Debated in Parliament on 8 Sep 2014.
Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, "That this House (1) endorses the Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review Report (Paper Misc 3 of 2014), which sets out this Government's policy to ensure that all Singaporeans, whatever their qualifications, enjoy full opportunities to upgrade and progress during their working lives; and (2) supports a tripartite approach to instil a culture of lifelong learning, and to recognise and reward individuals based on their skills and performance."
Mdm Speaker, two weeks ago, the ASPIRE Committee released its report, making 10 recommendations which have been accepted by the Government in full. But ASPIRE is much more than just the 10 recommendations.
What is ASPIRE about? It is about creating multiple opportunities to realise aspirations, creating multiple pathways to success and facilitating progression and advancement. It is also about embracing lifelong learning, valuing every individual and respecting every job, letting people go forward, not by always and only looking back to their start point, but by how they perform, what they achieve and what they become. Above all, it is about doing this together.
In 2012, we had the Our Singapore Conversation (OSC). One very strong theme that emerged was Singaporeans' desire to progress and do well. Parents have high aspirations for their children. Young people have high aspirations for themselves. The ASPIRE engagement sessions also reflected the same thing. They all want opportunities.
But career aspirations cannot be achieved in a vacuum. They are linked to jobs and jobs, in turn, are linked to our domestic economy and international economic trends and forces.
This means two things. First, that the fulfilment of Singaporeans’ aspirations is closely tied to Singapore having strong economic growth. Second, it means that we need to ensure that there is a strong alignment between our people's knowledge and skills – the supply side; and the jobs and skills that are needed – the demand side. In the last 50 years, we have achieved phenomenal development and have made the leap from Third World to First. This was only possible by having an educational strategy that was closely attuned to the economic
Page: 77
situation of the day.
On this, may I say that it is important to understand that it is not a matter of educating people to serve the economy. Rather, the overarching objective is to enable Singaporeans to prosper and to do well and achieve their aspirations. It is in service of that objective, making lives better for Singaporeans, that this Government's consistent strategy has been, and continues to be, to try and identify trends and developments, and to equip Singaporeans, through education, to take advantage of them.
So, from the 1960s to 1970s, our economy was labour-intensive. Education focused on the basic level of skills. From the 1980s to mid-1990s, our economy became capital-»intensive. Education focused on equipping Singaporeans with deeper technical expertise to meet this environment. The late 1990s to 2000s saw a knowledge-based economy, so education was geared for critical thinking, creativity and innovation. Now, 2014 onwards, we are once again on the cusp. The future is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous – the Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity (VUCA) environment. We now have to, once again, think of how to equip Singaporeans to navigate and do well in this VUCA environment.
It is not possible to predict the future. However, from where we stand now, looking forward, this is what we can see: that there is a demand for deep and relevant skills; that the nature of jobs will change, and the way we do the jobs will change. In some cases, the jobs themselves will change. Some may disappear forever.
Technology will continue to drive disruptive change. All this means that our people will have to constantly adapt and learn new skills in order to remain relevant and to get good employment. It also means that learning must be lifelong, more than ever before. The old paradigm where education ends at school is no longer applicable. Education continues throughout life.
Let me say a little on skills. What are skills? We must be clear on what we mean by skills. I have actually heard that since the National Day Rally (NDR) and the ASPIRE report, some children have been telling their parents that since it is now about skills, they do not have to study anymore. If only! There is a misapprehension that skills means only doing things with your hands, or some manual form of work. “Skills” means much more than that.
What does it mean? First, and this is not a term of art or a technical definition, but I think, broadly, skills means knowledge plus application plus experience. The knowledge part, necessarily, includes, but is not limited to, academic content and theory. So, for example, it is not possible to do construction work, which involves measurement and dimensions,
Page: 78
without maths, otherwise you might have a very crooked house. You cannot do product design without learning about materials and understanding manufacturing processes. Hence, our primary and secondary schools have an academic syllabus to provide a strong foundation for our students, whether they later choose an academic route or a more applied route, such as the polytechnics and ITE.
But knowledge alone is not enough – it is how you apply it: "It is not what we know. It is what you can do with what you know." And this is where applied learning comes in. It allows students to learn through practice and application. And the workplace is one of the best places for applied learning. Experience is, of course, the fruit of constant practice and application. That is the first thing.
The second thing about skills is that when we refer to skills, we are also referring to hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are the technical know-how. Here, let me emphasise, it is not limited to skills in the technical sectors, such as precision engineering. It also includes skills in the service sector, for example, hospitality, as well as skills in the professions like nursing and accountancy. It covers the entire spectrum of work. Then, there are soft skills. These are things like attitude, leadership, communication skills, teamwork, the ability to work across cultures, the ability to deal with people, the ability to solve problems.
A third way to think about skills is the ability to achieve desired outcomes, to get results.
Once it is understood that skills means all of these things, then it is easy to understand why skills are so important to an individual’s personal development and growth as well as to his/her career prospects. It is also easy to understand why skills are so much in demand by industry and employers.
Then we talk about progressing through skills. What do we mean by this? The first thing we mean by progressing through skills is raising skills levels across the board. Let me explain.
Jobs are becoming more complex. For example, in the past, if you were a car mechanic doing maintenance and repair, all you needed was mechanical knowledge. Today, car functions are increasingly computerised. If something goes wrong, it is not just a matter of a mechanical repair. There is also a need to run computer diagnostics on the car to find out what is wrong. In future, we will have driverless cars. The car mechanic will have to acquire even more skill sets. In fact, he may be replaced by a maintenance robot. To stay relevant, he will need skills that enable him to direct and control the robot – a higher order of skills.
So, if we just take the example of a car mechanic alone, the skills needed yesterday were mechanics; today, it is mechanics plus electronics; tomorrow, it will be mechanics plus
Page: 79
electronics plus robotics.
In order to cope with this, we have to raise our skills levels across the board. That is what we are seeking to do, in every sector, at every level, to bring Singaporeans to a new skills equilibrium.
And this is so that, as the way we do jobs change, as jobs themselves change, as new ones are created and old ones are swept away, Singaporeans will be ready, not only to cope but to thrive, because those with the raised skills levels will be the ones who will be able to access better pay, better prospects, better progression and better outcomes.
The second way of progressing through skills is building on skills. We want people to be able to progress by building upon a solid preceding layer of skills at each stage. Let me give an example which I encountered when I visited the Keppel shipyard.
An employee comes in with a Diploma in Marine and Offshore Technology. He works for a few years as an Assistant Engineer, installing and commissioning equipment on a rig. Later on, he goes on to do a degree in Naval Architecture. He graduates, becomes a naval architect and can design ships or rigs. Think of how much more someone who has actually worked on building a rig can bring to the design and functionality of a rig when he one day becomes a naval architect. So, that is what I mean by building on skills.
Then, there is broadening of skills. We want people to progress not only by building on skills but by widening their scope. For example, you could have a technician or an engineer on the shop floor, and this person may, after sometime, show leadership or organisational potential. To help that person fulfil potential, we need to broaden his/her skills, for example, by sending him or her to a course in project management and human resource management. So, they acquire a different set of skills.
The fourth way in which we refer to it is deepening of skills. There is a need for deep knowledge and expertise. This is the path of specialisation. For example, in the aerospace industry, a trainee Licensed Aircraft Engineer (LAE) starts with becoming familiar with an aircraft's major systems and power plants. He deepens his skills to become an Assistant LAE and performs transit checking procedures, and then becomes a full LAE – performing detailed system, engine component and functional checks and troubleshooting procedures.
Also in line with deepening skills are the master craftsmen. On this, let me tell you a tale of two men. Mdm Speaker, I have four slides for my speech. With your permission, may I display them at the appropriate time?
Page: 80
Mdm Speaker : Yes, please.
The first is the story of Mr Jiro. I do not know if you have seen the documentary film called Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It is about Mr Jiro Ono, a sushi master, and his quest to perfect the art of sushi. He is the owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a tiny sushi bar with only 10 seats in the basement of a Tokyo subway station. But his is the first sushi restaurant in the entire world to be awarded three Michelin stars.
Jiro learnt the art of sushi at age nine. He has been learning and perfecting the art of sushi ever since. Next year, he will be 90! He was 85 when the film was made. He is widely hailed as the greatest sushi chef in the world. And his sushi is said to be so delicate, exquisite and sublime that his sushi rice was once described as “[a] cloud that explodes in your mouth”. Yet, despite his age and accolades, he is still driven to perfect his technique.
In the movie, he says, "Even at my age, in my work, I have not reached perfection. I will continue to climb, trying to reach the top, but no one knows where the top is!" This mind-set and dedication to his craft has elevated a skill to an art. In fact, Japan has declared Mr Jiro as a living national treasure for his contributions to Japanese cuisine.
