infinITE Issue 116 - Institute of Technical Education

infinITE is a publication of the
Institute of Technical Education
ISSUE116
JAN - FEB
2 0 1 3
The Start of A Special Bond: Mentors and Mentees
‘break ice’ during the Launch of the US Embassy Alumni
Mentoring Programme. They will learn from each other
in the weeks to come.
Giving Back
ITE Students in Inaugural US Embassy Alumni Mentoring Programme
by Victor Yen
ooks teach you, but people teach you better,” said
“BProfessor Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador-at-Large, and
Chairperson of the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities.
Addressing some 35 ITE students in attendance, she was
speaking as Guest-of-Honour at the Launch of the US Embassy
Alumni Mentoring Programme on Saturday 26 January 2013 at
ITE College Central.
The Programme is an initiative aimed at pairing mentors, all
established and eminent in their areas of profession, with young
and impressionable wards to guide them in their professional
and personal development. Specific skills to be shared by these
successful role models include resilience for career challenges,
communication and social etiquette. This inaugural project was
piloted in ITE, with 13 mentors and 35 mentees.
only invited her to family dinners, but sharpened her sense of
aesthetics.
The mentors, who volunteered time from their busy schedules,
were upbeat about their involvement. One of them, Mr T.
Sasitharan, Co-Founder and Director of Intercultural Theatre
Institute, sees mentorship as a positive model for propagation.
He said, “Mentoring is not part of Singapore’s culture, but
it serves a critical function. We need formal structures in
mentorship because young lives are too important to be shaped
by accident. It is a privilege to help out.” On what he hoped
to achieve with his mentees, Mr Sasitharan added, “I hope to
dissipate some of their fears, as young people understandably
do have fears about their future. But I also hope to learn from
them.”
ISSN 0218 0293
To Grow a Culture of Giving
The Programme hopes to go beyond just benefitting selected
students. Psychologist Ms Wendy Chua-Sullivan, Founder of
‘Wand Inspiration’ and facilitator of the Programme, urged
participants to perpetuate a broader purpose in ‘giving back to
society’. To Prof Chan, ‘giving’ is a long-standing Asian value,
especially when it comes to how we ‘love’ our parents. She
elaborated, “I remember feeling proud whenever I give money
to my parents, no matter what the amount is. My parents see
this act as a filial one, and an expression of love.” She also
recounted fondly her years at America’s Cornell University,
where she pursued her post-graduate studies. It was there that
she found her mentor, a professor in architecture, who not
One of the participants, ITE College Central Student Council
President, Jeremy Lau Tuck Wei, shared that the Programme
would provide him with access to the highly-qualified mentors
and their advice would help him plan his career ahead. The
Programme consists of six three-hour sessions and will be
conducted over six months.
The Launch was graced by Mr Louis Mazel, Deputy
Chief of Mission, US Embassy Singapore; Mr Bruce
Poh, Director & CEO/ITE; and Dr Ang Kiam Wee,
Principal, ITE College Central.

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Buzz
Glance
Our Distinguished Visitors
Appreciation from a
Grateful Parent
A Simple Thank You
A Learning Organisation
Engineered for Success
Pulse
New Partnerships
Ready to Serve
Sparking New Ideas
Kicking for Charity
Love for Earth
Stars
New Life with Tie-Dye
2
Our Distinguished Visitors
ITE hosted the following distinguished visitors between
January and February 2013:
Feb
5
Feb
13 - 14
BUZZ
by Jenn Tan and Lim Hui Ling
Ambassador of
Switzerland, His
Excellency Thomas Kupfer
New Heights for Authentic Training: Newly appointed in November 2012, His Excellency Thomas
Kupfer (with tie) learnt about the local Vocational and Technical Education System when he visited
ITE Headquarters and ITE College Central. He experienced authentic learning and training at ITE
College Central’s Aerospace Hub where students work on real aircraft and engine parts.
