Closed Door Dialogue Session with Mr. Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education

5 October 2018 – “ Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”  - Henry Ford 

Some 200 participants made up of members from Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF), fellow Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) and Foreign Chambers came to the dialogue session with Minister for Education, Mr. Ong Ye Kung on 4 October 2018 to ask him burning questions and hear his views, particularly on the subject of education and life-long learning. Organised by SMF, this dialogue session was timely as SMF is pushing out more programmes related to education.

During the dialogue session, Mr. Ong shared about the changes in the education space, particularly in higher education. With the advent of technology, the market is constantly changing. Therefore, he advocated the importance of life-long learning in order for people to move and adapt to the changes. The minister also answered questions such as promoting proper English speaking, ITE education, and many others.

Minister for Education, Mr. Ong Ye Kung delivered his keynote address where he shared about the changes in the education space.

In order to cater to the future of manufacturing, the entire education system has been undergoing transformation to educate and prepare the youths for the industry of the future, for the future Industry 4.0. To attract the youths to the manufacturing sector, SMF is initiating the Digital Transformation Internship to bring value to the internship for the students and to ignite their passion for the industry. This programme will be paired with SMF’s Digital Project Management Services (DPMS) to also help companies embark on their digital journey.

(From left:) Dr. Bikramjit (Bicky) Singh Bhangu (SMF Deputy President), Mr. Douglas Foo (SMF President), Mr. Ong Ye Kung (Minister for Education), and Mr. Sam Goi (Executive Chairman, Tee Yih Jia Group).

SMF President, Mr. Douglas Foo delivered his welcome address during the dialogue session where he shared about the internship programmes SMF has developed.

Assistant Secretary-General, Dr. Michael Teng shared the details of the three internship programme to the audience. The three internship programmes are namely SME Talent Programme, Transformative Internship Programme, and the Digital Transformation Internship Programme. 

Minister for Education, Mr. Ong Ye Kung (right) and SMF President, Mr. Douglas Foo listened attentively to the questions given by the audience. SMF President was the moderator for the dialogue session. 

A token of appreciation was presented to Minister Ong Ye Kung for coming to the dialogue session. 

Group photo with Minister Ong Ye Kung, Mr. Douglas Foo, SMF Council members and the audience to commemorate this dialogue session.

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