But we do not have to look so far to find someone like Mr Jiro. At home, right here in Tanjong Pagar, we have Mr Tham Niap Tiong, who owns the Rolina Traditional Hainanese Curry Puffs at Tanjong Pagar Plaza. I know because this is in a constituency I cover.
Mr Tham is 75 years old. He learnt the art of making curry puffs at age 19 from a 70-year-old Hainanese sailor. The sailor understood that Mr Tham had problems getting a job and offered to teach him how to make curry puffs to earn a living. It took Mr Tham about one to two months to learn the basic skills of curry puff making. He started selling his curry puffs at the Thomson area, near the Novena Church, in the 1960s. In 1976, when the Government introduced hawker licensing, he opened a stall at Serangoon Gardens.
He has been in this trade for 56 years and is still going strong. Till today, each curry puff – golden, crisp, and which melts in your mouth – is prepared by hand from the spices to ingredients, to the crimps in the crust. And he is very strict about his ingredients and quality. He still uses the same recipe he learnt all those years ago. His artisanal craft has been honed over the years.
He takes pride in his business and is constantly seeking to improve the quality of his curry puffs. Even now, he still goes around buying curry puffs made by others to make sure that his curry puffs are as good as, or not even better than, the rest. He expanded his business and started operating the stall at Tanjong Pagar seven years back. The original stall
Page: 81
is still run by his son.
On how his stall came to be called "Rolina", he used to sell curry puffs near Novena Church. And his regular customer, one of the aunties, always shouted "Rolina curry puff", instead of "Novena curry puff" and, so, he decided to use this name when he set up his first stall in Serangoon Gardens!
I am not advocating that everyone should be a sushi chef or curry puff maker. But the stories of these two men and their success contain the recipe for success that cuts across all professions. Both have a strong passion for what they do. Both embody the mind-set of skills and expertise through practice and application. Both espouse the philosophy that they must seek to be the best in their profession. And their success is founded on real and deep skills. They both have great pride in their work. They strive relentlessly for perfection, always seeking to improve, upgrade and better their performance. As a result, they have become masters of their craft. The quality of their work generates its own demand. They are both virtually recession proof. So, that is on deepening of skills and master craftsmen.
Let me now say something about lifelong learning. When we consider the future of jobs and you see skills from the perspective that I have outlined, then we can understand why learning and education must now be lifelong.
In the past, graduation from an educational institution marked the point where education stopped and work began. Education and work are intertwined. Learning and education must continue even after one has started work.
This is for all occupations. Even politicians are not spared. It used to be that you just needed skills to make policy. In the last four years alone, we have had to acquire a whole slew of additional skills: blogging; facebooking; tweeting; instagramming; and lately, the art of the selfie! We too have been disrupted by technology. We too have had to raise, broaden and deepen our skills. We have different progression rates. Some of us are still apprentices, though a couple are fast becoming master craftsmen in this area!
The continuous learning and acquisition of new skills will enable people to upgrade and progress throughout their working lives and achieve better outcomes for themselves and their families. This is the reason why we place such importance on Continuing Education and Training (CET) and invest so heavily in it.
While the ASPIRE recommendations are geared for polytechnic and ITE students, the Government's policy of supporting CET applies to all Singaporeans, from graduates to those with only primary or secondary education. To this end, the Government is working on a CET
Page: 82
masterplan.
ASPIRE is also about multiple pathways. There is a wide diversity of jobs. They require different knowledge, skill sets and experience. Different individuals have different talents, interests and strengths. Some thrive in a more academic approach, others are more hands-on.
We want a system that provides opportunities for all to progress at any stage of their working lives. It is not one size fits all – or one educational path for all. We want to have multiple pathways for people to upgrade and progress, to go as far as they can, according to their abilities.
For some, pursuing further studies immediately after JC, polytechnic or ITE is the right path for them. Others may find that working first and then pursuing further studies is better. Yet others may find getting specialised industry qualifications or certifications is the correct path for them. And for some, going on a path of skills deepening through work and becoming a master craftsman or specialist may be a better route.
We want a system that is flexible where the upgrading can be taken either full-time or part-time, or in small modules over a period of time. Online learning will become an important enabler.
So, it is all about the right career choice, the right qualifications for the right job at the right time. But to do all this, a concerted effort is needed. One of our greatest strengths is our tripartite relationship of cooperation and collaboration between employers, employees and the Government. We must harness this.
We need employers' input and involvement for applied learning. We need this when we are developing the curriculum, when we are structuring the internships. We need the employer's collaboration to provide good mentorship to students and employees. We also need employers to recognise and reward individuals based on skills and performance. We need them to invest and develop the employees and to help their employees grow.
We need employers to support their employees in CET and lifelong learning. Scholarships may be one way. And now with the Place and Train, which benefits employers too, that is another way. Providing on the job training as part of CET would also help. At the end of the day, from the employees’ perspective, the most important thing is to have moral support from the employers and time to study outside of working hours.
Page: 83
For the employees, we need their input and collaboration too. To make the right choices; to seek out the areas of demand where you can grow; adopting the mindset and qualities exemplified by Mr Jiro and Mr Tham; to have the willingness to re-train, upskill, upgrade; and for employees to support their employers too.
Unions, being the employee's representatives, as well as the bridge between employers and employees, also have an important part to play in achieving the ASPIRE objectives.
On the part of the Government – to provide quality education and to gear for applied learning, to provide resources for our schools and institutions and ensure that they are well-resourced; to ensure that our Institutions of Higher Learning collaborate with industry in an even closer and more coordinated fashion; to support CET; and to develop frameworks for each individual industry sector together with the industry – for these provide a reference frame for progression. The Government will also do its part as an employer in recognising skills and performance.
So, in fact, we need everyone on board, not just the tripartite partners, but also teachers, parents, students and society – everyone. Achieving this will need a lot of effort and coordination. Hence, the new inter-Ministerial Committee is to be led by the Deputy Prime Minister Tharman.
Again, in order to do this, we also have to change mindsets. We have to change mindsets in many things; in how we see education – no longer just academic; but to recognise the importance of skills. We have to embrace lifelong learning. We also need to have a mindset shift in how education is developed. It is no longer the sole preserve of educators. It must now be a collaboration between educational institutions, in particular, the Institutions of Higher Learning, educators and industry. We also need to change the way we think about how we recognise and reward people and also, in how we see jobs.
Ms Olivia Lum of Hyflux who was on the ASPIRE Committee told us of a technician who was very good at his work. With his expertise and years of experience, he was being paid more than some of the graduates. However, he wanted to switch to a white-collar job even though it paid less. The reason – his wife did not like him coming back in dirty overalls, smelling of the factory and the plant. She wanted him to have a white-collar job, even if it paid less.
This effort also leads us to value every person – not seeing them just as an employee or a worker, but as a person with potential and giving each one the chance to grow and develop. There is an advertisement we saw by an employer which encapsulates this best, where the employer who was advertising focused on an employee. It said, "From apprentice to
Page: 84
manager of 12,000." And the lines below says, "There are many paths to the top, all it takes is a company who believes you can." So, that supportive relationship between the employers and employees makes a big difference.
In conclusion, Mdm Speaker, what we are seeking to do, through ASPIRE and other Government efforts, is to ensure that Singapore continues to be a place of opportunities for all Singaporeans, through education and lifelong learning and a concerted effort by all. I look forward to hearing the Members’ views and urge this House to support the motion.
*Question proposed.*
[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Seah Kian Peng) in the Chair]
The ASPIRE project has been a long-time coming. I am inspired by ASPIRE's goals to strengthen the applied education pathway in our country's polytechnics and ITEs; and I want it to succeed.
Although the ASPIRE report has not expressed it blatantly, one primary concern, I believe, it hopes to address is the potential problem of an over-supply of graduates. Graduate unemployment is already seen in East Asian countries such as Taiwan and South Korea. In a society that places a high premium on academic pursuit, Singapore runs the risk of facing the same fate.
Sir, my support for what ASPIRE aspires to do is not based on whether it can outrun the potential graduate glut in Singapore. It is more than that.
There is a strong case for the school of thought that is most famously put forth by Prof Howard Gardner from Harvard. Howard Gardner's multiple intelligence theory argues that people possess different types of intelligences and learning styles. Some of these intelligences include musical, visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, logicalmathematical, kinesthetic and interpersonal skills. Howard Gardner believes that education should be about helping individuals "develop intelligences and to help them reach vocational and avocational goals that are appropriate to their particular spectrum of intelligences".
Many of us are already aware of heroes from the Hall of Fame, such as businessman Richard Branson, IT honchos Bill Gates and Steve Jobs; award-winning actor Ben Affleck and tennis star, Andre Agassi, winner of eight Grand Slam titles. Despite their not attending
Page: 85
college or dropping out of college, these heroes are known for excellence in their work.
