learners and continually equip themselves with new skills, said Mr Tharman.

To smooth the way, employers will be roped in to work closely with the Government to envision the needs of the future economy and workforce.

The standard and quality of the training industry will also be raised, said Mr Tharman.

To drive the new plans forward, a new SkillsFuture Council, chaired by Mr Tharman, will be established. It will be made up of government agencies, the labour unions and employers.

Rounding off his speech, Mr Tharman said that what Singapore needs is "a meritocracy through life, not a meritocracy that's based on what you achieved at 18 or 24. Where you are assessed on your performance at every stage of your life, regardless of where you came from or what you started with. Assessed on your performance - that's a true meritocracy".

Shattering myths about scholars, smarts and respect

By Zuraidah Ibrahim Deputy Editor, The Sunday Times, 14 Sep 2014

Last week in Parliament, MPs spent hours dissecting what it means to become a society that is less obsessed with the paper chase and more concerned with lifelong learning.

Education Minister Heng Swee Keat tried valiantly to disabuse us of what he described as three "limiting beliefs" that could prevent people from fulfilling their potential.

One was the assumption that paper qualifications are the be-all and end-all. All the degrees in the world might not get you a job, he said, if there are no jobs to be had. And, most jobs actually require a variety of skills, not just that one piece of paper.

Another limiting belief, perhaps in overreaction to the old obsession with credentials, is that qualifications do not matter at all.

The third is when people believe that they will lose out when others earn qualifications, overlooking the fact that the whole team can benefit when its members develop better skills.

The Applied Study in Polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education Review, or ASPIRE, report emphasises the value of getting the right qualification, be it a degree or a diploma or whatever else. Pick up knowledge and skills that enhance your value as a worker and as a human being.

Nobody would disagree that this would be a proper and productive conclusion. However, people doubt whether society has already arrived at this better place.

And until they are confident that the environment around them has changed, they cannot be blamed for continuing in the old mode. After all, where jobs are concerned, it is not a great idea to be too far ahead of the curve - you want to be valued by today's employers, not those in some hypothetical future.

To make that leap of faith, one can see at least three mindsets in society at large that need to be broken.

ASPIRE to break through limiting beliefs

Parliament yesterday endorsed the recommendations of the Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE) committee to make skills training and applied learning a way of life. We reproduce excerpts of speeches from Education Minister Heng Swee Keat, who spoke about the need for three breakthroughs in thinking; and from Senior Minister of State for Education Indranee Rajah's speech on Monday, where she explained what the report means by deepening skills.
The Straits Times, 10 Sep 2014

WE ARE not fixing a broken system. In fact, the polytechnic and ITE education in Singapore is first-rate. It has allowed many Singaporeans to make good progress, it is widely admired around the world.

ASPIRE represents the forward-thinking and planning in our policymaking and it represents the way that we respond to the aspirations of Singaporeans.

Our beliefs can shape our choices. Our beliefs can either limit or expand opportunities. My remarks will address three beliefs about qualifications that limit our potential, how ASPIRE breaks through these limiting beliefs.

Limiting beliefs

THE first limiting belief is that qualifications are all that matter to get a good job, to get a good life. This is limiting because the highest qualifications will do a person no good if there are no jobs available in the first place.

In many parts of Europe, even nearer home Taiwan and other examples, we see highly educated people without a job because the economy does not create jobs for them for structural or cyclical reasons. It is very painful.

The belief that qualifications are all that matter is also limiting because there's a variety of jobs requiring us to learn in different ways and all our life.

Some jobs require degrees; some jobs don't. Some, like a heart surgeon, for instance, requires deep skills that take years of post-graduate specialised training. And there are some jobs, like those of a master craftsman or master chef, that also require deep skills but which can be better acquired on the job.

Qualifications are a proxy measure for some competencies, some attributes but cannot represent the full package of attributes each of us brings to the table.

A second limiting belief is the opposite extreme - that qualifications don't matter at all.

Some members of the public are asking: is the Government now saying that qualifications don't matter? Then why are we urging people to learn and upgrade?

So let me be clear. ASPIRE is not about dissuading Singaporeans from upgrading ourselves, or pursuing degrees or pursuing any form of qualification. ASPIRE is about creating opportunities for all, not creating more competition for some. ASPIRE is about keeping pathways open for all, not blocking pathways for some.

Qualifications matter but they must be the right qualifications and of the right standard for what we want to do.

