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By CALVIN YANG
RAIL infrastructure enhance-ments – including the expansionof the rail network and major up-grades to existing lines – have sig-nalled the need for technicians tomaintain the train system here.
To meet the growing demand,the Institute of Technical Educa-tion (ITE) will offer a two-yearHigher Nitec course in rapid tran-sit engineering this April. It is oneof three new Higher Nitec coursesITE is introducing this year,which can be taken by those who
have a related Nitec certificate orwho scored at least E8 in three rel-evant O-level subjects.
“Due to the expansion of therapid transit system, there is astrong demand for more technicalofficers to maintain it,” saidcourse manager Wong SheowLeong. “Currently, there is ashortage of skilled individuals.”
The pioneer cohort of 40 stu-dents will attend classes at theITE College West in Choa Chu
Kang. They will be trained in themaintenance of rail communica-tions equipment, such as train in-tercoms and closed circuit televi-sion cameras, and signalling sys-tems that help trains run more fre-quently, among others.
In the final semester, studentswill serve a three-month attach-ment with rail operators SMRT
and SBS Transit, and engineeringfirms in the rapid transit sector.
Graduates can take on jobswith train operators and engineer-ing firms as technicians and tech-nical officers. They can also pur-sue polytechnic courses, includ-ing a new diploma in engineeringsystems and management offeredby Republic Polytechnic this year.
Mr Syahril Rais, 19, who has ap-plied for the Higher Nitec course,said: “This course is differentfrom the other engineering cours-es because it is more specific tothe rapid transit sector. Singaporeis expanding its rail network. Ithink there will be a lot of opportu-nities in this line in future.”
ITE will also introduce two oth-er two-year Higher Nitec coursesthis April, on emerging fields suchas interactive design, and broad-cast and media technology. Theadditions bring the total numberof Higher Nitec courses to 45.
The programme in interactivedesign will take in 80 students thisyear, and the broadcast and mediatechnology course, 40 students.Both will be conducted at ITE Col-lege Central in Ang Mo Kio.
Mr Heng Guan Teck, deputychief executive officer (academic)of ITE, said: “We have introducedthese courses based on industrydemand, and to provide aspiringstudents in these fields with goodcareer prospects and progressionpathways.”
By PEARL LEE
STUDENT Michelle Leong, 18,left junior college (JC) after sevenmonths as she felt it was not suita-ble for her.
“It was like secondary school,but with a heavier workload andeven more pressure. It was suffo-cating at some points,” she said.
Instead of a polytechniccourse, however, she decided on acommunication degree offered bythe University at Buffalo (UB) atthe Singapore Institute of Manage-ment (SIM).
The UB degree courses areamong a rare few here that acceptstudents with O levels. Usually,O-level holders who enrol in pri-vate schools do diploma courses.
Michelle, who is in the firstyear of her UB course, is one of agroup of students who opt for aprivate institution after the O lev-els.
They cite reasons such as theshorter duration and variety ofcourses for choosing privateschools over government ones.
Despite more students enteringpolytechnics and a steady annual
intake at junior colleges, major pri-vate institutions told The StraitsTimes they have maintained theirenrolment of O-level holders.
This is possibly as more are pur-suing post-secondary education:Of the Primary 1 cohort in 2003,95 per cent did so, up from about90 per cent for the 1994 cohort.
A SIM spokesman said the in-take of O-level holders has re-mained steady at about 8 per centof total enrolment in UB degreecourses. A total of 590 studentsentered the courses in 2013.
SIM’s diploma courses have al-so seen a stable intake of over 900O-level holders a year.
The situation is similar at otherprivate institutions.
PSB Academy in Tiong Bahrusaid O-level student enrolmentfor its diploma courses has “re-mained steady, average exceeding1,000 students yearly, for thepast three years”.
At Management DevelopmentInstitute of Singapore, about 300O-level holders entered its diplo-ma courses each year in the lastthree years.
Kaplan Singapore student Fari-
dah Ahmad, 17, said she chose acounselling diploma as it offeredO-level holders a two-monthfoundation course.
“I took a gap year after my Olevels, so I was worried about notbeing able to cope in the polys,”said Faridah, who took time off to
seek treatment for lymphoma.“But the foundation course helpsto refresh my memory.”
Student Benjamin Cheung, 17,
who had 16 points for six subjectsat the O levels, said a UB businessdegree at SIM was a clear choice.“My end goal is to get a businessdegree, but the JC life is not forme,” he said. “If I had gone to apoly, that would be another threeyears before I enter university.”
Michelle, who will graduatefrom the UB programme in twoyears, is excited to get a head-start, but also worries about whatpotential bosses may think.
“I’m worried that employerswill think I’m too young and behesitant to hire me.”
ITE students being trained in the maintenance of rail equipment. The expandingindustry needs more technical staff. PHOTO: INSTITUTE OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION
Student Michelle Leong (above) enrolled for a University of Buffalo communication degree at SIM with just her O-levelresults, while Benjamin Cheung (right) is taking a business degree course at the same institution. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
Rapid transit engineering, interactivedesign among the new programmes
ITE rolling outmore coursesat higher level
Taking the private school route to a degree or diploma
B8 HHOOMMEE AAFFTTEERR TTHHEE OO LLEEVVEELLSS W E D N E S D A Y , J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 5