In my years of service in the private, people and public sectors, I have met many such everyday heroes.
I think of Mr Victor Ong; a year 2000 graduate from Temasek Polytechnic's Diploma in Interactive Media Design. Victor started his career as a designer and was promoted very quickly to an Art Director in two of the largest global advertising firms in the industry. He then decided to contribute in the not-for-profit sector as a Creative Director.
Then, there is Mdm Wendy Sim, the owner-operator of Nam Foong Furniture who neither attended a polytechnic or a university. Wendy successfully leads a team of carpenters in her family business and is a very popular, reliable and respected supplier.
Another hero in the service industry is a Mr Dennis Tan who holds a GCE "O" Level certificate and today, is an Enrichment Unit Manager who serves thousands of children in an autism charity that I run.
Singaporeans, such as Victor Ong, Wendy Sim and Dennis Tan, need not feel that they are now outliers who did not trod the usual graduate academic pathway. If ASPIRE were to succeed, they would have been guided, facilitated, recognised and rewarded for what they bring to the table. There will then be no need for future ASPIRE projects.
Getting it right. Sir, I believe that there are three critical factors for ASPIRE to succeed.
One, the ability to transform the mindset of key stakeholders. Two, the ability to imbue excellence or mastery in schools and workplaces. Three, the ability to work effectively with industry players.
Critical success factor 1 – ASPIRE’s ability to transform the mindset of key stakeholders. Sir, I worry about what is unsaid in the ASPIRE Report than what is written. There appears to be an underlying assumption that all things will fall in place if we only strengthen the vocational track. And we will miraculously achieve what we would like to see in systems in, say, Germany, Switzerland, Norway or Finland where there is a greater balance between the vocational and academic tracks.
I believe that the biggest battle lies in the deeply entrenched paradigm that the degree route is the ticket to a better career and life. Even with the likes of whom I call Wendy Sim and Dennis Tan who had made good from their decisions to pursue their own dreams and not follow the paths more travelled. Even they decided that, for their own children, the ticket
Page: 86
to a good career should still be a university degree, no less. This is a mindset that is further fuelled by an employment market that uses a degree as a proxy for one’s ability or potential to perform. It does not help that many leaders in our country hail from top universities in the world.
Unless this mindset that the degree route is the only ticket to a better career and life is addressed, ASPIRE’s strong applied education pathways will remain just one piece of the post-secondary education eco-system. Not many more will buy into it and the potential of many of our students will not be maximised. It will not be a game-changer, and many people would still aspire for a singular education track of degrees and postgraduate degrees, where possible.
When old mindsets do not change, then new behaviours do not follow. It is like keeping old wine in new wine skin. How long will it take to change a culture? The less optimistic say at least 20 years or one generation. The more optimistic give five to 10 years.
On the importance of the public sector to set the tone and take the lead, I feel very strongly that it is very important that the Public Service must lead the way and signal strongly the spirit behind ASPIRE, which is very important for our country. Not only is the public sector the largest employer in Singapore, in recent years, it has also become the pacesetter for human resources (HR) practices, identifying and compensating employees. Instead of asking which jobs need degrees, I believe the public sector and the other employers should honestly ask which jobs do not need degrees and immediately open up these jobs for recruitment of those who meet the competency requirement, graduate or not.
Next, on the importance of reviewing holistically the post-secondary education landscape, I believe that one of the flaws in the ASPIRE project design is its narrow scope. In separating the university track from the non-university track of polytechnics and ITEs, it appears as if the ITE and the polytechnic tracks are the ones that need fixing and improvement. But the polytechnics and the ITEs are the ones that have improved so much in recent years. It is also a known fact that employers lament that there are university graduates who are not quite work-ready.
Twenty-first century economies with very short product lives and rapid technology changes form the setting of the future workplace of all school graduates, whatever education institutions they are from. ASPIRE would have been for the stronger had its scope cover all of the post-secondary school education and strengths and gaps analysed holistically – at individual, family, employer and societal levels.
Page: 87
A greater emphasis could have been placed on the porosity amongst the various education tracks. We know, for example, in Germany, employers send their master craftsmen for further training to universities – the academic track – that emphasise the development of job-relevant skills, such as management and strategic leadership skills, too. Once key stakeholders, such as parents and students, can see that the two tracks are actually more porous, they will be less resistant to make a decision to take a nontraditional education pathway, when deemed appropriate.
Critical success factor 2 – ASPIRE's ability to imbue excellence and mastery in schools and workplace culture. This is covered nicely by the Senior Minister of State Ms Indranee Rajah. I believe that although ASPIRE is about creating equality in opportunities, there is a strong case for putting even more focus on building excellence or mastery that will garner respect and recognition, whether one is in the university or non-university track.
In his popular book Excellence, John William Gardner, the ex-Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare under US President Lyndon Johnson argued that his country must push for both excellence and equality at all levels of society. John William Gardner said that the "society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy just because philosophy is an exalted thinking activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy: and neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water."
Most of us innately know the importance of execution excellence at all levels, even if many do not recognise or pay for excellence enough. As John Gardner would say, "A missile may blow up because the architect at the top was incompetent or it could also blow up because the mechanic who adjusted the last valve was incompetent." We need both excellent scientists and excellent mechanics, excellent doctors and excellent plumbers, excellent Members of Parliament and excellent event managers and community leaders. And I really want to taste what Senior Minister of State Indranee said about Mr Jiro's excellent sushi which "tastes like this cloud that explodes in your mouth". I must make a trip to Japan.
We must stop popularising the mindset that the purpose of learning and training is career success, progression and promotions. In this time and age, some would argue that unless we continue to learn and apply throughout our lives, we may not even get to keep our current jobs. ASPIRE must be about creating equality in opportunities and also excellence and pride at all levels of work.
Critical success factor three – ASPIRE's ability to work effectively with industry players. One of the key positive features of the ASPIRE initiative is, its very close alignment with industry players to advise on relevant skill sets for mastery. But industries have short and
Page: 88
long planning windows. Some of them answer to financial analysts’ expectations. Hence, I think a critical success factor for ASPIRE is whether it is discerning enough to work effectively with the industry to meet, not just current labour needs, but also to build the workforce of the future, which is a higher national goal.
I believe it is time to get out of the box to keep building bigger and bigger centralised campuses. Let us direct some of the resources to building satellite campuses out into more authentic industry settings so that employers and students from the different education pathways can learn to work together for greater learning outcomes.
I would also advise the ASPIRE team not to push too far the assumption that if we align very closely with industry, then our future is secured. Different industry players serve different time windows. Even John Gardner advised, many decades ago, that we cannot tell with certainty what specific skills may be needed in the future; or what future jobs we cannot envision now. There is certainly a place for timeless skills and attributes in our education system for critical quality thinking, strong problem solving skills, good work habits and discipline to serve us in circumstances that we cannot predict.
Sir, in conclusion, the ASPIRE project, I repeat, is a long time coming. I thank the Prime Minister who spoke about it in the last National Day Rally or long before that and our Ministry of Education leaders – Mr Heng Swee Keat, Senior Minister of State Indranee and the entire ASPIRE team – for starting this very significant journey – a journey that is very important for our country.
I have shared that there are three critical success factors for ASPIRE to realise its goals. One, the ability to transform the mindset of key stakeholders. Two, the ability to imbue excellence or mastery in schools and workplace culture. Three, the ability to discern wisely and work effectively with industry players.
Sir, I look forward to the follow-on taskforce to be led by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman and I look forward to seeing even more game-changing measures to maximise the potential of our precious human resource in Singapore.
We can perhaps consider positioning Singapore schools as lifelong learning institutes and the Ministry of Education (MOE) as a Ministry for lifelong learning, perhaps even taking over the Workforce Development Authority. We should see a bolder vision of Singapore inventing our own Singapore brand of education. In fact, all over the world, educators question if their brand of education is meeting their society’s needs. In Taiwan, for example, some educators and parents are experimenting with 没有围墙的学 校 (schools with no walls) and 移动的学校 (schools on the move). In Europe, the Waldolf Education model
Page: 89
sees a few thousand independent schools based on that philosophy, kindergartens and centres for special education. In the United States, we know that online schools are on the rise, rapid rise.
We have a lot going for ourselves in Singapore too. Tuition aside, we have some of the best resourced and the most wired schools in the world. Our Singapore Mathematics Brand is so coveted all over the world. We labour diligently and purposefully over the best ways to promote bilingualism. The Government has a strong interest in our ITEs and polytechnics, not just those who are in the universities only. Singapore can develop its own brand of education that meets not just economic needs, but also develop citizens with both competence and character who can be captains of our own lifelong learning, with the support of the state.
We must be confident enough not to chase world rankings, such as Organization of Economic Development (OECD)'s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and start inventing our own benchmarks based on what we want for our country and people. Sir, with that, I support the Motion.
