Nur Sofiyah Bte Zainalabidin
Technical Engineer Diploma in Machine Technology
ITE College Central
Carving her Niche
When Sofiyah was in secondary school, her interest was in the arts. Engineering was a field which she did not expect to be in. After unsuccessful attempts in entering ITE’s design courses, she took a leap of faith and decided to enrol in the Nitec in Digital & Precision Engineering course. With time, she grew to discover her niche in the Precision Engineering field.
After completing her Nitec course, Sofiyah enrolled in the Technical Engineer Diploma in Machine Technology course to deepen her engineering skills. Despite being in a male-dominated environment, she did not let that affect her self-belief and determination to succeed. Through perseverance and hard work, Sofiyah emerged as the top graduate of her Technical Engineer Diploma course.
Finding Gratitude
“There were many people who helped me in my journey at ITE. I had supportive classmates, and we helped each other to succeed. The close bonds that I had with my lecturers also made a big difference. They were very encouraging, and I could always approach them if I had doubts or needed any assistance. I will never forget all these friendships that I made at ITE. Moving forward, I wish to continue upgrading myself to make my family proud. They are my biggest motivation.”
After ITE
Sofiyah is working as an Associate Engineer at manufacturing company, ASM Assembly Systems Singapore Pte Ltd, where she conducts quality checks of machines.
Top Achievements
- Diligent and motivated, Sofiyah graduated with a perfect Grade Point Average (GPA) score of 4.0. For her strong academic excellence, Sofiyah was awarded the Gold Course Medal and Diploma with Merit for the Technical Engineer Diploma in Machine Technology course.
- Sofiyah won the Best Presenter Award at the 2021 Sembcorp Marine Green Wave Environmental Care Competition for schools, where her team presented an idea of converting vibrations on MRT platforms into energy that could power trains.
Tan Wen Yao
Technical Diploma in Culinary Arts
ITE College West
Savouring the Fruit of Success
After his ‘O’ level examinations, Tan Wen Yao took the unconventional choice of taking a gap year to figure out what he wanted to study next. For a year, he worked part-time in areas like event management and banquet service. He eventually made up his mind to learn culinary skills.
Wen Yao applied for both the full-time and traineeship Western Culinary Arts courses at ITE. He was offered a place in the traineeship course, and he took it up without hesitation. Every week, he worked five days at Goodwood Park Hotel, and attended classes at ITE for an additional day. Wen Yao revelled in the intensive schedule and chose to deepen his skills further via the Technical Diploma (TD) in Culinary Arts course as he wanted to learn French cooking techniques.
He took the TD in unprecedented times during the pandemic and saw how restaurants adapted to changing dining regulations. He also savoured the opportunity to learn the different aspects of running a business. Wen Yao excelled and emerged as the valedictorian for the TD course this year.
Cooking from the Heart
“I have always found it important to find out what I love to do and to do what I love. This is the reason for having a gap year. I did not want to rush to study and start work without clarity. I wanted to make sure I was on the right path for myself. Cooking is special to me. Food brings people together and I often cook to gather my family over meal. I want to cook for a career, and I hope to learn to cook even more cuisines on top of western cooking.”
After ITE
Wen Yao is currently a Demi Chef De Partie at Le Bistrot Du Sommelier, a French restaurant.
Top Achievements
- As part of his entrepreneurship project, Wen Yao and his team set up a stall at Timbre+. They took care of all aspects of the business, from the concept and finances to the menu. The changing dining regulations presented challenges, but the team managed to cover costs and bring in a profit.
- For his final-year project, Wen Yao and his course mates developed a vegetarian restaurant concept that incorporated sustainable practices. Their project won praise from a chef of a Michelin-starred restaurant.
- Wen Yao’s internship was at a three-Michelin starred restaurant, Odette. Three months into his attachment, the ‘Circuit Breaker’ restrictions kicked in. He personally saw how Odette responded to the changes and it has exposed him to how businesses can overcome such challenges.