ITE Organises Inaugural Aviation Symposium 2025

The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) held its inaugural Aviation Symposium at ITE College East, bringing together over 600 participants comprising industry partners, educators, and students. This landmark event serves as a platform to foster collaboration between industry and academia, exploring strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of aviation operations and leveraging emerging technologies to drive transformation as the industry continues its post-pandemic recovery and growth.

Key industry players, including the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the Singapore Air Cargo Agents Association (SAAA), supported the event, providing valuable insights into industry trends, sustainable growth strategies, and the importance of digital transformation and workforce upskilling. Together with dnata Singapore, Singapore Aero Support Services and SATS, SAAA showcased technologies and innovative solutions aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and ensuring readiness for the much-anticipated opening of Changi Airport Terminal 5. These innovations were displayed at the event’s exhibition, which also featured ITE student projects from the Aviation Innovation Challenge, and Digitalisation and Sustainability Challenge – competitions designed to inspire creative problem-solving and provide students with hands-on experience in addressing real-world aviation challenges.

Building Talent with New Progression Pathway

The symposium also spotlighted ITE’s commitment to building a steady pipeline of manpower to support the aviation industry’s continued growth with the launch of a new Work-Study Diploma (WSDip) in Customer Experience Management (Cabin Services). This course enables ITE graduates to deepen their skills in Customer Service and build their careers in the aviation sector. The two-and-a-half-year programme, which integrates classroom learning with workplace training, allows trainees to gain practical industry experience while studying.

Trainees enrolled into the WSDip programme will be equipped with knowledge and skills to carry out customer behaviour analysis, manage cabin emergency situations, and leverage technology to deliver exceptional in-flight experiences (refer to Annex for course information). Graduates from the course can look forward to a career as cabin crew with opportunities for advancement in the industry.

Enhancing Curriculum through Industry Collaboration with Jetstar Asia

Guest-of-Honour, Mr Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance, officiated the launch of the new WSDip programme during the symposium. At the event, ITE also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Jetstar Asia, further strengthening its commitment to provide structured workplace learning, mentorship, and skills development opportunities for students and WSDip trainees.

Through this collaboration, ITE will work with Jetstar Asia to:

• Develop and refine courseware and curriculum for aviation- and customer service-related courses to align with industry trends.

• Facilitate learning exposure, such as internships for ITE students and sharing sessions on industry trends for ITE teaching staff and students.

In addition, WSDip trainees at Jetstar Asia with outstanding performance and achievements will have the opportunity to receive course medals sponsored by the airline.

Ms Low Khah Gek, CEO of ITE, said, “The inaugural Aviation Symposium reflects ITE’s commitment to continuously engage with the industry to ensure our training curricula are aligned to the latest developments in the aviation sector. Through collaborations with industry partners like Jetstar Asia and the launch of a new Work-Study Diploma focusing on Customer Experience Management (Cabin Services), we aim to nurture a talent pipeline for the numerous job-roles in Singapore’s aviation sector.”

Mr John Simeone, CEO of Jetstar Asia, said, “The aviation industry relies on a highly skilled and adaptable workforce, and we are proud to partner with ITE. By combining practical training with academic learning, this programme equips students with the skills, knowledge and understanding to grow and develop their careers across the wide variety of roles in the aviation industry.”