Address by Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education, at the 2026 ITE Graduation Ceremony

Mr Goh Choon Phong, Deputy Chairman, ITE

Respected members of the ITE Board of Governors

Mr Peter Lam, CEO, ITE

Parents, family members

The stars whose achievements we are celebrating today, our Graduands,

1. A very good afternoon to each and every one of you. It is my privilege to join you on the occasion of your graduation ceremony, and I am happy to be here to celebrate this very important milestone with all of you.

2. Let me begin by giving a special shoutout to the families and friends in attendance today, as well as the ITE educators and colleagues who have walked through this journey together with our graduands. You have played an incredibly important part in supporting our graduands to achieve this very important milestone. Can I invite our graduands to give a rousing round of applause to your families, friends as well as your teachers.

3. I hope you allow me to share with you three things that my own mentors and educators have shared with me, and I hope that it will be useful for you as you enter a new phase of your own lives beyond ITE.

Believe in yourself and your abilities

4. First, I encourage you to believe in yourself and your abilities. Believe in the skills that you have acquired and also be confident in the knowledge that you have learnt in ITE.

5. Everyone tells us this, and you would have heard this many times over, that the world is changing at an unprecedented pace, and indeed it is. The world is changing. Technology is reshaping our industries, and AI is changing the way we work. To many of us, this can feel a little unsettling, slightly uneasy, anxiety-provoking and even scary.

6. I want you to know that your time in ITE has prepared you well for the changes of today, and certainly also for the changes of tomorrow. Through ITE's strong partnership with industry, what you’ve learnt is really what the industry needs. Beyond technical skills, you have also gained the ability to pick up new tools and technologies, including AI, and to learn how to apply them in the real world. You would have also picked up the ability to work with others, to be adaptable and also to be innovative in your solutions.

7. ITE started embarking on the enhanced 3-Year Higher Nitec curriculum from 2022. From this year, all 49 full-time courses have fully transitioned to this new structure, which places a strong emphasis on real-world experience, with two industry attachments built in, so that you graduate with both the knowledge, and the practical work-ready skills.

8. Take for example Ms Law Cha Ying, a graduate from the 3-Year Higher Nitec in Electronics Engineering.

A) During her internship at Temasek Polytechnic's Advanced Manufacturing Centre, Cha Ying noticed that maintenance downtime was affecting the data that students needed for their projects. She drew on what she had learnt in ITE and built a simulation system that generated reliable real-time data. This allowed students to continue their work uninterrupted even during maintenance periods. The impact that she made during her internship earned her a Distinction for her internship module.

B) Beyond this, Cha Ying also led teams in competitions, including the Lee Kuan Yew Technology Award, where they developed smart water and energy meters, and a real-time monitoring system to reduce resource waste on campus.

C) Her academic excellence and all-round performance are recognised today with the Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal. Well done, Cha Ying!

Never Stop Learning

9. The second thing I wish to encourage all of you on is to never stop learning. Stay humble, stay curious, ask questions and keep building on what you already know, for there is still much to learn beyond the classroom.

10. In fact, ITE has many pathways to help you do that. Take, for example, the Work-Study Diploma, which focuses on hands-on, apprenticeship-based pathways that allow you to earn as you learn, and to build expertise that is grounded in real work.

11. Recognise that learning can also take place beyond the classroom. And most importantly, never stop learning.

12. One graduand who learnt beyond the walls of classroom is Mr Lee Yao Wei, a Work-Study Diploma graduate in Automation Engineering.

A) After completing his Nitec, Yao Wei continued upgrading himself through the Work-Study Diploma programme, which combines workplace learning with formal training. He gained valuable industry experience and contributed to projects that improved processes at his workplace. One of his key contributions was implementing a collaborative robot-based system, where robots work alongside humans, to automate the transfer of parts between machines. This in turn, reduced manual handling and improved operational efficiency.

B) Today, in recognition of his outstanding academic performance and exceptional contributions at his workplace, Yao Wei graduates as the top student in his course and is the recipient of the Gold Course Medal and the Singapore Precision Engineering and Technology Association (SPETA) Gold Medal. Congratulations to Yao Wei!

Facing Uncertainty with Courage

13. The third and final thing that I wish to share with you is that in all that you do, have a little courage to try even if it may look challenging or uncertain in the first instance. For many of you, I imagine the road you have taken may not have been easy at all. Some of you had to balance studies with family responsibilities. Some had to work through personal challenges.

14. There may have also been many “what ifs” in your minds. What if I drop out. What if I don’t finish. What if I don’t do well. But the fact is, all of you are standing here proudly today as our graduands because you had the courage to try, you gave yourself the chance to succeed, and succeed you have.

15. Mr Putra Redza Bin Rosli, is one of our graduands whose journey may speak to many of us.

A) Putra first enrolled in ITE in 2023, but had to step away to support his family. In the following year, when his family situation improved, Putra returned to ITE. He completed his Nitec in Mechanical Technology, he served as class leader and he fostered a positive learning environment not just for himself but also for his peers.

B) Putra’s journey was not easy, but he did not let circumstances define him. He persevered, he worked through the challenges, and he finished strong. Putra is a recipient of the ITE Outstanding Progress Award today, and it is very well deserved. Congratulations to Putra.

16. Graduands and our audience here today, what Cha Ying, Yao Wei, and Putra show us is that all of us find our success differently. But you need to believe in yourselves, your skills and your abilities, you need to never stop learning and when uncertainty or adversity comes to your door, have the courage to give yourself that chance to succeed.

17. Everyone has their own story. There are many paths to success, and you have just achieved a major milestone – the first of many on that path to success. I imagine there will be much more for you to discover, to learn, to grow and certainly, to excel. Continue to believe in yourself, never stop learning, and face any challenge with courage. We are with you every step of the way.

18. Congratulations once again to the Class of 2026, and I wish each and every one of you every success in your next future endeavours. Thank you.