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ITE Salutes Minister
Teo Chee Hean

Corporate Happenings
ITE Awarded the 2003 Public Service Award for Organisational Excellence

Searching for Innovative Solutions in Brave New World

Right on Track

ITE Launches New ReNEW Initiative

A Showcase of Singapore’s Skills Standards in Switzerland

Feature
BEST Move, WISE Choice: Twin Upgrading Programmes Hit 20-Year Mark

International Linkages
Degree Not Enough

Our Graduates and Students
Quitter No More

ITE-Industry Partnership
Online Content Creation Made Breezier with New MOU

Two More Industry Partners for ITE’s Logistics Course

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ITE Plays Its Part in Showcasing Skills of the Disadvantaged

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Memories from Timor Leste

4th ITE Student Seminar
Searching for Innovative Solutions in Brave New World

NEWater, anyone?

Come September this year, some 300 ITE students will take a closer glimpse at NEWater - as well as other current affairs issues close to their hearts. The theme of this year’s Student Seminar is NEWater, New Spirit, New Singapore.

Explained Ms Iris Seet, Chairperson of the 4th ITE Student Seminar Organising Committee: “NEWater represents an innovative solution to Singapore’s critical water shortage problem. Hence, the chosen theme encapsulates the indomitable Singaporean spirit of persisting in trying times, continually exploring possibilities, creating opportunities, and emerging with innovative solutions for a journey down unfamiliar roads.”

The Seminar promises a string of exciting speakers, including entrepreneurs such as Ms Olivia Lum, CEO of Hyflux Ltd, and Mr Adam Khoo, Founder & CEO of Adam Khoo Technologies Group Pte Ltd. The Guest-of-Honour and Keynote Speaker is Environment Minister, Mr Lim Swee Say.

To be held at Downtown East, Pasir Ris from 16 to 19 September 2003, the Seminar will include two sub-themes. The first, From Innovation to Enterprise, focuses on what it takes to be an entrepreneur and encourages students to foster a spirit of enterprise. The second sub-theme, Reinventing Self to Create the Future, looks into current youth trends.

Student participants selected for the Seminar are looking forward to a new learning experience. For Nitec in Electronics student, Charlton Wee, 17, from ITE West (Ang Mo Kio), the metaphor of NEWater sets the tone of the Seminar. He said: “Like NEWater, I hope the Seminar will inspire and challenge me to think of new and innovative ways of doing things. In particular, I hope the Seminar will help me to think of new ways of running my own business.” Charlton, who does freelance jobs on website designs, hopes to turn his hobby into a full-time business when he graduates.

New Elements
This year’s Seminar will also include new elements. One such element is the introduction of social entrepreneurship, the combination of a business with a social mission. Students will be encouraged to come up with social entrepreneurship ideas during the Seminar. The final proposals would then be submitted as business plans a month after the Seminar. The best business plans will then be considered for competitions or projects.

Said Ms Seet: “For social entrepreneurship, we strongly encourage our seminar participants to think not just for themselves, but in the wider context of Singapore, for their fellow Singaporeans who need their help. This will enable them to stretch their creative imagination and realise that they, too, have the potential and ability to contribute positively towards our nation-building process of a New Singapore.”

Another new element this year is the introduction of mentors to ITE students. These mentors, comprising young ITE graduates who have made it good in the working world, will mingle with seminar participants and encourage them to participate in group discussions.

Said Mr Goh Cheow Khoon, an Audit Associate from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, who is participating in the seminar as a mentor: “I really appreciate all the help and guidance my ITE lecturers had given me when I was an ITE student, and even after I’ve graduated. Now that I’ve started to work and have gained some experience, I hope to provide some guidance to my juniors, just like what my lecturers had given me.”

Participants interviewed loved the idea of having mentors. Said Stevvy Goh, 20, a Nitec in Electronics (Wafer Fabrication) student from ITE East (Yishun): “It’s an excellent idea to have our seniors joining us. I would like to find out from them what their studies at ITE were like, the struggles they faced and how they have succeeded.”

Held once every two years, the ITE Student Seminar provides a platform for ITE students to interact and discuss socio-economic issues. This is the fourth in the series of seminars, which is supported by the National Youth Council.

The Quality Workforce will bring you highlights of the Seminar in the next issue.