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity to take part in this debate. This is my maiden speech in this House. I am glad and honoured to have this privilege to share my thoughts on this important issue which is very close to my heart and the hearts of my fellow unionists in the Labour Movement.
Firstly, why do I support ASPIRE? As the General Secretary of the United Workers of Petroleum Industry, I see many ITE and polytechnic graduates working in the petrochemical industry. They are skillful, disciplined and hardworking. They keep our plants running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, whether New Year, Christmas, Hari Raya, Deepavali or Chinese New Year. They have done such a good job that Singapore today, is a leading petrochemical hub. However, they are not just workers doing a fair day's job for a fair day's pay to support their families. They are also human beings with anxiety and aspirations. They do their best for us. We should do our best for them, regardless of their qualification. What really count are their skills and competency, performance and contribution. Hence, I fully support the advocacy of ASPIRE.
Secondly, how to help our workers realise their full potential regardless of education and qualification? I am happy that companies such as Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (PCS) and The Polyolefin Company (TPC), have only one career ladder instead of different ladders for different qualifications. Mr Jack Ho and Mr Chan Yew Fai joined this
Page: 90
industry more than 25 years ago as technicians with ITE. Through hard work, skill upgrading and good performance, Mr Jack Ho is today a Manager in PCS and Mr Chan is the Deputy Section Manager of TPC. Their responsibility is no less than their colleagues who are degree holders. They may not have excelled in studies in the past but they made their contributions to the company and the company values their contributions. With greater public awareness and a shift in our mindset, I hope to see many more companies doing the same for many more Mr Hos and Mr Chans out there.
Thirdly, what we have to do to effect the change on the ground? On skills upgrading, we should come up with more options for workers to upgrade. ITEs and polytechnics can offer more CET courses to help more workers to upgrade and update their skills. At the same time, we should also leverage on the capability and capacity of companies' inhouse training programmes, as well as those offered by industry-based training providers both locally and globally. We should bring the best training to Singapore through whatever channels that are appropriate. In short, as we improve and expand the role and effectiveness of ITEs and polytechnics in CET for the working adults, we should also improve and expand on the capacity and capability of CET in the industry. This is to make sure that the CET channel in itself does not end up being the bottleneck.
On career development and advancement, we should strengthen the link between skills upgrading and job performance, career opportunities and wage improvement. No point upgrading the workers with new skills and then ask them to continue doing the same job in the same old way. As we help every worker to upgrade to be better, we should also improve his current job be more productive and help him move into a higher level job to enable him to earn a higher salary and have a brighter career prospect.
In the Labour Movement, we call this the 4-in-1 ladder of Progressive Wage Model (PWM). The four ladders are: skills, productivity, job and wages. You would notice that we did not include academic qualification as one of our ladders in our PWM. Not because it is not important. Rather, I believe that academic qualification should be a means to an end, not the end and the objective. A person should be employed because he or she can do the current job and be promoted because he or she can do the next job well. It is not about qualification. It is about skill, competency, the pride and commitment to always give his or her best to the team and the organisation.
Sir, looking ahead, we can and will do well if we are able to bring the best out of our workers, regardless of whether they are degree holders or non-degree holders. Sir, please allow me to speak a few lines in Tamil.
(In Tamil): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, companies should take efforts to develop their workers into skillful workers. Whether the workers
Page: 91
possess a degree or a polytechnic diploma, companies should either provide training within their premises or send workers to appropriate places for training. Workers should not miss the opportunities given to them. They should always be prepared. The Government should take a lead in these efforts. On seeing the efforts of the Government, companies should move forward and follow it. In this regard, I hope that the Government will set an example. Now may I switch to English, please?
(In English): Sir, I commend the good efforts of the ASPIRE Committee. Our challenge now is to work together as tripartite partners to change the mindset on the ground. I am encouraged that the public sector will lead by example. The rest of us should not wait. We all can play our part. Let us all change together, make every job a better job, every worker a better worker, regardless of academic qualification, on our unending journey towards better jobs for all. Sir, I support the Motion.
Mr Deputy Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak on this important Motion. To quote a recent editorial in The Business Times last week: the ASPIRE" proposals are not just another tweak to the educational system but possibly the missing piece in the restructuring jigsaw puzzle that the Government has set out to complete". The premise the article made for this statement is that a dual vocational training model for ITE and polytechnic students, as recommended by the ASPIRE Committee, will help to better train and match a skilled workforce here with industry demand, thus keeping the economy competitive.
Through this one example, we can agree that ASPIRE does have its benefits and this vocational training model has worked in countries such as Germany and Switzerland, to show desirable results.
There are several considerations for these proposals to be effective within Singapore’s economic and social context, given the way our pathways and definitions of success have been ingrained and set for many years since our Independence.
A few days after the ASPIRE recommendations were announced, I visited ITE College East with its Board of Governors and management team, and had the opportunity to meet some of the students. In one of the classes, we did a quick straw poll using a show of hands. We asked, "How many would like to take a diploma once they have completed their ITE course?" Almost everyone had their hands up. "How many were open to work to continue their vocation right after ITE?" Only about one in 20. "How many had heard of the ASPIRE
Page: 92
recommendations?" About half.
I spoke to some of them who had put their hands up on pursuing their diploma after ITE, and asked if they were doing it because of parental pressure. They said, partly. But mostly, it was because they believed it was their pathway to success.
For the one student who did put his hand up to go straight to work after ITE. He said he had heard of the ASPIRE programme and he thinks it is a "win-win"; those were his own words. Earn some money while he works, and if he does well, he could gain his diploma through the potential employer. He thinks it will work for him.
Given that this is a new, unproven concept in Singapore, the first practical concern is our value system, of how we define success. This is important because it will also determine how students view their pathways of success and the mindsets of parents. I see this culture shift to be the biggest hurdle. Over time, with better communication and career guidance provided, I believe it is possible that more students and more parents can be convinced.
There are other practical concerns that students may face with some of these recommendations and let me share some of them. Just by embarking on a vocational training model alone, a polytechnic student for example, who has to blend his academic time with practical experience, may take longer to graduate.
So, not only is he going to enter the workforce later, he will also be doing so at lesser qualifications in current view and thus lower pay, because previously, he could have spent that extra time on a degree and enter the workforce at a higher pay. We have to ensure that they do not lose out on salary differentials because they take longer to graduate. I understand the Senior Minister of State also spoke earlier in terms of deepening skills and mastery of crafts. I understand the ideals. But the practical concerns of many parents would be whether the ASPIRE programme will ensure that my kids or kids from ITEs and polytechnics will enjoy the same quality of life that graduates today enjoy? We have to address the issue that salaries and quality of life will play an important role in signalling and how we get employers to play along, I think that is the key thing.
Recently, I also attended a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) commissioning parade and noted that SCDF was recently accredited by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency as an in-house Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Approved Training Organisation. This means SCDF and WDA can provide SCDF NS personnel with industry-recognised certifications, thus better preparing our servicemen when they make the transition from National Service (NS) to the workforce. I understand that SCDF is among the first units from the Home Team that is undertaking this. I would like to suggest that if we can expand this
Page: 93
concept, relevant NS units can look into expanding certifiable vocation training while our men from ITEs and polytechnics are also serving NS. This ensures that the two years in NS can help build their vocational training with relevant skill credits, so that momentum is not lost on our polytechnic and ITE graduates, after they graduate and go to work.
Some polytechnic students I spoke to said that while they do not mind exploring a greater vocational or work experience component with their diploma curriculum, they, however, voiced some concerns that while Singapore may value the diploma and added work exposure more, this may not be the case when they are seeking work opportunities with overseas firms – where the traditional value of a degree would still outweigh the polytechnic diploma and the ITE certificate. Thus, the ASPIRE programme must work towards both national and international recognition among foreign employers and governments.
Sir, this is a practical concern as they will also be competing for job opportunities and at work with foreign employees coming to Singapore with degree or higher qualifications. How do we ensure that our diploma and ITE certificate holders who are pursing master craftsmanship will not be disadvantaged or will be able to compete against foreign degree holders, some of whom may be more experienced and with lower salary expectations? We must also address this practical concern on how we help level this playing field over time.
Sir, moving on to the impact of the ASPIRE recommendations on employers. For starters, employers will need to make room to hire more ITE and polytechnic students under the place-and-train programme. This does not just include the cost of hiring additional headcount, but to make the experience more meaningful, companies will have to dedicate extra resources, including existing staff to oversee, train and guide the students.
Many employers are concerned with staff retention after investing in vocational training and upgrading of qualifications. Often, once a staff has attained his or her degree, there will be expectations of a higher salary. Also, following vocational training and a degree or a diploma, there are also more opportunities for the staff to look around for better paying jobs – which is only natural.
