Since its inception in 1992, ITE has successfully established itself as a post-secondary institution. The training system has been restructured and upgraded, and many new initiatives and programmes have been introduced to provide a conducive learning environment for the total educational development of the students.

One of these major programmes is the development of ITE institutes. Under a $360 million ITE Physical Development Plan, ITE will build a system of 10 modern and well-equipped technical institutes in Singapore. Today, I am very pleased to join you in celebrating the official opening of ITE Tampines, which is the fifth institute developed under this plan.

Like the other new institutes, ITE Tampines is equipped with up-to-date lecture theatrettes, workshops, laboratories, as well as sporting facilities. This is an investment the Government is prepared to make to ensure that our ITE students have the best training facilities and physical environment to pursue their post-secondary education. Because ITE also provides Continuing Education and Training courses for working adults, they too benefit from these upgraded facilities.

Over the last 30 years, ITE Tampines has produced over 18,000 Industrial Technician Certificate (ITC) graduates. Employers value ITC graduates for their strong grasp of technical knowledge and skills, and also their positive work attitude. Many ITC graduates have become successful professionals, businessmen or technopreneurs. Others have further upgraded educationally to the Diploma, Degree or even Post-graduate levels. These graduates have played a significant role in supporting Singapore’s industrial development. As an engineering-based technical institute, ITE Tampines has the important task of continuing to train engineering technicians who are relevant to the needs of Singapore’s economy.

In response to the needs of the future economy, the Education Ministry unveiled the ‘Thinking Schools, Learning Nation’ vision for schools and the educational institutions in 1997. One of the enabling tools to realise this vision is the use of Information Technology (IT). The $2 billion IT Master Plan for Schools not only links schools to each other but also to the rest of the world. It encourages and facilitates more creative thinking, and builds life-long learning habits in our students. The overall IT Master Plan also promotes more innovative strategies in the learning, teaching and administrative processes in our schools

ITE IT MasterPlan

I am very pleased to note that ITE has also formulated its own IT Master Plan. This Master Plan will link up all its 10 technical institutes through a Wide Area Network, and includes the development of hardware and software infrastructures, acquisition of new computers, courseware development and staff training.

The ITE IT Master Plan has three goals. First, it aims to enable ITE students to develop competencies in problem-solving, decision-making, communication and continual learning which are essential skills in a knowledge-based economy. Second, it aims to turn each ITE institute into an on-line Learning Campus where students can learn at their own pace. Teaching staff can also develop their own IT-based courseware and infuse IT into the curriculum and lesson delivery. Finally, it will help the institutes manage teaching and learning processes more effectively.

When its IT Master Plan is fully implemented in 5 years, ITE will effectively be transformed into a large community of connected on-line Learning Campuses. By then, teachers and staff will be able to communicate more effectively not just with each other in the same campus, but also with their counterparts in other campuses. This opens up enormous opportunities for exchange of information, sharing of digital resources and collaboration in projects.

I understand that ITE plans to have 20% of the curriculum time infused with IT. This means that over five years, 9,000 hours of IT-based courseware would have to be developed for some 30 training courses. Instructional management systems will be installed to enable the institutes to manage these vast digital resources and learning activities efficiently. These systems will support an integrated teaching and learning environment for both teaching staff and students to access, learn and communicate anytime from any computer within the campus.

Having courses online would also benefit working adults who are enrolled in ITE courses and training programmes. They would be able to access courseware in their homes, offices or nearest community clubs, and thus reduce the need to physically travel to ITE training centres. This will give a big boost to the Government’s effort to encourage lifelong learning and skills upgrading in our workforce.

Together with the new facilities and physical environment, the ITE IT Master Plan will help ITE position itself as a premier post-secondary technical institution and fulfill its mission to develop a quality workforce and enhance Singapore’s global competitiveness.

Technical education has come a long way since the 1960’s when ITE Tampines was established. I am pleased that ITE and its predecessors have constantly adapted itself to keep pace with the economic development of the country through the years. Today’s opening of another upgraded ITE institution is fitting testimony to this, and is another indication of ITE’s success in positioning itself to meet national training needs in the new millennium.

May I take this opportunity to congratulate ITE on the opening of ITE Tampines.

Thank you.