Debated in Parliament on 9 Jan 2017.
Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) (a) whether the "50 schools, 50 SMEs" initiative of SG50 has been completed; (b) whether the Ministry has achieved its target of pairing 50 schools with 50 different SMEs; and (c) whether the Ministry has evaluated each school-SME partnership to find out if the learning outcomes have been met.
The "50 Schools, 50 SMEs" was a joint initiative by SPRING Singapore and the National Library Board (NLB) carried out from April 2014 to May 2015 in conjunction with the SG50 celebrations. The programme aimed to connect the younger generation with companies which had made contributions to Singapore. Students were given the opportunity to understand Singapore businesses up close and appreciate how local businesses had persevered through difficult times and contributed to Singapore’s economic development.
The programme matched 250 secondary school students, comprising 62 teams from 51 schools with 62 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), exceeding its target of pairing 50 schools with 50 SMEs. Students were matched with companies from a broad range of industries and, after the attachment, were required to submit a write-up on the company based on their learning experiences. Some of the featured companies which participated in this programme included Eu Yan Sang, Muthu's Curry, Malayan Daching, Epigram Books, Gardenasia and Pet Lovers Centre.
The feedback received from the programme was positive. Students found the experience beneficial and were able to appreciate how businesses had to adapt and innovate to remain competitive. Some students were motivated to consider working for an SME or setting up their own business. The companies which participated also felt that they had benefited from the energy and fresh ideas the students brought with them. The write-ups from the completed projects have been uploaded onto the Singapore Memory Project portal, Wikipedia and Infopedia.
PAPERCUTS