This means employers have to find more senior positions or more responsibilities for such staff in order to retain them in order to justify for the higher salaries, the higher responsibilities and expectations of higher productivity. This may be a challenge for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which also hire the bulk of our workforce.
For this scheme to be effective, employers must come on board and participate effectively. In asking this commitment from our employers, I would like to suggest that the Government consider giving them some additional subsidies or incentives. Our companies,
Page: 94
which have been firm partners in the country’s restructuring efforts even as they bear with the higher costs of doing so, will undoubtedly appreciate this assistance.
Beyond incentives, one way companies may find the vocational training approach more attractive and value-added is to have more industry standards certifications provided as part of the curriculum or programme. Using the IT sector as an example, for computer science, engineering or related courses, we should enable the students in ITEs and polytechnics to undertake their CCNA, CCIE, MCSE or related IT certifications during their vocational training. This will incentivise employers to hire them as they already come in ready with industry-related certification. Today, many of these industry certifications are taken on a part-time basis while underemployment.
While more technical sectors will welcome such a shift in the HR landscape here as they have more access to more skilled labour, other industries may have to alter their business models just to adjust to a changing labour market. But, at the same time, we should not also under-estimate the value that generalist graduates bring to some industries as these carry their own skills sets, which some employers may find useful.
Sir, since the announcement, many questions have been raised which have created confusion among some employers and members of the community. The teaching profession, for example, has committed for sometime to new teachers being degree holders. In recent years, an early childhood diploma for preschool teachers is now the norm. Online, questions have also been raised on whether Ministers, Members of Parliament, or even the Administrative Service should be open to polytechnic graduates too. Most have been answered in the respective forums. This is a new concept – a work in progress.
We are in transition but we do need to close the loop on these contradictions or perceptions of contradictions. There are more examples I am sure, but we must persevere to get the communications and messaging right on what we mean by alternative pathways, differences in what is presently practised and how we address some of these practical concerns.
Otherwise, it is also not fair to prospective students, employers and parents if they get the wrong interpretation. Some have also began to question, whether the Government is also saying that the degrees are overrated and are no longer required?
But, I think this is where the Public Service has to take the lead and employers in the private sector will nonetheless be looking this way to take the cue. The model example of how Singapore needs to effect this change in culture, mindset, employment pathways and
Page: 95
graduate recruitment, will have to come from none other than the Public Service.
Thus, I propose that one of the first steps by the Government in accepting this recommendation is to initiate a Public Service-wide review by the Public Service Division (PSD) into the impact of the recommendations made by the ASPIRE team on the Civil Service and Public Service, and what are the areas that transformations and changes would be required. The model and pace of transformation in Government will have an impact and likely set the benchmarks for the private sector to adopt.
There are some principles which I would like to highlight for consideration for a review.
Public sector roles should be based on how well a person can do on the job and not whether he is a degree holder or not. Areas such as salary structures may have to change. Some questions like, should differences in salary scales of degree holders and those without degrees continue, or should remuneration, promotions and bonuses not be moved towards job responsibility and be productivity-focused, should be asked.
Today, Civil Service pay structures for fresh graduates still distinguish if they have a degree or not, and to the extent of which class of honours the graduate they have. I think we should remove this and settle on a range, taking into consideration one's overall value-add in experience – internships, external exposures such as co-curricular activities (CCA) or industry associations for experienced hires, soft-skills, potential responsibilities and so forth.
Questions will also be raised as to whether fast-track schemes for scholars should still exist. At present, many Government scholars are on fast-track career schemes, which provide them more opportunities and quicker upward mobility. I think this should be reviewed to create a more level playing field between graduates and non-graduates with job performance and achievements being the key indicators of who should advance in the organisation and at what pace.
The signalling is important and this scheme has created a culture of divide and perception of inequality between diploma holders, graduates, local scholars and overseas scholars. If we want to move to a value of skills and experience, then, we should remove these perceptions of fast-tracking as well as glass ceilings in the Administrative Service. Enable all civil servants to compete and perform based on ability and experience and provide promotions, salary increments based fully on performance. I also hope that our Government-linked companies will perform similar reviews and showcase models to benchmark against and the transformational models in the respective industries. Sir, may I continue my speech in Malay?
Page: 96
On this matter, we are proud that there is an increasing awareness among the Malay community on the importance of investing in education. Attaining a university degree has become an aspiration for many of our young Malays. This is shown when we see that, year after year, more of our young Malays are attaining university degrees.
However, not everyone manages to achieve that due to various reasons. But for some, they work first after polytechnic or ITE and obtain a university education later. We welcome such efforts as it is consistent with our wish to encourage a culture of lifelong learning.
The door to achieve success in life is always open and Singapore provides many pathways to its citizens to succeed. Many young Malays with ITE and polytechnic education manage to get good jobs. They can contribute to Singapore’s economy and many of them also go on to obtain university degrees.
We welcome the Government's policy to provide many opportunities and pathways for the benefit of its citizens. The recommendations of the Applied Study in Polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education Review (ASPIRE) Committee displays a major commitment on the part of the Government towards that policy. It provides more opportunities for ITE and polytechnic students to enhance their skills, as well as many pathways to progress.
This is an important effort because we must always make adjustments for the future and fulfil our students' aspirations. One of the main recommendations of ASPIRE, that is the work and training programme, must be utilised by ITE and polytechnic students because it aims to enhance and widen the prospects of their career choices.
This choice should be studied closely, because it is a pathway that promises a structured training to obtain working knowledge. This is because, in a challenging and uncertain economic environment, one cannot simply depend too much on qualifications. We should instil in ourselves the concept of pursuing lifelong knowledge and upgrading work skills and continuous education.
This requires a mindset change not only for each parent and child. The Government and also employers must display the encouragement that attaining university degrees is not the
Page: 97
only way for Singaporeans who want to succeed in their careers.
On this matter, the Education Ministry and the Manpower Ministry must pave the way to provide an environment that can encourage this culture, in addition to providing the guidance, pathway and enough opportunities. This is an important effort because apart from fulfilling the needs of each student and those seeking suitable employment, non-degree holders must not feel left behind. This will remove the worry and concern that, without a university degree, their opportunities are limited.
Malay organisations like MENDAKI, can also play a part by reaching out to students, through programmes like educational and career counselling so that parents and their children can make the right decision that fits their abilities and requirements.
The investment in education is important, but any wrong move will be very costly. Obtaining a university degree that is later found to be irrelevant, will break the student’s spirit and wastes their time and money. On this matter, we should be knowledgeable to make sound decisions. Continue the effort to achieve good aspirations. ASPIRE is another golden opportunity towards that goal.
(In English): Sir, so how do we value success? Is it material wealth, is it a degree, or is it job status? How do we value job each of us has and the roles we play in society? Is every job a respectable job – from the cleaners to the construction workers to the delivery workers to the managers and CEOs? Does society treat every worker, no matter what rank or pay, with equal respect?
Status has always been an important part of any society and more so in the Asian culture where we want to have it all, the "kiasu" mentality – cannot lose – has been with us, and I see our culture and mindsets becoming the biggest hurdle we need to overcome for ASPIRE to succeed. For the recommendations to work, our value system must transform and be aligned to what ASPIRE sets out to do.
Indeed, there is a lot of work yet to be done for these proposals to be fully implemented and accepted, so I recognise the work that the Senior Minister of State has cut out in the years ahead. The ASPIRE committee has done well to recommend some innovative and bold suggestions but now the rest of the nation must do its part to carry these plans out.
The benefits the ASPIRE recommendations bring to the society and economy potentially outweigh the costs and the pains that would be involved, and because of that, Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the adoption of these proposals.
Page: 98
Sir, firstly, thank you for this opportunity – my first in Parliament – to partake in this debate.
Sir, a friend and former mentor who used to head the HR department of a large organisation, told me that he would look for three "Qs" when assessing candidates for senior positions. First one is, of course, IQ – a measure of a person's intelligence, EQ – a measure of a person's emotional intelligence or the ability to relate to people and AQ, or adversity quotient which is a measure of a person's resilience in the face of adversity. He shared with me a few success stories of individuals who were non-degree holders whom he had helped groom, to rise through rank and file, to become senior managers and leaders of large organisations. Conversely, he also related about a first-class degree holder who could write excellent reports, but could not get along well with fellow colleagues and performed mediocre at best with regard to the quality of his work. Sir, many of us have come across similar persons in our lives. We know that academic qualification alone is not a determinant of success. There are other qualities such as resourcefulness, resilience, integrity, self-belief, which are equally important, if not more important for one to be successful.