Syddansk Erhvervsskole
(SDE College), Denmark
Great Way to Pick Up Nursing Skills: Led by SDE College’s Vice Director, Mr Erland Boelskifte (in lightblue
shirt), representatives from the College learnt about the introduction of high-fidelity patient
simulators into the curriculum at ITE College East’s Centre for Healthcare Simulation Training when
they were in Singapore for a two-day study visit to explore collaboration opportunities with ITE.
Feb
15
Education Leaders from
the Netherlands
A Glimpse into Multimedia Future: Governing Board Chairpersons from Dutch education
institutions were enthralled by one of the latest projects on display at the Multimedia Design
Centre at ITE College West. The Centre helps to enhance staff and students’ capabilities through
project development in collaboration with industry.
Feb
27
MOU with WorldSkills
Foundation
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“Institute of Technical Education,
Singapore”
Blossoming Partnership: ITE’s commitment to WorldSkills-related activities enters a new dimension
with the setting up of world’s first WorldSkills Innovation Lab. The pioneer lab will work on a 3D
Modelling and Virtual Reality design project to develop a range of interactive and experimental
software applications for ITE's new Nitec in Floristry course. Mr Bruce Poh, Director & CEO/ITE,
celebrates the collaboration at an MOU Signing Ceremony with Mr Tjerk Dusseldorp (right), Chair,
Board of Trustees, WorldSkills Foundation.

Appreciation from a Grateful Parent
Father of ITE student pens thank you note to ITE
Mr Kalimuthu (left) and his son K Karpagasusenthran.
A Simple Thank You
Acknowledgement of students and staff in
ITE College Central book
simple ‘Thank you’ can go a long
A way. And in ITE College Central, it has
gone into a book.
ITE College Central’s School of Business
and Services launched a feel-good
book titled ‘A Simple Thank You’. The
book is a compilation of heart-warming
anecdotes to show appreciation to staff
and students for their acts of kindness
and unforgettable moments which have
made each work day worthwhile.
Dr Ng Lee Keng, Director, School of
Business and Services, explained,
“The primary intention was simple: to
document and celebrate the poignant
goodness that is often under-stated in
our educational setting. The aim was
to capture the essence of humane
interactions that makes our profession
so challenging and yet rewarding, all at
the same time.”
would like to express my sincere appreciation for Mr Chan
I Sin Hoon, Senior Lecturer, Precision Engineering - Advanced
Machining Technology, ITE College West.
Mr Chan has been overseeing my son, K. Karpagasusenthran’s,
development and progress since 2012. My son is pursuing his
Nitec in Airspace Machining Technology.
Like all other teenage boys, my son had his fair share of issues
in coping with peer pressure in school. But Mr Chan ensured
that my son stayed on track to achieve his course objectives.
When I visited him recently, Mr Chan took time off from his busy
schedule to show me around the campus and the workshops.
In our recent meeting, I was impressed by Mr Chan’s professional
attitude and ability to monitor his class’ progress. He believes
that every student should be given a chance even if they had
faltered before in their learning journey. He shared many of his
personal stories, aimed at motivating his students to succeed.
With the investment made in training resources and the
recruitment of passionate teachers like Mr Chan, ITE students
are in a strong position to perform well. As a proud father, I
hope that my son will treasure and use lessons learned in ITE
for his future challenges in life.
Yours in gratitude,
Mr Kalimuthu
by Shalini Veijayaratnam
Editor's note: This letter is published with permission by Mr Kalimuthu.
BUZZ 3
The book is also intended to be used for
teaching and learning.
To obtain a copy of the book, please email your
request to the Editor at Victor_Yen@ite.edu.sg.

4
BUZZ
A Learning Organisation
Investments to keep ITE staff on cutting edge
by Serene Tan
HUMAN capital development has always been
at the forefront of ITE’s strategic agenda.
Testifying to this, Mr Bruce Poh, Director & CEO/ ITE
shared, “Developing staff is one of my main areas
of focus. Human capital development is a critical
strategic tool to ensure relevance to changing
industry and technological needs, and prepares
ITE to move quickly into new areas. We must have
a learning culture where staff continually learn
and are willing to share their experiences.”
