16 October 2017
The Institute of Technical Education’s reputation as a centre of higher education has improved markedly over the years. In the beginning, it was viewed by many as a “last resort” for those who could not get into junior colleges or polytechnics. However, perceptions have changed, and standards have risen. ITE now offers courses to polytechnic and university graduates, and has even produced its fair share of them. ITE also conducts courses for adult learners to sharpen their industrial skill sets.
Adult learners who already holding a degree or diploma form around 10 per cent of the yearly intake of mature students. Most of them choose courses in engineering.
Like many other educational institutions and centres of higher learning in Singapore, ITE will continually ramp up its support for lifelong learning, and play a bigger role in the SkillsFuture movement. This was announced recently by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
By 2020, all National Institute of Technical Education Certificate (Nitec) courses conducted by ITE, be they full time or part time, will have online components to make learning more accessible for students.
ITE will also continue working with organisations such as government agencies and community groups to provide more part-time courses that are relevant to Singapore’s needs.