Parliament Highlights - 9 Sep 2014

Parliament endorses ASPIRE report

ASPIRE ‘not about dissuading S’poreans from getting degrees’: Heng

Education Minister says it is about creating opportunities, keeping pathways open for all
By Siau Ming En, TODAY, 10 Sep 2014

In the wake of misperception by some about the Government’s message in its drive to improve prospects of polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday set the record straight as he weighed in on the parliamentary debate on whether to endorse the Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE) report.

“As several MPs have noted, some members of the public are asking: Is the government now saying that qualifications don’t matter? Then why are we urging people to learn and upgrade? Let me be clear — ASPIRE is not about dissuading Singaporeans from upgrading ourselves or pursuing degrees or any form of qualifications,” said Mr Heng.

Instead, ASPIRE is about creating opportunities and keeping pathways open for all, he pointed out. “It is about breakthroughs, not limits; widening opportunities, not narrowing them; addition, not subtraction; more, not less.” It is not about one kind of qualification versus another, he stressed.

On Monday, the first day of the debate, several Members of Parliament (MPs) highlighted the need for the Government to communicate its message better. They noted that there is confusion among many Singaporeans on, for example, whether a university degree is still valued.

Over two days, 23 MPs rose to speak on the motion tabled by Senior Minister of State (Education and Law) Indranee Rajah to endorse the recommendations made by the ASPIRE committee which she chaired.

The Government had accepted the proposals. Still, MPs from both sides of the political divide all expressed unanimous support for the report.

During a lengthy four-hour debate yesterday, MPs acknowledged that it takes time to shift mindsets and called for more structured programmes for internships. They also urged the enhancement of training programmes for ITE and polytechnic students as well as more collaboration with industries, among other things.

Mr Heng pointed out that the belief that qualifications are all that matter would limit Singaporeans’ potential — as does the opposite view that qualifications do not matter at all.

“Qualifications matter, but they must be the right qualifications and of the right standard for what we want to do,” he said, citing doctors, nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists as examples of occupations that require professional qualifications. “But not all qualifications matter — not if they do not help us build the right skills for what we want to do,” he added.

Parliament Highlights - 8 Sep 2014

Bill tabled to restrict online gambling in S'pore

Access to sites could be turned off, while payments could be blocked

By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 9 Sep 2104

GAMBLERS who go online for a flutter could find themselves staring at jail time.

A wide-ranging Bill, tabled in Parliament yesterday, seeks to expressly make unauthorised online gambling a criminal offence. It also aims to equip the authorities with the tools to fight this growing addiction.

Payments to remote gambling websites could be blocked, in a move that some noted may be a game-changer. Access to such sites could be turned off.

The gamblers themselves could be jailed for up to six months or fined up to $5,000, while the agents helping gambling websites could be hit even harder.

Since one key aim of the Bill is to protect young people from getting hooked on online gambling, anyone trying to lure those under 21 to this addiction would face even heavier penalties, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Bill also allows for Singapore-based operators to offer online gambling but this will be tightly regulated, and not be for profit.

The online gambling market here is estimated to be worth US$416 million (S$521 million) this year, up from US$383 million last year, according to data from Global Betting and Gaming Consultancy (GBGC). It estimated that more than 95 per cent of revenues go to operators offshore.

Online gamblers also set themselves up for trouble, as nearly 40 per cent of them tend to overestimate their wins and underestimate their losses, according to a study published in the Psychological Assessment journal.

The Remote Gambling Bill, which could become law when it is next read in Parliament, will equip Singapore with one of the toughest jurisdictions against online gambling, experts said.

The proposed law could also stop some of the more established remote gambling players from targeting Singaporeans.

Bruce Poh: Championing the cause of non-degree holders

The prevalent mindset in Singapore is that technical jobs are inferior to managerial positions. A new national report - Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review, or ASPIRE - hopes to change this, with recommendations on how to boost the career prospects of graduates from polytechnics and the three colleges of the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). Mr Bruce Poh, 59, the ITE's chief executive, was on the committee that produced the report, with input from employers, students and parents. Mr Poh, who holds a degree in electronics engineering, tells Charissa Yong of the uphill task in coaxing Singaporeans to be less obsessive about a degree, how Singapore is starting to emulate Germany and Switzerland where master craftsmen are celebrated, and whether Singapore will ever choose an ITE graduate as prime minister.
The Straits Times, 6 Sep 2014

As a proportion, degree holders form the biggest pool of workers retrenched since 2011, compared to all other groups in terms of qualifications. Was this the reason for the ASPIRE project?

ASPIRE was undertaken because more and more people want to get a degree as they think it is the only road to success. But an economy needs all types of manpower.