Underpinning ITE’s efforts in building a learning
culture and organisation is the Staff Training
and Development Framework. There are two
components to this framework – Education, to
support formal training programmes leading to
additional qualifications; and Training – to support
non-formal training programmes like conferences,
workshops, courses and attachments.
Formal Education for Professional Growth
ITE recognises the need to upgrade the
professional qualifications of staff to meet its
immediate and long-term organisational needs.
As such, Education Sponsorship and Assistance
schemes have been put in place to encourage
both Academic and Non-Academic staff to be
proactive in their professional upgrading efforts.
These schemes support both full-time and parttime
studies for professional qualifications ranging
from Certificate and Diploma programmes to
undergraduate and post-graduate programmes.
Since 2008, 215 ITE staff have upgraded their
professional qualifications under these schemes.
One such staff is Ms Faith Hong, a Section Head in
Fitness Training at ITE College East, who is currently
pursuing her Master of Science in Exercise
and Sport Studies at the National Institute of
Education, Singapore. When asked why she chose
this course of study, Faith said, “It is relevant and
adds value to my current job, which is to manage
and mentor a team of Fitness Training lecturers. I
hope to be able to apply what I’ve learnt from this
course to the curriculum development of fitness
training and sports management in ITE.”
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in European
Culinary Management from the International
Hotel Management Institute in Switzerland in
2010, under ITE’s Education Sponsorship Scheme.
Training through Industry Attachments
An integral part of ITE’s Hands-On, Minds-On,
Hearts-On brand of education is providing
students with the required skills-set for
employment. To deliver this, academic staff have
to constantly update and upgrade their technical
knowledge and skills in the areas that they are
teaching in, and familiarise themselves with
the actual work conditions, requirements and
practices of industries. The Industry Attachment
Scheme (IAS) was introduced with these objectives
in mind. Through the IAS, academic staff teaching
trade and technical courses are attached to a
relevant industry or institution at least once every
five years.
On the IAS, Ms Fee Mei Feng, a Section Head in
Digital Audio & Video Production at ITE College
West, said, “The scheme allows exposure to
best industry and pedagogic practices, which is
definitely beneficial for Academic staff like us.
It also provides us opportunities to learn from
professionals in the industry so that we are kept
up to date in the areas that we are teaching.”
Mei Feng just returned from her first industry
attachment with The Hong Kong Academy for
Performing Arts in January 2013.
Mr Chia Kiah Ngian, a Lecturer in Aerospace
Avionics, ITE College Central, described his
attachment to the Southern Alberta Institute of
Technology (SAIT) Polytechnic in Calgary, Canada,
as rewarding. “Opportunities to interact with
professionals in the field during our visits to the
aerospace companies in Calgary, and participating
For Mr Edwin Phua, Section Head, Western
Culinary Arts, ITE College West, upgrading himself
professionally has made him a better team player.
"My studies have given me opportunities to interact
with people coming from various background and
positions. This is important in my work, as I lead
a team as Section Head. I find myself becoming a
better problem-solver and listener,” said Edwin.
Teaching Opportunities: Mr Chia Kiah Ngian (in long sleeve shirt), Lecturer in Aerospace
Avionics at ITE College Central, interacting with 2nd -year Aerospace Avionics polytechnic
students of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology during his industry attachment
there.

BUZZ 5
Graduation Day: Mr Edwin Phua (far left) with his schoolmates from the
International Hotel Management Institute in Switzerland, on graduation day.
in sharing sessions with SAIT staff to exchange
ideas on best practices in curriculum delivery and
instructional pedagogies in aviation technology,
were indeed very enriching. I was also given the
opportunity to deliver lessons to SAIT students
and to assist in the conduct of practical sessions.
I was especially glad to be able to share about
Singapore and ITE during these lessons,” said Kiah
Ngian.