Sir, this obsession with academic qualification, which our society has, is, unfortunately, our own creation. We have, perhaps, given too much emphasis on paper chase. So much so that parents are prepared to borrow well beyond their means to send their children overseas, sometimes even to universities that lack good credentials, in the belief that any degree will secure a better future for their children. Our system must take some of the blame because we have given too much recognition to academic qualifications, even to the extent that it is counter-productive. For example, we pay higher starting salaries to degree holders, for an entry level job that can be done by diploma holders. Same job, same responsibilities, but paid differently due to differences in academic qualifications. We also impose glass ceiling on capable workers who are non-degree holders, thereby curtailing their true potential. These are unfair practices which discriminate between degree holders and non-degree holders. Eliminating this discrimination will be an important step for us to achieve the objectives of the ASPIRE paper.
I welcome the ASPIRE recommendations. I believe it will provide the first steps for our youths to be more confident in taking alternative paths rather than the degree route. Getting a degree is still relevant, but there are now alternative paths. In the long term, hopefully not a too distant future, I believe it will raise income levels for the majority of Singaporeans and maybe, finally, reduce the stubborn income gap that has plagued us in recent years. But I see two main challenges which I feel need work to be overcome for it to take off.
Page: 99
First, we need to address the perception that ITE students are inferior to polytechnic students and polytechnic students are inferior to junior college students. We need to educate that there are other strengths in a student, apart from academic excellence, that should be valued. This will not be easy, as we have firmly entrenched this belief in the minds of our students, parents and teachers, but perhaps with more brainstorming this can be done to find some solutions.
Second, we need to get buy-in from all employers to reduce or even eliminate recruitment practices and career development policies that unjustly favour degree holders over non-degree holders, as I have described earlier. Employers play a very critical role in making this work. We should push this agenda across all sectors, not just the industry sectors currently served by ITE and polytechnic and make this a norm rather than an exception. Again, this will be challenging. We will need to persuade both public and private sector companies and organisations to invest time, money and effort to analyse and right-size job levels, job types, job scopes and job responsibilities that are appropriate for entry-level ITE graduates, polytechnic graduates and degree holders.
They would also need to map out integrated career paths that will show ITE graduates, polytechnic graduates and degree holders how they could progress in their careers and what other qualifications, if any, are required to move up the career ladder. More importantly, jobs that were exclusive to degree holders in the past should now be made available to non-degree holders as this would level the playing field and compel both the non-degree and degree holders to work harder. Ultimately, it should create a win-win situation for both employer and employee.
Sir, allow me to speak in Bahasa Melayu.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In the 2012 Convention Report, one of strategies proposed by the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) is that the Malay/ Muslim community must maximise the potential of youths who are not highly educated. It is estimated that 45% of the Malay Primary 1 cohort, are likely to continue their education until the ITE. The potential of the ITE and polytechnic graduates must be maximised since many of these graduates may form the middle class in the future. From the information received, industries with low salaries are mostly represented by the Malay/Muslim community.
Hence, it is timely that the Government has now come forward with the ASPIRE report with the objective of providing better job opportunities for ITE and polytechnic graduates.
Page: 100
This does not mean that students should not make the effort to obtain degrees. A degree is a measurement of academic excellence and the community should take the opportunity to use available resources like bursaries and scholarships being offered, in order to improve themselves. The community must also be aware that academic qualifications by itself are not a factor that determines one’s success. Positive qualities or attributes like intelligence, resilience, integrity and self-confidence are more important to achieve success. More importantly, I believe that we must avoid sending our children overseas to further their studies especially if this affects our financial situation. Overseas education requires a large expenditure and it also does not guarantee that the graduates will be employed once they return home to Singapore. One suitable alternative will be to get a job in a good organisation that recognises good performance and provides training and opportunities to staff to improve their skills, qualifications and be able to take on higher job responsibilities.
The Government has now taken steps to enhance job opportunities for workers without degrees and this is beneficial to the community. One of the recommendations made is the assistance provided to ITE/polytechnic students and parents, to make better decisions in choosing industries with better potential.
There are success stories of members of the community who are ITE or polytechnic graduates. One of them, Mr Abu Bakar bin Mohd Nor, is a Singapore Polytechnic graduate who has become a Chief Executive Officer for Nakilat-Keppel Offshore and Marine. We need more role models like him to inspire the community. The world has changed and it is uncertain whether one will be successful even with a degree. We must give the confidence to our young people who are ITE and polytechnic graduates, that they have the change to achieve a bright future.
Sir, I will end my speech in English.
(In English): I support this Motion. I can see much benefit for Singaporeans if the recommendations are implemented. I would urge, however, for the Government to make this movement across all sectors and not restrict it to only some sectors. Creating more opportunities and broadening the options available to students, young workers and middle-aged workers will raise worker productivity for our companies, raise the income level of a larger proportion of Singaporeans and reduce income inequality in Singapore.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion.
Page: 101
The recommendations of ASPIRE seek to provide opportunities and option for academic and career progression to all, regardless of their starting point, guided by the conviction that knowledge and deep skills are the key to success.
Following the recommendations of ASPIRE, I must say that I have experienced a lot of discussions on the ground on whether a degree is needed or not. This may miss the point of ASPIRE. At the core of the recommendations, ASPIRE still emphasises the need for deep skills and knowledge to enable one to be impactful in any role. The essence is that there will be many pathways to grow one's skills and career and over one's career and lifetime. Hence, what is important is that we create opportunities for lifelong learning and skills advancement throughout one’s career to enable Singaporeans to thrive.
To achieve this change and the objectives of ASPIRE, I would like to talk about three areas of the recommendations outlined. One, the partnership with businesses, industry and employers to strengthen the opportunities for ITE and polytechnic graduates to get quality jobs and providing the environment and support to continue to build their skills while in these jobs and to progress in their career. Two, the recommendations to strengthen the training in polytechnic and ITE to enable success in career and continual learning. Three, to empower individuals to make well-informed education and career choices.
In partnership with businesses, industry and employers, I agree with ASPIRE that this is important, and that it is critical to achieve the objectives set out. Providing the right opportunities are key. But, more importantly, there must also be a focus by businesses who provide these opportunities to support not only the on-boarding of individuals but also the programme and coaching to succeed. While providing on-the-job training, it is also important to provide support to the ITE and polytechnic graduates when they are in role. Because unless they succeed would they have the confidence to continue to pursue upgrading and mastery. This would also give employers the confidence to stay committed to the programme.
In my commercial role in the infocomm industry, I have seen the difference industry support and coaching can have on the development of polytechnic and even university undergraduates. Many times in our industry, we conduct regional and global competitions for tertiary students and we provide internship programmes. What I have witnessed is that over even a short sustained period of time, whether it is a few weeks or months, students who have access to and coaching by industry experts, develop and are more effective in role. I have also witnessed how young raw talent grow over the few months in preparation during their internship or competition, resulting in more confident individuals able to share ideas and having positive impact.
Page: 102
So, while we have place-and-train programmes for the ITE and polytechnic graduates, I must stress that we must also have ways for employers to assess their competencies and capabilities. This will enable employers to place them in the right roles to start their career journey right. We must recognise that although it may not always be ideal, organisations use academic qualifications as the proxy for evidence of capability and competency. So, moving forward, if we do want to make this shift and drive this change, we need to have a set of criteria to recognise the competencies or the track record of these students to enable employers to assess the capacity and capability of individuals based on evidence of competencies or track record and hence, make available the right roles.
I would like now to just quickly touch on the need to also strengthen the training in the polytechnics and the ITEs to help the young talents not only just acquire technical skills for the roles but also soft skills. Because beyond equipping our students with skills and knowledge, equally important are skills like the ability to communicate, collaborate, have critical thinking, problem solving, curiosity to learn, adaptability to “learn and unlearn” and technology fluency. These are critical and instrumental for our students to do well in their work and in organisations. So, apart from looking for role competencies and skills, many organisations, when they hire for leadership roles, they look for these skills. And these are very critical for individuals to succeed and be impactful in the organisations that they operate in.
I would like to touch on the last point about helping individuals make well-informed education and career choices.
Decisions on educational choices are not trivial and affect both the individual and their families. I have, through the appeal cases from our Meet-the-People sessions (MPS), seen many families and youths taking decisions to pursue university degrees even when it is costly or not fully aligned to their interest or course of study. They do this with the belief that a degree is the passport to a good job and better career prospects. I had and am seeing an increasing number of people in such situations, and this not only places a financial strain on their families but, more importantly, it also creates disappointment when these individuals are unable to get the jobs after graduation due to the applicability of the course of study to market needs or that it is not really in areas of their strength or interest.
The recommendations of ASPIRE to empower individuals to make better-informed education or career choices based on their strengths, interests and opportunities will be very important to helping them make the right education and career decisions for themselves that are aligned to market opportunities. This will set them up for success as they will be in a better position to get a job that they have a good chance to do well in and, more importantly, to progress.
