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Woman of Substance

Learning and Loving It

by Yong Tsuey Ling

Forty-five year-old Winston Tan Choon Huat had picked up 22 certificates from ITE so far. He did it all for the love of learning, rather than paper chase. His appetite for learning is voracious; he had even tried his hand at drama workshops, picking up, of all things, acting skills. “In life, there is a need for different types of learning for the different stage of maturity,” said Winston, whose love for learning has certainly kept him going.

Learning Journey
Taking stock of his learning journey, Winston said he began from basic. He signed up for BEST (Basic Education for Skills Training) 16 years ago before progressing to WISE (Worker Improvement through Secondary Education), following which he sat for, and attained his GCE ‘N’ qualification.

On how he got started, Winston explained: “I was an Apprentice Technician with Carrier Singapore (Pte) Limited and my supervisor advised me to take up ITE’s part-time courses.” Soon, he was attending night classes, having enrolled in one series of Nitec courses after another; first in the field of Air-Conditioning, then Electrical Engineering. The more he learnt, the more interested he became.

Education Pays
Although his company promoted him to a Senior Technician, Winston chose to leave Carrier Singapore after five years of service. He felt ready to start his own business.

Today, he owns RealCool Air Conditioning Services & Trading Pte Ltd, a company that specialises in the installation of air-conditioners and repair services. “I liked that I had more knowledge. It gives me the confidence to wheel and deal for big accounts and wins over customers. I was able to not only start my business, but also expand it. All thanks to ITE,” added he. In time to come, he has plans to sign up for ITE’s Electronics courses. He hopes to stay in touch with technology and be of greater service to customers.