Organisational Learning for Corporate Cohesion
In addition to formal education and training
opportunities, ITE also promotes organisational
learning in the form of informal learning activities
for staff. One such activity is the ‘REAL Leadership
Learning Series’ for ITE’s leadership team to learn
from industry captains, CEOs and thought leaders,
as they share personal insights, perspectives and
practices in various aspects of leadership. Some
notable speakers of the REAL Leadership Learning
Series include Mr S Dhanabalan, Chairman of
Temasek Holdings (Private) Ltd; Mr J Y Pillay,
Chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers;
Mr Chan Chin Bok, Former Chairman, Economic
Development Board; and Mr Lim Soon Ping,
former Auditor-General of Singapore.
Looking ahead, ITE will be opening its very
own ITE Academy in April 2012 at the new ITE
Headquarters and College Central. The Academy,
dedicated to the training and development of ITE’s
niche Vocational and Technical Education (VTE)
strengths, will focus on developing four Centres
of Excellence, identified as key areas of strategic
importance to ITE. These Centres of Excellence
are – Leadership Development, Pedagogic
Development, Professional and Executive
Development and Organisational Learning. Mr Tan
Seng Hua, Deputy CEO (Academic) and Dean of
ITE Academy shared, “ITE has learnt from others
and innovated to produce our very own model
of Vocational and Technical Education (VTE). We
need to preserve, pass on and grow our core
competency and total system capability so that
VTE in Singapore will continue to grow, and many
more students can benefit from our VTE system.
This is what the ITE Academy hopes to facilitate.”

6
BUZZ
Engineered for Success
Bright future for Engineering students
by Karen Sum
Simulation Exercise: When getting the actual equipment is an issue,
real-life simulators are adopted. This includes the racing simulator which
allows students to experience the thrills of being an F1 driver in a safe
environment; and is a fun way for students to learn Engineering topics.
The trend is apparent. Since 2006, none of the 28 recipients
of the President’s Scholarship have opted to study
Engineering at university. In 2012, Senior Parliamentary
Secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Information
& Ministry of Education, Ms Sim Ann, recounted a case where
a local businessman lamented that he could easily find people
to be Project Managers, but few wanted to take up the
technical job positions.
Engineering, it seems, has fallen out of favour with the students
of today. Senior Director/School of Engineering at ITE College
East, Mr Lim Teck Lee acknowledges the challenges he faces in
attracting students to take up Engineering courses. “Students
with good academic grades shun Engineering because it is a
tough trade to pick up. It requires logical thinking and a good
foundation in Maths and Physics. Students are required to
dirty their hands and they need to have some persistency in
order to be grounded in their trade skills,” he shared.
For students entering an uncertain job market, this should
be good news to them. With increasingly fewer “doers” and
more “managers”, engineers, especially local ones, are in
short supply, and ITE Engineering students can help fill this
gap. Mr Lim agreed, “Engineering is even more important
now as equipment and systems are getting more complex and
compact. It is the backbone of every economy and we need
engineers and technicians to build and manage infrastructure,
to support high-end manufacturing, to engineer processes
and systems to enhance productivity to make equipment work
more efficiently and more easily.”
work and career progression. Academic staff have also taken to
showing students how Engineering can be fun and relevant by
using gadgets and real-life examples of Engineering marvels to
help them relate to the topics they are studying.
An emphasis on authentic learning also means that much
investment goes into building labs and acquiring the latest
technology and equipment for our students to practise and
learn. The goal – to ensure our graduates are armed with
relevant skills that they can readily put to use when they
enter the workforce. This “plug-and-play” concept makes our
graduates more attractive to employers, who do not need to
spend time familiarising our students with work processes.
ITE Engineering graduate, Vickneshwaran Elangovan, agreed, “At
ITE, I picked up skills that are relevant to the industry, and this
made it easier for me to learn and catch up with my colleagues
when I started work.” Vickneshwaran holds a Higher Nitec in
Mechanical Engineering and Technical Engineer Diploma (TED)
in Machine Technology. He immediately started work as an
Engineer Assistant at II-VI Singapore Pte Ltd upon completion of
his TED in March 2010.
