Students in Institutes of Higher Learning Involved in Learning More about Industry Transformation Maps

Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) (a) how are students in the Institutes of Higher Learning involved in learning more about Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs); and (b) what are the future plans to expose students to the ITMs that are relevant to their field of studies.

Industry Transformation Map (ITM) lead agencies have worked with the Ministry of Education (MOE), SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to help IHL students learn about the changing nature of industries and provide them with mentorship and work opportunities.

First, the Skills Frameworks, which are an integral part of the ITMs, identify, amongst other things, the skills that are needed to meet changing industry needs. IHL staff, including Education and Career Guidance counsellors, factor relevant information on industry developments into career guidance to help their students make better-informed decisions. Since late 2017, such information is also available on the MySkillsFuture portal, which enables students and other Singaporeans to chart their own career and lifelong learning pathways.

Besides MOE/SSG, ITM lead agencies also reach out directly to IHL students. For example, as part of a series of student outreach initiatives for the Aerospace ITM, final-year students from our polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education will visit aerospace companies to learn about their advanced manufacturing and repair capabilities at the inaugural Aerospace Day @ Seletar Aerospace Park.

Second, MOE/SSG have worked with the IHLs and the ITM lead agencies to enhance mentorship and work opportunities for students to learn more about their industry of choice and facilitate their transition into the workforce. For example, since 2015, over 1,700 polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education graduates have participated in 76 SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programmes. The autonomous universities have also rolled out 10 SkillsFuture Work-Study Degree Programmes since February 2017. The National Trades Union Congress, a key partner in the ITMs, also plays an active role. For example, it provides students from the Singapore University of Social Sciences and the Singapore Institute of Technology with career mentorship and guidance as part of its Youth Career Network programme.

We will continue the fruitful collaborations between ITM lead agencies, MOE/SSG, IHLs and other partners to prepare our IHL students for the future economy.