Mr Bob Tan, Chairman/ITE and Members of the ITE Board

Mr Bruce Poh, Director & Chief Executive Officer, ITE

Mr Mark Greenberg, Chairman/Gammon Capital and Director/Jardine Matheson Ltd

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

1          Good afternoon.  I am happy to be here to witness the Unveiling of the Design for the New ITE College West @ Choa Chu Kang.  Today’s occasion marks another significant milestone for ITE, as well as for the development of Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) in Singapore.

VTE as a Key Strategy for Singapore’s Economic & Social Development

2                     Since our independence, the Government has invested heavily in education to ensure that Singaporeans receive good education and we remain internationally competitive. The five Polytechnics and ITE together form the backbone of the post-secondary technical education system in Singapore. They play an important role in Singapore’s economic development and social progress.  ITE’s three waves of transformation since the last decade have made it an attractive pathway for post-secondary education for about a quarter of our school cohort.  ITE received the IBM Innovations Award in Transforming Government by Harvard University’s Ash Institute in September 2007.  This is a strong endorsement of the stature and quality of ITE education. Many international visitors come to ITE to see how we provide high quality technical education to our students.  Several countries are looking to ITE to provide consultancy services to help establish or review their VTE systems and infrastructure.

3                     Ultimately, the best judge of the value of ITE education is the industry. ITE graduates continue to be in good demand. The Graduate Employment Survey for 2007 showed that 93% of ITE graduates were able to find jobs within six months, 4% points higher than the previous year.  They also commanded a good starting salary of $1,390 on average, with almost four-fifths employed in occupations related to their training.

New ITE College West – An ITE College of Excellence for Service Quality

4          Under the government’s strategic plan to upgrade ITE institutes into state-of-the-art post-secondary colleges, ITE will consolidate its 10 institutes into three world-class comprehensive Colleges under a “One ITE System, Three Colleges” Model.  In 2005, ITE opened its first new campus -– ITE College East at Simei.

5          The development of ITE’s second comprehensive College -– the ITE College West -– is scheduled for completion in 2010. And the third mega campus – ITE College Central, will be ready in 2012. The new ITE College West will be a College of Excellence for Service Quality, offering a wide range of attractive niche courses in service, hospitality and retail, in addition to core Engineering, ICT and Business courses.  It is not only strategically in sync with Singapore’s economic growth and demand for skilled manpower, but also in-tune with the aspirations of many of our students who are excited about career opportunities in the service industry.

6          The New ITE College West will set new benchmarks in promoting a vibrant learning environment, with special emphasis on service-oriented training. Students will have the opportunity to learn using the latest technology and pedagogy, including experiential learning through simulated training techniques  They will also have the opportunity to learn from the best in class internationally. With the impending tie-ups with two world-renowned institutions in France and Switzerland for culinary skills training and hospitality management respectively, ITE students and staff can look forward to more opportunities for international exchanges and educational progression.

First Public-Private-Partnership Project for Education

7          I am pleased to  announce that M/s Gammon Capital, an international consortium, has been selected through an open competitive bid as the Preferred Bidder for the New ITE College West Project. This will be the first education sector project to be funded under the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model.

Gammon’s design for the new College has interpreted and articulated clearly ITE’s vision for the College -– A College of Excellence for Service Quality.  The College will be a strong response to the College’s pedagogical principle of A Borderless Campus, where learning can take place anywhere and everywhere – from an Innovation Walkway, to a real business environment set right in the heart of the College. A unique feature of the College will be the live Convention Centre positioned in the centre of the campus to simulate hospitality training. Green and open in design, with a sports village, restaurants and even a car show room open to the public, I am confident the College will be a vibrant hub for young people to learn, to play and to grow.  College West will be a new landmark in the Choa Chu Kang area adding life and vibrancy to this community.

Conclusion

10        The development of the New ITE College West reaffirms the Government’s commitment in providing high quality technical education and training to meet the skilled manpower needs of a fast changing global economy.   When ready in 2010, it will set a new benchmark for VTE and further enhance ITE’s status as A Global Leader in Vocational and Technical Education.

11        I look forward to an exciting partnership between ITE, the community and the industry.  Together, we can make ITE College West a pulsating hub that will benefit ITE students, the industry and the community. I offer my congratulation to Gammon Capital and I wish ITE College West every success as you embark on this new journey.

12        Thank you.