Forging key partnerships with industry players has also helped
keep our inventory of equipment and skills knowledge up to
date. Many of our labs and Engineering centres are named to
reflect these partnership, such as the ITE-Sembcorp Marine
Engineering & Quality Centre, the ITE-ABB Automation
Technology Solutions Centre, and ITE-Omron Sensor & PLC
Application Centre.
Learning Facilities
To make it more attractive, ITE has been highlighting how
Engineering can open up many windows of opportunities for

BUZZ 7
SUCCESSFUL
CAREERS IN
ENGINEERING
Armed with their Nitec and Higher Nitec qualifications, many of our Engineering
graduates have done well in their studies and career. Here are some of them:
Jason Chan
Jason landed a plum job, building one
of the world’s tallest buildings – the
Burj Khalifa (Dubai) Tower. Completed
in 2010, the Tower was to be a new
global architectural landmark for Dubai,
United Arab Emirates. Not many would
get that chance to work halfway across
the globe, in a project as big as the
Burj Khalifa (Dubai) Tower. But this ITE
graduate did. Given the opportunity
by Samsung Corporation, Jason, is the
project’s Electrical Senior Engineer. He
has overseen the Tower’s construction,
design and engineering aspects for
Samsung for the past three years. ITE
started it all for Jason, where he obtained
a Nitec and Higher Nitec in Electrical
Engineering. There he found that not
only was he good at hands-on learning,
but he was also good at his studies.
Fanddy B Halil
A holder of both Nitec in Mechanical
Servicing and Higher Nitec in Mechanical
& Electrical Engineering Design
qualifications, Fanddy discovered his
interest in the oil and gas industry
while studying in ITE. Starting out as a
Draughtsman, Fanddy’s dedication to his
work saw him earn a $300 pay rise within
three months into his first job. Today, he
works alongside Diploma and Degree
holders as a Structural Designer at Ray
Mcdermott Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.
Real-life Learning: Training cars, MRT tracks, an MRT carriage, decommissioned airplanes and marine
vessel parts are just some of the equipment ITE Engineering students get to hone their skills on.
Examples of Jobs Available To ITE
Engineering Graduates
Nitec
Aircraft Technician
Vehicle Inspector
Audio Visual Specialist
Rigging & Trussing Specialist
Higher Nitec
Offshore & Marine Structure
Draughtsman
Automation Technician
Process Plant Assistant Designer
Production Supervisor
Technical Engineer Diploma
Automotive Workshop Manager
Automotive Technical Executive
Assistant Engineer
More career choices for ITE graduates can be found
at http://www.gra.ite.edu.sg/ite/gra/career.aspx

8
PULSE
New Partnerships
Three Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) signed for student and staff
development in new year
by Shalini Veijayaratnam
For the long haul: (From left to right) Mr Eden Liew, Principal, ITE
College East; Mr Bruce Poh, Director & CEO/ITE; Mr Chan Chong Beng,
President, ASME; and Ms Irene Boey, Chairman, ASME Forum, after
inking the MOU.
It’s Business with ASME!
The Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME)
means business! With a long-term aim to promote and build
a conducive business environment, ASME signed its first MOU
with ITE. Together, the first-of-its-kind SME-led ASME Forum
will be organised and an Award will be established to encourage
entrepreneurship among the student body and recognise
deserving students. “We hope to help SMEs attract the younger
generation and retain them by elevating their relevance,
importance and potential. The collaboration will enable SMEs
to train and groom ITE students into valuable talents and assets
or successful entrepreneurs in future,” commented Ms Irene
Boey, Pioneer of the ASME-ITE collaboration and Chairman of
the ASME Forum.
For Creativity and Innovation
For the third time, ITE reaffirmed its partnership with Autodesk,
a world leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment
software. Mr Bruce Poh, Director & CEO/ITE, shared, “The
renewed partnership with Autodesk will be bigger and better, as
Autodesk has enhanced the opportunities for staff and students
to gain a competitive edge through easy access to their software
via the Autodesk Resource Centre (ARC), increased support in
the transfer of technology to staff and provision of Autodesk
certifications to enhance competency levels.” As Autodesk
software is used widely by Creative and Engineering industries,
the exposure and experience using Autodesk software will hone
their skills to develop highly-skilled graduates.