Page: 103
I would like to conclude by stressing that it is important that we see early success and progression for individuals on the ASPIRE programme. This will build confidence that we can achieve the objective of ASPIRE to provide opportunities for all to progress regardless of their starting point. More importantly, it will help the start of the critical shifts in mindset required for the success of the objectives outlined in ASPIRE. The Government, as one of the largest employers in Singapore, can and must take steps to show the way in implementing the recommendations of ASPIRE, in partnership with ITE and the polytechnics. This will help set the pace for the shift that is required if we are serious about ASPIRE and it would also support the aspirations of Singaporeans, moving forward. With that, I support the Motion.
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to speak on the Motion to endorse the ASPIRE report.
Like the hon Members who have spoken before me, I am heartened by and fully support the move to strengthen our polytechnic and ITE education through closer collaboration among the educational institutions, potential employers, employees and the Government, bearing testament to the often heard saying, "it takes a village to raise a child".
While I agree with the broad directions of the ASPIRE report, there are two areas in which I think that we, as a society, still need to work on.
First and foremost, the Government has a crucial role to play in setting the right tone and expectations. The ASPIRE report fundamentally sends the message that employers should look beyond paper qualifications alone. While paper or academic qualifications may be an indicator of a person's capability, there are those who are examination smart and are able to excel in tests and examinations, and there are those who are late bloomers and will realise their true potential only much later after they have left school.
There are other qualities that employers should look at – performance, values, experience and skills – before deciding to hire or promote. It does not necessarily mean that when one does well academically, they will work well with others, be able to lead, or do well in their careers. The converse is also true.
Hence, it is heartening to note that there will be changes to the civil service hiring policies and salary scales that will give greater recognition to non-university graduates who have performed well and have the relevant experience and skills. I hope this will be emulated by the private sector as well.
Page: 104
However, while we give greater recognition to experience, skills and progress above and beyond paper qualifications, there are valid concerns brewing among our youth with regard to foreign talents.
Some have expressed concern that should they decide to take the less academic path, they will lose out to their foreign counterparts who come armed with university degrees and other postgraduate qualifications. The worry is that our youths may end up in para-professional positions or support roles only.
As it is, some of my younger residents have shared how in the companies that they work in, their employers get around the foreign employee dependency ratio by hiring as many foreigners as possible as their Professional, Management and Executive (PMEs) staff and making up the local employee quota by hiring all Singaporeans as the support staff. For instance, one of my residents who works as a lawyer in a foreign law firm based here, out of 10 lawyers in the firm, she is the only Singaporean, she says. The firm fulfils the requirements of the Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) by employing all Singaporeans as the support staff or as non-lawyers.
So, may I propose that the Government re-look the foreign employee dependency ratio or DRC, to require that a certain percentage of local employees is to be met for the PME and E Pass holder category and a separate quota to be met for the Technician, support staff and S Pass holder category? Let us make it a more level playing field for our tertiary graduates to be hired as PMEs in the workplace, especially where these are foreign companies based locally.
Other than the Government and employers, parents and the community at large also play a vital role, particularly in helping to change mindsets and in shaping the values of our future generation.
There are many ways to attain success. Nevertheless, I have met parents who still feel that the only way they deem their children to have attained success in life is when they become a university graduate. Once a university graduate, these parents believe their children will have good jobs that will provide for them for life. Well, life is not always so predictable.
A resident I met recently has a university degree in Computer Science from one of our local universities. He landed a cushy IT job with a multinational company that deals with computers. After about 15 years of working with the MNC, his department closed down because of changing global demands and he found himself out of a job. For about a decade thereafter, he was between jobs working as a housing agent at times and a sales promoter
Page: 105
at other times, and never got back into the same IT profession.
Another person I knew did her Bachelor, Master's and doctoral degree back-to-back without having had any experience of being employed. Although she got her doctorate before the age of 30, she took almost two years before landing a full-time job. She had difficulty finding employment because she had no prior work experience at the age of 30.
Hence, my point is that, even with a university degree, it does not necessarily mean that one will land a job or be able to keep a job. Changing global demands mean that relevant experience, skills and training are essential and, like the hon Member, Ms Denise Phua mentioned, I hope that the university pathway will also be included as part of the recommendations for review under ASPIRE.
Beyond the tangible, parents and the community at large have an important role to play in changing mindsets. For a start, we have to emphasise to our young that there must be respect for every person and the job that they do. Those who do well should not act as if they are superior to others or that others owe them a living. In fact, I am sure many of us here in this House know of successful people who are anything, but arrogant or self-centred. Many of them are kind, humble and generous and give back to society in many different ways.
Conversely, those who do not climb the corporate ladder or lead a simple life, or who have deliberately made these choices, should not be deemed less successful, nor should they look at those who are wealthy or in high social or corporate positions with envy or disdain.
It is never binary – that those who are wealthy or drive big cars are pompous or those who lead simple lives are always victims of circumstances. These are just perceptions and likely our own biases.
At the heart of it all, there must always be respect – for self and for others – and there must be humility. If I may quote the late Nelson Mandela: "If you are humble, you are no threat to anybody. Some behave in a way that dominates others. That is a mistake. If you want the cooperation of humans around you, you must make them feel they are important – and you do that by being genuine and humble. You know that other people have qualities that may be better than your own." At this juncture, Mr Deputy Speaker, please allow me to speak in Malay.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: The world is increasingly globalised and opportunities for education, upskilling and employment are not only available in Singapore,
Page: 106
but also in almost all corners of the world.
Our students now have the opportunity to study and train, to sharpen their skills across many platforms including overseas, through student exchange programmes or training programmes.
Hence, our students should seize the chance to participate in these programmes, even though it may take place during school holidays or it may last several months in another country. However, it will be very beneficial – not only in terms of knowledge or skills enhancement, but also in terms of developing and strengthening the network of contacts and later in the future, job prospects and entrepreneurship opportunities.
With that, I strongly support the recommendations in the recent ASPIRE report. The close cooperation between educational institutes, employers, unions and the Government is essential to strengthen our polytechnic and ITE education in order to stay relevant.
At the same time, parents also play an important role in shaping minds and positive perceptions about polytechnic and ITE education. We should not place education in the polytechnics, ITEs or universities in a hierarchy. Instead, education in these institutions are simply different pathway choices to fulfil different skill requirements and knowledge.
What is important is that our values and identity must be instilled early and properly. Parents who are able to inculcate, deep in the hearts of their children, respect and humility towards anyone – regardless of their jobs or society’s perception of their social status – will produce a generation that is generous, kind and sincere, and this type of identity will ensure the success of the recommendations in the ASPIRE report.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion for the Applied Study in polytechnics and ITE Review, or the ASPIRE report.
Singapore’s education system has been and continues to be, a key driving force behind the consistent growth and development that Singapore has enjoyed. Further, education is an essential stepping-stone that creates opportunities for social mobility and enables young Singaporeans to pursue their dreams.
As such, the Government has consistently made efforts to introduce initiatives that provide opportunities for Singaporeans to receive a quality education and obtain new skills. For example, the MOE's campaign to make "Every School a Good School" must be lauded for
Page: 107
creating a conducive environment for holistic learning opportunities for our students from a young age.
To achieve this, the Ministry made efforts to shape an educational eco-system that creates a positive learning experience for each student, that enables teachers to be caring educators and one that nurtures supportive partnerships with parents and the community
Further, the Ministry has also shared of its plans to develop rich learning programmes in our schools that will cater to the diverse talents and interests of our students, like the proposed Applied Learning Programme (ALP) and Learning for Life Programme (LLP). These programmes will enable students to apply what they have learnt in the classroom in practical ways and will also teach them important life skills that will benefit them in the long term.
Further, in 2012, the Government formed the Committee on University Education Pathways Beyond 2015 (CUEP), which submitted several key recommendations on how to develop new applied degree pathways that will provide more opportunities and choices for students in a diverse university landscape. One of the important recommendations that was highlighted was the need to develop a university model that offered degrees programmes in niche disciplines that were not being offered by the existing universities, as well as areas that required more skilled manpower.
As a result of this, the Singapore Institute of Technology was set up and it focused on establishing and pioneering new educational pathways for students in our polytechnics to expand the upgrading opportunities available to them and to enable them to attain industry-relevant degrees in their chosen disciplines.
This demonstrates MOE's continued commitment to regularly augment and enhance our education system to meet the changing needs of each individual student, and to anticipate future educational landscapes.
Therefore, I rise in support of this Motion today, as I believe that the recommendations set out in the ASPIRE Committee report are timely, as it will help to initiate the next phase of the transformation of our education system, particularly with respect to the polytechnics and ITEs, as the recommendations seek to address how best to strengthen the existing applied education pathways in our polytechnics and ITEs, and to provide adequate support and assistance to students that hail from diverse backgrounds, interests and abilities.
