Speech - Address by Ms Low Khah Gek, CEO/ITE, at ITE Graduation 2025, at Tay Eng Soon Convention Centre, ITE HQ on 28 July 2025

INTRODUCTION

1. Today, we celebrate the graduation and achievements of 13,552 students and adult learners from ITE’s Full-time, Part-time, Traineeship and Work-Study programmes for Academic Year 2024/2025. The graduating cohort comprises 5,387 Nitec, 7,284 Higher Nitec, 114 Technical Diploma and 767 Work-Study Diploma graduands. You have successfully achieved this milestone as a result of your dedication, resilience, and hard work. You have earned every bit of this success, and we are extremely proud of you.

2. As we celebrate your accomplishments, we also recognise that success is rarely achieved alone. Behind every graduand stands a network of support, comprising family members, friends, lecturers, mentors, employers and countless others who were walking the journey with you. Now, they have offered guidance, encouragement, and strength along the way. So, as we warmly congratulate all the graduands on their outstanding achievement, we also wish to thank everyone who has supported and contributed to their success. So, let’s thank everyone involved.

Different Journeys of Success

3. Now, the journey of each graduand is unique. Some of you had encountered setbacks in your earlier years of education and came to ITE, determined to discover and develop your potential. Others had gone into employment first, before coming to ITE. No matter what our students’ starting point, or prior life or work experiences are, ITE is committed to work with them. We believe in every student’s potential and ability to succeed, and we journey alongside all of them. Today’s graduation reflects the graduands’ commitment, perseverance, and growth and I would like to share the journeys of four graduands.

4. The first graduand is Siti Nadhirah Binte Mohamed Nazri. Siti struggled academically in her primary school days and after her PSLE, she went to NorthLight School. She thrived in the experiential learning provided there and Siti enrolled in ITE in January 2023 to pursue Nitec in Retail Services. At ITE, she continued to excel as she built both technical skills and soft skills such as communication skills and leadership skills. Siti became a student leader and a peer supporter. Siti’s journey in ITE is one of moving from self-doubt to becoming a confident leader. Her journey exemplifies the transformative power of the commitment and belief of the ITE staff as well as her own unwavering determination. Siti has graduated from her Nitec course in December last year and is currently pursuing her Higher Nitec in Retail & Online Business, with aspirations to further her studies and eventually becoming an educator as she wishes to pay it forward to empower and inspire students.

5. The second graduand is Swasthi Trinity Govinda Rajan. Trinity’s story highlights her remarkable resilience as she turned adversity into achievement. At age 10, Trinity was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Multiple brain surgeries and chemotherapy left her with neurological challenges, including speech difficulties and right hemiparesis (which is the loss of motor skills on her right side). Through sheer grit and incredible strength of character, Trinity completed her secondary school education and enrolled in Nitec in Hospitality Operations in January 2022 but shortly after, due to medical reasons, she took a gap year and she returned to ITE in 2023 to pursue a different course, to pursue Higher Nitec in Leisure and Travel Operations. Trinity’s positive mindset and eagerness to learn contributed to her success in ITE. During her 20-week internship at Sentosa from September last year to February this year, Trinity received multiple compliments from guests. She was awarded the Sentosa Scholarship by the Sentosa Development Corporation. Trinity graduated from her Higher Nitec course in March this year and is currently pursuing a business diploma. The same courage and perseverance that brought her this far will undoubtedly propel her towards even more remarkable achievements in the years to come.

6. The third graduand is Ren Tay. Now, Ren is one of our mature graduands at age 38. After secondary school education, Ren pursued various short work stints before entering National Service, where he served as an SCDF ambulance medic and it was this that ignited his passion for the healthcare sector. After National Service, Ren pursued various job roles in the healthcare sector, including positions at APAC Mobile Healthcare Services, Hua Mei Centre for Successful Ageing and Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, and then in January 2023 at age 36, Ren made the courageous decision to return to full-time studies and enrolled in ITE to pursue Nitec in Nursing. Ren immersed himself fully in campus life. He is a natural leader and took on various student leadership positions and the highlight of his ITE experience was the Overseas Student Exchange Programme to Kirkwood Community College in Iowa, USA. This trip greatly inspired him, broadened his perspectives, and fired his ambition. Ren graduated from Nitec in Nursing in December last year with a perfect GPA of 4.0. He is currently pursuing a Nursing diploma and his longer-term ambition is to specialise in gerontological nursing, delivering high-quality care to the elderly.

7. Now, the final graduand is Mr Chay Fook Cheong. At 62, Mr Chay embodies the true spirit of lifelong learning. In 1985, with an O-level qualification, Fook Cheong started his career as a machinist at Lam Heng Technologies Pte Ltd. He is now the Workshop Supervisor, responsible for overseeing the operations of four CNC milling machines and one CNC turning machine. Over the four-decade career, Fook Cheong continually upgraded his skills in NTC Grade 3 in Precision Engineering, CET Nitec in Precision Engineering and a CET Nitec in Mechatronics. In 2022, Fook Cheong decided to enrol in CET Nitec in Aerospace Machining Technology. He felt that he must upgrade himself to stay relevant in the fast-evolving manufacturing landscape. His determination is particularly remarkable given the fact that he needed to travel more than one hour from his workplace to ITE College Central to attend evening classes. Though not tech-savvy, he tackled the challenge of mastering complex 3D CAD/CAM software with tenacity and a determination to learn. The additional technical knowledge enabled him to optimise machine usage and guide his staff with greater clarity and precision. His newly acquired knowledge of engineering drawings and inspection techniques have enabled him to ensure that the manufactured machine parts meet strict quality requirements. And for his outstanding performance in the CET Nitec Aerospace Machining Technology course, Fook Cheong will be awarded a Gold Course Medal later.

Conclusion

8. We congratulate all four graduands for your outstanding stories and inspiration. Graduands, you have your own journey and your own story to tell. Your graduation today reflects your steadfast commitment to learning and determination to rise above all challenges. My staff team and I are proud to have been part of your journey at ITE. As you step into the next chapter of your lives, may you continue to aim high and always have the courage and the tenacity to strive and to excel.

9. So, once again, our warmest congratulations and we wish you further success in your personal and work lives and may you be an outstanding ambassador of ITE!

10. Thank you.