Designing the Future: Mr Chris Bradshaw, Chief Marketing Officer &
Senior Vice President for Reputation, Consumer & Education, Autodesk
(left) and Mr Bruce Poh, Director & CEO/ITE (right)
Growing IT
Over 26,000 students stand to gain from the three-year MOU
signed with Oracle Singapore. The highlight of the MOU is
the Opening of the ITE-Oracle Academy Centre at ITE College
West, where students can get access to Oracle database and
middleware software, curriculum, and other industry-relevant
resources to prepare them for careers in the Information
Technology (IT) industry. IT courses will also be aligned to
Oracle’s curriculum and additional certifications will be offered
to students. Said Mr Bruce Poh, “We are especially delighted
that this collaboration will bring more opportunities for
students to gain market-relevant skills and credentials that will
help differentiate them when they enter the workforce.”
All about IT: Mr Leslie Ong, Managing Director, Oracle Singapore
(extreme left), Mr Bruce Poh, Director & CEO/ITE (second from left) and
other guests learning what will be offered at the ITE-Oracle Academy
Centre.

Ready to Serve
Outstanding ITE Lecturers in National Service
by Vimala Kesavan
PULSE 9
Mr Eden Liew, Principal, ITE College East, received the
Distinguished Defence Partner Award on behalf of ITE
from Commissioner of Police, Mr Ng Joo Hee, on 26
September 2013. Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime
Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security
and Minister for Home Affairs, was the Guest-of-
Honour for the Ceremony.
ITE is the proud recipient of the Distinguished Defence Partner
Award by the Ministry of Defence, and the Distinguished
Home Team Partner Award by the Ministry of Home Affairs. ITE
has received both awards for the past three years, in recognition
of its strong support towards National Service (NS).
NSmen enjoy timely release for their scheduled In-Camp
Training and ITE does not encourage deferment unless on
medical grounds. Outstanding performance by NSmen would
be acknowledged and recognised through Congratulatory
Letters and Certificates of Recognition, by Director & CEO/ITE,
Mr Bruce Poh.
With the organisation’s support and assurance, NSmen have
shown resourcefulness and dedication, with many earning
commendations and promotion during their NS In-Camp
Training. These positive and strong attributes have also stood
them in good stead back at their jobs at ITE.
Sterling NS Performance from ITE Staff
Through his exemplary leadership, professionalism, Kerwin
Hing, Manager, College Administration Services from ITE
College East, was promoted to Staff Sergeant in January this
year. He said, “As long as I have been with ITE, I have always
felt that my bosses fully support National Service and our
responsibility towards Total Defence. My contributions
have been recognised and validated with ITE's annual SAF
Day rededication ceremonies and recently with the ITE
3SG (NS) Lim Wenbin was a
specialist in the 1st Commando
Battalion.
Kerwin Hing in his army greens.
The picture was taken during
the annual SAF re-dedication
Ceremony 2012.
Commendation Certificate as well. While I definitely do not
serve my National Service for such recognition and awards,
these gestures do assure and encourage me and my fellow
NSMen in ITE to confidently go ahead and serve our country for
the preservation of our way of life."
Another NSman was also recognised for excellent performance.
Third Sergeant (NS) Lim Wenbin, Lecturer, Technology
Development Engineer, ITE College East, was presented a Letter
of Appreciation for his responsibility, effort and positive attitude
during his recent In-Camp Training at the Special Operations
Training Centre.

10
PULSE
Sparking New Ideas
ITE holds its most extensive Innovation & Enterprise event
by Jamie Chan
For the first time, all three ITE Colleges jointly
organised ITE’s largest Innovation and
Enterprise event to date – InnoBIZ Fest 2013. Held
on Friday, 22 February 2013, at ITE College Central,
the event put 60 projects on display. Grouped
into two segments, namely “Innovation Projects”
and “Enterprise-Bazaar Sale”, the projects put
up by ITE students, staff and industry partners
demonstrated that the spirit of innovation,
creativity and enterprise was indeed alive at ITE.
