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SINGAPORE – Graduates of the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) serving in their national service as air force technicians can soon earn a diploma while enlisted.
Around 20 trainees from April next year will be the first to undergo an ITE program and the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) that allows them to work and study at the same time.
The Work-Study Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, the first of its kind for full-time national military personnel, will be held for two and a half years.
The course will equip students with skills in the maintenance of aircraft structures and systems, and will also serve as an alternative route for ITE graduates to a career in the aerospace industry.
Like existing ITE work-study diplomas, 70 percent of the course curriculum will be delivered through on-the-job training at RSAF, and the remaining 30 percent will comprise theoretical and practical training in ITE .
Key industry players ST Engineering Aerospace, SIA Engineering, and the Aerospace Industries Association (Singapore) helped develop the training curriculum for the program, which was launched on Tuesday (September 22) at a ceremony to firm.
Typically, apprentices will spend the first six months of their SN in basic training, before starting the work-study course. They must extend their service to a minimum of three years with the RSAF.
The course is open to recent ITE graduates with relevant qualifications from Nitec or higher Nitec, such as aerospace technology, mechatronics and robotics, or electrical engineering.
Those who complete the program can enroll as regulars and be employed as Air Force Engineers (Maintenance) at RSAF, or perform related work in aircraft maintenance in the aerospace industry.
In a statement, Air Force Chief Major General Kelvin Khong said: “In the current climate where the aviation sector is severely affected by Covid-19, we must continue to support employment and training. of workers in this sector, so that the workforce will be ready when aviation begins to recover and we can help our aviation sector emerge stronger from this Covid-19 pandemic. “
ITE Executive Director Low Khah Gek said the program “marks a significant milestone in our continued efforts to expand opportunities for skill enhancement and career progression for our graduates.”
She added: “Combined with the strong support from our industry partners in recognizing the program’s certification, this provides a valuable boost for our graduates to begin their careers in the aerospace sector.”
Similarly, ITE is extending an existing work-study diploma in electrical engineering to its graduates serving as Army Technicians at NS, starting in April next year.
The expected admission size has not yet been confirmed, but graduates with Nitec qualifications or above from Nitec in fields such as aerospace avionics and electrical engineering can apply.
Mr. Livanesh Ramu, 21, who will be in the pioneering cohort of the new work-study program in aircraft maintenance engineering, said the idea of studying and applying his skills on the job appealed to him.
“The hands-on learning experience suits me, and I wouldn’t mind signing with RSAF as an air force engineer in the future,” said the ITE graduate who has a Nitec qualification in mechanical technology and a Nitec superior in engineering with business.
“The aerospace industry has been my childhood dream and I’ve always wondered how airplanes fly and how things work behind the scenes,” he said.
“ITE was like a stepping stone for me: I learned the basics of engineering there and now I have the opportunity to go deeper into the aerospace industry,” he added.
Philip Quek, President of the Aerospace Industries Association (Singapore), said: “Despite the current slowdown in air transport, there is a strong consensus that the medium-term outlook for Singapore’s aerospace industry remains positive.
“We must ensure that we have the capabilities and talent to support the rebound in aviation when we finally emerge from this crisis.”
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