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Speech at WSQ DigiPen-Ubisoft Campus Programme Graduation Ceremony

Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Manpower and Trade and Industry, DigiPen Institute of Technology Singapore

Skills, training and development
Distinguished Guests,
Graduates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good Morning.

  1. I am glad to be back in Digipen Insitute. I remember I was here about 1.5 years ago to launch the inaugural WSQ Digipen-Ubisoft Campus programme. Time passes so quickly that 36 students have already completed the 10-month programme successfully. With their graduation, we are injecting more creative talents into the exciting field of interactive digital media (IDM) here.
  2. According to a Deloitte’s study1 conducted last year, the IDM industry has recorded impressive growth, contributing an estimated SGD$1.5 billion in 2009 alone, and a 20% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) between 2007 and 2009. It added over 2,000 jobs between 2007 and 20092. Worldwide, the video game and interactive entertainment industry is expected to grow to $44 billion this year (2011). It is a promising industry where many opportunities await.

    World-class training to grow industry
  3. Singapore is emerging as an attractive location for IDM companies. Leading global IDM companies, such as Tecmo Koei3, Ubisoft4 and LucasFilm, have all set up their operations here. In fact, our young talents are making waves internationally: they have played significant roles in the production of animation hits like Rango5 , and visual effects in movies such as Transformers and Ironman 2.
  4. Even as we are making waves in digital animation, our digital gaming sector is well-poised to shine too. Recognising this potential, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) has partnered DigiPen Institute of Technology Singapore (DigiPen) and Ubisoft Singapore to set up this IDM CET Centre to groom talents for the fast-growing sector.
  5. The Centre will seek out the best expertise from the world over to customise WSQ programmes in support of the industry. Trainees at the WSQ DigiPen-Ubisoft Campus Programme have spent the last 10 months training intensively to acquire and apply specialist technical skills – such as designing and animating characters, study of games mechanics and artificial intelligence – under the mentorship and coaching from some of the best in the business.
  6. Today, I am glad to say that this best-in-class training has paid dividend. Most of the trainees gained employment with some of the top game development companies. Feedback from the industry revealed that companies have been impressed with the quality and skilfulness of the graduands in digital game animation. They raved about the design and mechanics of digital games such as Terra, Void, Rapidfyre and Spirit Stone.
  7. One of the graduands, Ms Joanna Lee Chiu Yi, found her passion for game design and joined the Professional Conversion Programme for Game Designers. Through the training, Joanna learnt from best-in-class practices and acquired the necessary skills to envision, design and develop a video game. With that, she successfully developed one of the games I just mentioned, Rapidfyre.

    Train with STEP
  8. 8. At this year’s budget announcement, MOM introduced STEP which stands for the Skills Training for Excellence Programme, specially catering to the PMETs (Professional, Manager, Executive and Technician). The WSQ DigiPen-Ubisoft Campus Programme is one such programme under STEP.
  9. STEP has the full range of offerings that will be relevant for PMETs. STEP helps deepen their skill-sets, broaden their knowledge of general business functions outside their specialisation. STEP refreshes their competencies to keep pace with the latest industry developments and technologies. Under the STEP umbrella there are over 200 WSQ courses, short modules, master-classes and scholarship programmes in areas as diverse as precision engineering, business management, training and adult education as well as leadership skills.
  10. It is our hope that more PMETs will sign up for the many programmes under STEP, and in today’s context, IDM-related courses such as this.

    Conclusion
  11. In conclusion, let me congratulate all the graduands for being the pioneering batch to complete the WSQ DigiPen-Ubisoft Campus Programme. Allow me also commend the academic staff, industry partners and WDA for co-authoring this WSQ programme. There is much more we can do for this nascent industry. Let us work together to usher in the exciting IDM world.
  12. Thank you!
1Source: Deloitte, IDM: Examining the Singapore growth wave
 
2The Singapore IDM sector has witnessed impressive growth since the inception of government programs and sector tracking in 2005. The sector contributed $867 million of VA to the economy in 2009 and showed a promising growth of 20% CAGR between 2007 and 2009. This growth also demonstrated impressive resiliency against the global economic backdrop. Total gross revenues grew by about 15% during this period (2007–09) and contributed an estimated $1.5 billion in 2009.

3Tecmo Koei was the 1st major global game developer to bring game development operations in Singapore. In Feb 2008, it produced its debut title, called Romance of the Three Kingdoms Online, Singapore’s 1st blockbuster in the IDM industry. Headquartered in Japan, Tecmo Koei develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems and PCs.

4Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 28 countries and sales in 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. It partnered DigiPen in the Campus Programme to train game developers.

5Rango is a computer-animated hit movie that opened at number one spot in the United States in early March. One-quarter of the film was made in Singapore. 70 of about 100 local crew of technical staff and production crew from Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) Singapore (division of Lucasfilm) have no prior experience in animated feature films. Rango is a 2011 American western comedy film on the adventures of a chameleon named after the title of the film, and featured the voices of actors such as Johnny Depp.