But if you look at places such as South Korea and Taiwan, about 80 to 90 per cent of their people respectively have a degree. You can find taxi drivers and receptionists with degrees. Most would have been better off studying for a vocational certificate. We don't want a situation where many degree holders are under-employed or unemployed. We think that's not the right path to take.

In Singapore, some MPs have told me that at their Meet-the- People Sessions, many asking for jobs are usually degree holders. They hardly get an ITE or poly graduate asking for jobs. That's the value of having skills.

I must, however, stress that for certain professions, such as a lawyer, doctor or architect, a degree is a must. But there are professionals, managers and executives who could be working in areas where there's nothing unique about their degrees.


Some on social media say ITE students feel inferior in Singapore and blame this inferiority complex for the bad things some of them do, such as vandalism or shoplifting. What is your response to the netizens?

When students come to ITE, one of the first things we do is try to give them leadership positions and send them on overseas attachments, such as student exchanges, industrial attachments and community service projects.

We also find out their talents and build their self-confidence.

Moreover, in every cohort, there will be positive as well as negative role models. You have that among university students, poly students, ITE students. But the majority are good.

Sometimes, society treats ITE students unfairly. We had an incident when a resident near College West phoned and said: "How come there are so many ITE students at my block of flats?" He thought having ITE students meant something was wrong.

We asked our guidance officers to go and talk to the students and they found that the students actually lived in the block. Their friends were visiting. We told the caller the students were his neighbours. He was very embarrassed.

Aspire to develop skills

It's better to develop skills-based, hands-on training than churn out more graduates who can't get good jobs, say two academics.
By Wilson Wong, Published The Straits Times, 5 Sep 2014

THE recent call for greater emphasis on vocational training and education has drawn considerable interest in paper-chase-driven Singapore. The Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE) committee has released a well-thought-out report on this matter.

Raising vocational skill levels and making education more applied are likely to benefit Singapore's overall economy more than by simply increasing the number of university places.

Merely raising the number of university places could result in negative externalities such as significant under-employment. For example, in Britain, where 40 per cent of each school cohort attends university, the labour market has been flooded with more graduates than it can absorb.

It is not uncommon for fresh graduates to spend extended periods waiting on tables while clinging on to fading hopes of finding the elusive dream job in keeping with their university education. Currently, an estimated 1.2 million youth (between the ages of 16 and 24) in Britain are in jobs for which they are overqualified.

The call for a culture shift in Singapore to one where people pursue education and skills that are relevant, and not chase a degree at all costs, is thus welcome.

But changing world views will take time. The much-vaunted success of the German apprenticeship model did not come about overnight and is, in fact, the culmination of a centuries-old tradition of master craftsmen imparting their skills to their apprentices.

About three-fifths of German school-leavers embark on these apprenticeships, which typically last for 31/2 years. Today, these skilled craftsmen form the core of Germany's renowned Mittelstand (with its 31/2 million SMEs) which accounts for about 50 per cent of Germany's US$3.6 trillion (S$4.5 trillion) GDP. The Mittelstand employs 60-70 per cent of the German workforce.

This model has to some extent buttressed Germany from the ravages of the global economic downturn, which has left the rest of the euro zone with staggeringly high unemployment of 11-12 per cent.

However, it is no easy task to replicate this model successfully.

Govt’s goal to create opportunities with different learning pathways: Heng

By Laura Elizabeth Philomin, TODAY, 3 Sep 2014

The Government’s goal is to create more opportunities for Singaporeans “through a variety of ways in which they can learn and deepen their skills and be able to apply (these) in their life and at work”, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday, when he was asked to comment on recent remarks by Nanyang Technological University president Bertil Andersson that the Republic needs more graduates in spite of the renewed emphasis on applied and technical education.

“I don’t see any contradiction,” Mr Heng said to reporters during a visit to Greendale Secondary School, where he announced the ramping up of a programme for students to deepen their knowledge and skills in science, mathematics and technology.

He added: “In fact, what we want to do is to provide many opportunities for students and for Singaporeans who are working to continue to learn and to learn in different ways, to use different modes of learning and be able to apply this learning to different contexts. So the general goal is very clear.”

In an interview with TODAY last week, Professor Andersson was asked to weigh in on the spirited public discussion about the value of a degree. Among other things, he said the current proportion of each cohort here who go on to study at local universities is low by international standards and that the Republic needs more graduates to stay ahead of the global competition. He also pointed out that there is a false dichotomy between specialised training and pursuing a degree.

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Applied Learning Programme (STEM ALP) will be rolled out to half of the 124 mainstream secondary schools by 2017. The rest of the schools will offer applied learning programmes in a variety of other areas.