One aspect of the ASPIRE Committee report that I would like to highlight is its recommendation for the development of new education programmes that will integrate work and study, such as place-and-train programmes. It is envisaged that under these place-
Page: 108
and-train programmes, polytechnic and ITE graduates will be matched to employers committed to supporting on-the-job learning and further upgrading. These employers will provide opportunities for graduates to put their skills into practice while concurrently allowing them to upgrade themselves through learning on-the-job and at the workplace.
I believe that such programmes are important, as they will equip polytechnic and ITE graduates with a strong theoretical foundation in their chosen discipline, as well as a keen understanding of its real-life application in the relevant industry. Further, such programmes will inject diversity and dynamism into existing polytechnic and ITE programmes and will demonstrate the importance and value of learning beyond the classroom.
It is my hope that by developing a unique blend of teaching-focused, industry-linked and practice-based programmes, polytechnic and ITE graduates will be given the opportunity to push the boundaries of the existing education system and develop themselves more holistically.
Another aspect of the report that I wish to highlight is, its recommendation to take into consideration the skills and prior training of full-time NSmen in their deployment during NS. I believe that this initiative should be welcomed as it will enable polytechnic and ITE graduates to maintain their specialised skills during NS and might also offer opportunities for them to obtain industry-recognised accreditation for the related vocational specialisations. Further, it will facilitate a closer link between a student's education and career, while allowing the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Home Team to harness existing skills of these graduates to meet its operational needs.
Lastly, another aspect of the report that bears noting is the Committee's recommendation to leverage the latest technological advances to expand opportunities for learning online. It is clear that the Internet, mobile computing and education technology offer a powerful combination that may be useful to augment the traditional academic teaching and learning methods.
By expanding the quantum and types of online learning opportunities that are made available, it will now be easier for students to learn nearly anywhere and at any time. This is particularly beneficial for polytechnic and ITE students who may be on internships or who may be enrolled in the proposed place-and-train programmes, as it will allow them to have their academic materials easily accessible and would likely reduce the amount of travel time spent going to and from school.
However, a careful balance must be struck between the essential need for practical hands-on learning and practice, and the ease and potential benefits of expanding online
Page: 109
learning opportunities at the polytechnic and ITE.
Overall, I firmly support the recommendations that have been proposed by the ASPIRE Committee as I believe that they have identified key aspects of our education system where more can and should be done to allow young Singaporeans in our polytechnics and ITEs to realise their full potential.
I would like to share with you the stories of two young residents in the constituency I am responsible for, Ulu Pandan, who have faced challenges, but have persevered to pursue their studies in these applied educational pathways. These are two young men who have made the effort to prioritise their education and have perservered against the odds to further their studies. They have also given me permission to quote their names in full.
Muhammad Ridzwan is a self-motivated 21-year-old student who just recently advanced from ITE to polytechnic. Ridzwan began his tertiary education in ITE Central, where he completed his Nitec and Higher Nitec courses before he was accepted to the Electronics, Computer and Communication course at Nanyang Polytechnic. Over the years, it was the constant support and encouragement of his parents, his teachers and fellow classmates at ITE Central that enabled Ridzwan to bravely make that step from ITE to polytechnic.
Although at times it was challenging for Ridzwan to continue pursuing his studies given the opportunity costs for him to study instead of starting work, he never gave up. Instead, Ridzwan continued to relentlessly pursue his education and now has an even brighter future ahead of him.
Next, we have Nigel Chua. Nigel is currently a first-year polytechnic student at Republic Polytechnic, who is pursuing a diploma in Information Technology. Similar to Ridzwan, Nigel began his tertiary education at ITE West, where he studied hospitality. Although Nigel was unable to further his studies in hospitality due to the keen competition, Nigel refused to be deterred and decided to pursue a diploma in Information Technology instead. Most would have given up, but Nigel was committed to pursuing his studies courageously. Further, Nigel affirmed that his ability to make the step from ITE to polytechnic was only made possible because of the help and support that was rendered to him from the teachers and staff at ITE West.
I believe, Mr Deputy Speaker, that with the new initiatives and recommendations that have been outlined in the ASPIRE Committee report, more young Singaporeans like Ridzwan and Nigel will be able to pursue their studies and realise their full potential.
Page: 110
Ultimately, our education system must remain an open and inclusive system that provides multiple and diverse pathways for our students to develop their talents and capabilities to their fullest.
Care must be taken to ensure that students are given the right information to make the right career choices not just as students, but also throughout their working life. Opportunities must be presented to Singaporeans at every stage of their life and chances to upgrade their skills and qualifications must be made available along the way.
We can no longer adopt a one-size-fits-all approach to education and must strive to adopt innovative educational methods and pedagogies to ensure that there are distinct pathways to help young Singaporeans to excel, based on their own unique abilities. Sir, I support this Motion.
Mr Deputy Speaker, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: I would like to commend and thank the Government for taking a bold step towards a society that rewards individuals based on performance and experience, instead of qualifications alone. Measures include narrowing the starting salary difference between graduates and non-graduates and providing more career progression opportunities for non-graduates. These are the best motivators for people to perform well and improve themselves. We may also be able to discover hidden talents who have the same passion, skills and experience but lack academic qualifications.
Creating a workforce combining graduates and non-graduates can help get rid of some of the unnecessary elitist mindset. To draw a line based on academic qualifications at the workplace is not conducive for the overall environment. The response from my residents is mixed. The move has lifted the spirits and the morale of students from polytechnics, ITE and some other educational institutions. They feel they have more to look forward to in the future. They have the various professional skills. Although they do not have a degree, their skills are more practical at the workplace.
I am delighted to see that our younger generation will enjoy equal opportunities and be rewarded based on their skills. More importantly, we should continue to work with educational institutions to ensure that their staff can improve themselves continuously. Of course, these staff must be provided with comprehensive learning opportunities.
Page: 111
We have all heard of the story that for a civil servant to be hired, promoted or get a pay increase, he has to have high academic qualifications. We must remove this kind of career restrictions to have a more equal local workforce. Many private enterprises have already done so.
I remember the time when I had just graduated and was working at a construction site. My teacher was a very experienced supervisor. Although he did not have a degree, I learnt a lot from him. After I finished my work there and went back to the design department, I also learnt a lot from some of my colleagues who had rich experiences in design, but no degrees. I always feel that experience and qualifications are equally important.
With regard to education, the ASPIRE report has specifically mentioned teachers. According to my knowledge, MOE announced in 2008 that they would only hire degree holders from 2015 onwards. Is this policy going to be changed? In addition, we all know that we are facing a shortage of qualified kindergarten and childcare teachers. Will the Government apply this policy in the preschool sector?
Similarly, will the selection process for civil servants be changed accordingly? For the longest time, people always feel that these positions, especially those very senior ones, only belong to scholarship holders who may not be the ones who know the ground sentiment best. Although academic qualifications are important for certain positions, it should not be the most important factor.
(In English): I also hear residents saying, "Does it mean that degrees are now useless?", "Does it mean that Government has changed its position?", "Does it mean that my children who have a degree will have more competition when it comes to promotion?", "Is it unfair for those children who have worked so hard to get a degree, and their parents who have spent so much money on their children's education?"
The actual intentions and benefits of the changes must be effectively communicated to garner the support of the people. Citizens need to realise that this is not about nullifying the abilities of degree holders, or discouraging Singaporeans from furthering their studies. It is about creating additional options and better opportunities for those who do not possess paper qualifications, but shine in other ways. Perhaps, such scepticism and disapproval also stems from the deeply ingrained belief that academic achievements in school are the only proven and sure means to succeed in life.
How many parents will encourage their children to pursue their dreams, in sports, for example? Occasionally, we are inspired by the likes of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs who found immense success despite not attending university, but ultimately, parents still find greater
Page: 112
security and solace in having their children stick to the apparently long proven route to success – attending renowned educational institutions from the very moment they begin their academic life. It is courageous of the Government, and a long-awaited measure, to take a stride away from this belief, but it will take a long time for Singaporeans to cease being cynical about it.
Another way to distance from the elitist mindset that qualifications are everything, is to start giving due recognition to all deserving jobs on a non-professional level, particularly those in the service, retail and hospitality industries. When there is respect all around, the reduction in discrepancy of statuses and financial achievements will help to put a curb on an aggressive and unnecessary paper chase.
To many Singaporeans, success in life is largely defined by landing top jobs and having the means to get by comfortably. These are certainly fine aspirations, but we want our citizens to be able to lead richer lives by having the courage and support to pursue their dream careers. We need to get to a stage when parents stop using lowly regarded jobs to scare their children into studying.
Academic qualifications should not be the only way to further one's dreams and this is the message that the Government and our education system need to make clear. Sir, I support the Motion.
Page: 113
PAPERCUTS