Polytechnic and ITE students and graduates in the Offshore & Marine Engineering (OME) sector are set to get a structured skills and career development pathway, after an MOU was signed between post-secondary education institutions and eight key players in the industry.
This is in line with the national SkillsFuture movement to develop an integrated system of education, training and career progression for Singaporeans in response to evolving industry needs, said the organisations in a press release on Friday (Oct 16).
One initiative to be be rolled out under the MOU is the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme, a work-study programme offering career placements and on-the-job training.
Under this programme, new Assistant Engineers will undergo a 12-month structured training programme which will lead to a Specialist Diploma in Marine Production awarded by Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP).
The other is the SkillsFuture Enhanced Internship Programme in Marine and Offshore Engineering. From April 2016, the final-year cohort of 160 students from NP’s Diploma in Marine & Offshore Technology and 80 Higher Nitec Marine & Offshore Technology students from ITE can get a structured internship over a six-month duration.
They will be joined by another 80 Singapore Polytechnic students from the Diploma in Marine Engineering in April 2017. The internships are structured according to detailed task scopes drawn up by the institutions together with the sector so as to better support students’ transition to the workplace.
The MOU was signed by the Association of Singapore Marine Industries (ASMI), Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited, Sembcorp Marine Limited, Singapore Technologies Marine Limited, Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) and Singapore Polytechnic (SP).
Chief Executive of the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, Mr Ng Cher Pong, was also present at the signing.
news source & image credits: channelnewsasia.com
