Speech at Launch of Aircraft Engineering – STEP Scholarship Cum Graduation Ceremony

Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education , Manpower, MDIS Building

1. Good afternoon. Let me first congratulate the graduating class of 2011 for the Foundation Degree in Aircraft Engineering and the Workforce Skills Qualification (or WSQ) Higher Certificate in Aerospace. You have taken an important step in joining a vibrant growth industry.
2. The aerospace industry is one of the fastest growing industries of the Singapore economy. Today, Singapore is the top aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul (or MRO) hub in Asia, backed by a large pool of over 100 aerospace companies and employing about 18,000 workers in 2009. The industry has been growing by an average annual growth rate of 12 per cent per annum since 1990¹, contributing $7 billion to our GDP last year. The industry is expected to create 2,200 technical jobs by 2015, providing many good career opportunities for Singaporeans. The Foundation Degree in Aircraft Engineering, which includes the WSQ Higher Certificate in Aerospace, for example, enables existing technicians to progress to Certifying Technicians and Licensed Aircraft Engineers. This continuing education and training progression pathway opens up new career opportunities for our workforce and enables them to move up the career ladder and secure better pay.
   
   Enhancing Progression Pathway for Aerospace Professionals
3. I am pleased to note that the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) has worked with the Kingston University and Air Transport Training College (ATTC) to launch the Foundation Degree in Aircraft Engineering in Singapore two years ago. The Foundation Degree in Aircraft Engineering, which is aligned to the Aerospace WSQ Higher Certificate, integrates the theoretical studies with practical competencies in areas such as aircraft maintenance and safety management. As the Foundation Degree is recognised by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) as a professional certification, graduates who go through this degree pathway to attain the licence of an aircraft engineer will only need four years as compared to the typical seven years.
4. It is heartening to note that the graduating class comprises trainees from diverse backgrounds with a common aspiration to excel in the aerospace industry. For example, Mr Koh Ho Peng, who was one of the three Merit Award winners, has moved from designing home audio systems to the aerospace industry with better career and employment prospects. I am pleased to note that Mr Koh has successfully found employment with Singapore HAECO, a major line maintenance services company at the Singapore Changi Airport.
   
   Further Collaboration with Kingston University
5. I am happy to announce that WDA has inked a further collaboration with Kingston University to support the final-year top-up programme of the Bachelor of Engineering in Aircraft Engineering Honours Degree. Participants who possess the Kingston University’s Foundation Degree in Aircraft Engineering can pursue this final-year top-up on a part-time basis which will take two years to complete.
6. In addition, the Honours Degree programme allows Licensed Aircraft Engineers who had completed the CAAS SAR-66 Category B1 training certification to gain direct entry into the final-year top-up programme of the Bachelor of Engineering in Aircraft Engineering.
7. Mr Zulfarhan Bin Idris is one graduate who is planning to participate in this programme. Mr Zulfarhan decided to enrol in the Foundation Degree because of his keen interest to work in the aerospace industry. Through the course, he acquires knowledge and skills in aircraft engineering which will prepare him for the CAAS SAR 66 Cat B.1 licensing exams. Today, Mr Zulfarhan has been offered a job in ST Aerospace and is undergoing training to be a Licensed Aircraft Engineer. He is looking forward to obtaining his licence and will be undergoing the final-year top-up programme to obtain the Kingston University Honours Degree subsequently.
8. Additionally, the introduction of a new Masters of Science in Aircraft Engineering will enable senior aviation engineers to move up the career ladder to assume leadership and management positions.
9. Currently, the Nitec and Diploma Holders who are working as technicians have been leveraging on the existing Aerospace WSQ-aligned courses at ATTC to advance to certifying technicians and engineers. With the launch of these two new Kingston programmes, those in the industry will now have more career progression opportunities compared to a few years ago.
   
   Launch of Two New STEP Scholarships
10. To encourage our local aerospace workforce to seize these new opportunities, I am pleased to announce that WDA will be offering 20 scholarships for the Bachelor of Engineering in Aircraft Engineering Honours Degree and six scholarships for the Master of Science in Aircraft Engineering over the next two years – a total of 26, amounting to over half a million dollars.
11. Both scholarships are initiatives under the Skills Training for Excellence Programme (or STEP in short). STEP is a $150-million programme launched by the Ministry of Manpower and WDA to help local Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs) enhance their skills, knowledge and expertise to stay competitive and relevant.
    
    Bright Career Outlook for Aerospace Professionals
12. The launch of the Kingston University’s programmes is a timely initiative to support the industry’s needs. Aircraft manufacturers like Boeing have forecasted a doubling of the fleet of aircrafts in Asia Pacific in the next twenty years.² This means that more aerospace engineers and technicians will be needed. Local studies also forecasted a strong demand of around 2,000 technicians and engineers over the next four years.³
    
    Strong Industry Support for Manpower Upgrading
13. WDA’s efforts to enhance the progression pathway for aerospace professionals are important for the industry, and we will need employers to support this push as well. Today, I am happy to note that four major industry players - ST Aerospace, Singapore HAECO Pte Ltd, Pratt and Whitney Canada (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd and Hawker Pacific Asia Pte Ltd - have committed to support both programmes.
14. The endorsement by these industry leaders shows the strong commitment from the aerospace industry in supporting the continuing education and training of aerospace professionals. I believe that the partnership will draw on the industry’s best to bring about the holistic development of aerospace professionals.
15. I would like to take this opportunity to commend and thank the industry partners for working closely with WDA to further the capability of our aerospace workforce. I am confident that our aerospace workforce will benefit tremendously from this collaboration as they further their aspirations to upgrade their skills to support the industry and advance their careers.
16. On this note, let me once again extend my heartiest congratulations to the graduating class and the aerospace industry as it scales to greater heights.
    
    Thank you.