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Speech at the Official Launch of The National Engineers Day

Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister Of State for Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Trade and Industry, The National Library Board (Level 16)

Skills, training and development
Er Ho Siong Hin, President of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES),

Professor Dava Newman of Massachusetts Institute of Technology,

Ms Ngian Lek Choh, Acting Chief Executive and Director, National Library Board

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

Introduction

  1. Thank you very much for inviting me to the launch of the annual National Engineers Day 2011. Today, we gathered here to recognise and honor the many contributions of engineers towards building better lives for our people.

    Importance of Engineering
  2. Engineers create. The Singapore we see today was not created overnight. Like bricklaying, our sustained effort over the years have built and shaped the nation – piece by piece and layer by layer. It is a long and arduous process, but we were fortunate to have the service and dedication of generations of engineers, each bringing with them specialist skills and general problem-solving capabilities.
  3. Singapore has gone through four distinct phases of industrialisation. From the 1960's rudimentary general manufacturing and 1970's electrical appliances production, we moved on to the petrochemical industry in the 1980's. In the 1990's we shifted to semiconductors and disk drives manufacturing before finally moving to biotech and nano technology in the 2000's. At each phase, engineers of different disciplines have made sterling contributions in building up our industry prowess. In the process, they created deep layers of skills and know-how that formed the foundation for future growth.
  4. Engineers' contributions go beyond manufacturing. They are present in virtually all sectors of our economy: banking, business services, finance, construction, communications and IT, logistics, transportation and many others. Many civil servants and Ministers, past and present, are also trained engineers. Beyond creating physical goods, they play significant roles in building our community and nation through sound public policies and social infrastructure.
  5. Singapore has drawn up an exciting blueprint of a vibrant and prosperous Singapore. Moving forward, our need for engineers will be even greater.
  6. In terms of economic development, our national technology plan is to raise R&D spending to 3.5% by 2015. In addition to the high-end manufacturing sectors that we already have today, we are also investing heavily in R&D in key areas such as life sciences, green technology, urban solutions. We have created about 100,000 jobs per year in the last decade, between 2000 and 2010; many of them are in the technology and engineering sectors. As you can see, if we do not have enough engineers, our growth and aspiration to be a knowledge-based economy will be held back.

    ONE Foundation, INFINITE Possibilities
  7. It is therefore with great earnestness that we should encourage our youngsters to consider studies in engineering and to pursue related careers that will allow them to fulfil their aspirations and passion for creation. We should inspire our youngsters with the unlimited possibilities the field of Science and Technology can offer them.

    Conclusion
  8. On a per capita basis, Singapore produces amongst the highest number of engineers compared to many other nations. But moving forward, we must ensure that we will have enough bright students pursuing engineering as a profession to fulfil our vision of Singapore in the 21st century. I applaud the efforts of IES and the committee for organising the National Engineers Day. This is a great way to recognize the value that engineers play in our society today, and the pivotal roles they will continue to play in our future.
  9. On this note, it is my pleasure to launch the National Engineers Day. I wish you all a successful and enriching experience.
  10. Thank you.