Speech at The Launch of The CET Academy

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Acting Minister for Manpower, Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Mr Tan Hup Foi,
Chairman of the Ngee Ann Polytechnic Council

Mr Chia Mia Chiang,
Principal, Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning,

I am pleased to join you this morning for the launch of the Ngee Ann Polytechnic's CET Academy.

Continuing Education & Training – Preparing our Workforce for the Future

2.   Singapore's workforce is widely recognised and highly rated by international rating agencies. Recently, Singapore's labour market was ranked first by the International Institute for Management Development¹ and the Business Environment Risk Intelligences². The Political & Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd (PERC) also ranked Singapore first for human resources³.

3.   These accolades are due in no small part to a workforce that continually seeks to upgrade itself to remain highly skilled and productive. However, we cannot rest on our laurels. Instead, we must continue to work hard to maintain our pole position. With economic restructuring, faster skills obsolescence and shorter job tenures; lifelong learning is key for workers to to acquire new skills and maintain their employability. 

4.   The CET Masterplan sets out our strategy to prepare Singaporean workers for the future. This will help them seize opportunities in new growth areas and advance in their careers through the acquisition of skills.

5.   As part of the CET Masterplan, the Government will ramp up the capacity of the CET training infrastructure, establish stronger linkages between CET and pre-employment education institutions and set up a specialised Institute of Adult Learning to develop the capability of adult educators. In the next few years, we will quadruple the annual training capacity to 80,000 workers. We will do so by partnering both leading public and private providers to set up new first class CET centres in growth industries as well as expand existing CET centres to offer high quality and industry-relevant courses. 

Ngee Ann Polytechnic's Support of National CET Efforts

6.   Against this national backdrop, Ngee Ann Polytechnic is positioning itself to play a significant role, through the setting up of this new CET Academy.  It will spearhead Ngee Ann Polytechnic's efforts in offering adult education and championing lifelong learning. Working in close collaboration with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), the CET Academy will be a lead provider for a host of skills and competency based CET courses and customised training programmes for adult workers. 

7.    The Academy will provide 7,000 training places per year under the WSQ framework in Early Childhood Education, Retail, and Workplace Safety and Health. Ngee Ann also has plans to roll out other courses under the WSQ framework in the creative, aerospace, and infocomm technology sectors.  Hence, the CET Academy will help workers to obtain nationally-recognised skills and qualifications that are portable and industry-relevant.  

8.   One worker who has benefited from life long learning is Mr Tan Hooi Soon. He joined the Diploma in Technology Programme in May 2005. Just one and a half years into his study, his employer, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) saw the relevance of his study to his work. They enlarged his job role from supervising two staff in drainage systems to supervising 30 men in catchment surveillance work at the new Marina Barrage project. At the same time, he was also promoted from a Higher Technical Officer to Senior Technical Officer, with a pay jump of 10%.

9.   The CET Academy will go beyond training. The Academy will also serve as a one-stop career services centre to provide career counselling and advice, so that learners can align their training to career development and job placements. Leveraging on the polytechnic's strong ties with industry, learners will be able to obtain pertinent information and advice on the current employment situation and job opportunities. 

Conclusion

10.   I wish Ngee Ann Polytechnic's CET Academy every success, and look forward to the centre playing its part in helping to develop the CET landscape and contributing to the advancement of our workers. Thank you.

² In its 2007 Labour Force Evaluation Measure 

³ In its Comparative Country Risk Report 2007