The fair attracted up to 10,000 attendees, which
included ITE students, staff members, graduates,
industry partners, entrepreneurs and members of
the community.
Embodying the Spirit of Innovation and Enterprise
The event started with a rain of colourful confetti
triggered by Mr Bruce Poh, Director & CEO/ITE,
who officially opened the fair. Mr Poh, who had
toured the booths to view the students’ work, said
in his opening speech to the students, “My hope is
for all students to walk away feeling encouraged. I
hope that you will embody the spirit of innovation
and enterprise in everything that you do, whether
in life or at work.”
“Smart Water Saver” from ITE College West
emerged as the winning project in the “Innovation
Projects” segment. The device prevents the
overflow of water from a pail by automatically
shutting off water supply once a pail is full. Under
the “Enterprise-Bazaar Sale” segment, the project
“Pau-Wer” came out tops. The social enterprise
project, which also won the Shell LiveWIRE-ITE
Social Enterprise Challenge 2012, aims to help
create job opportunities for ex-offenders by giving
the traditional pau a twist with fresh fillings like
beef rendang and mozzarella cheese.
“Pau-Wer” team leader, Mohammad Shahri Bin
Samsi, expressed his excitement at participating
the event, “We are very happy for the opportunity
for exposure at the InnoBIZ Fest. This will help us
better understand customers’ taste and contribute
to our capital for setting up a stall in future.”
Ideas on Display
Amidst a vibrant atmosphere with performances
in the background, ITE students enjoyed the
vast array of innovations at the fair. Nur Fadly B.
Majinin, an 18-year-old Higher Nitec in Banking
Services student from ITE College Central, shared,
“The ideas exhibited were really refreshing and
I look forward to future events that encourage
students to be innovative."
“Pau-Wer” team busy serving
paus customers at their stall.
Celebrating an Innovative and Enterprising Spirit: (from
left) Mr Aw York Bin, Advisor to the ITE Innovation &
Enterprise Advisory Committee; Mr Eden Liew, Principal,
ITE College East; Mr Bruce Poh, Director & CEO/ITE; Dr
Ang Kiam Wee, Principal, ITE College Central; and Mr Goh
Mong Song, Deputy Principal (Academic), ITE College West,
launching confetti as they open ITE InnoBIZ Fest 2013.

Kicking for Charity
$5,000 raised in charity game for needy students
by Karen Sum
STARS 11
Team Advantage: ITE Alumnus
and local soccer legend, Fandi
Ahmad, participated in a friendly
game earlier that day.
The biggest cheers were reserved for the H-TWO-O
Ultimate Dream Team II, who took on regionally-acclaimed
professional football team, Johor Darul Takzim. Made up of
talented young footballers, specially chosen by local soccer
legend, Fandi Ahmad, the H-TWO-O Ultimate Dream Team II
showed great potential during the match, despite losing 2-8 to
Johor Darul Takzim.
A supporter of the Ultimate Dream Team initiative, Dr Ang Kiam
Wee, Principal/ITE College Central, was pleased with the positive
outcomes. “Besides learning football skills and strategies, the
players have also learnt, developed, and displayed value such
as teamwork, diligence and perseverance through the training
and tournaments. These are critical life skills that will prepare
them for the years ahead,” he said.
Student Benefits
While everyone had fun that night, the big winner of the
charity match was most certainly the needy students from ITE
College Central. The total number of goals scored during the
two matches saw a total of $5,000 being raised for the Special
Students' Assistance Scheme, which disburses allowances to
needy students.
Love for Earth
ITE students second in National Climate Change Competition 2012
by Serene Tan
Ever thought of living a green life but don’t know where to
start? The web and mobile application, Make Me an Earth
Lover (MMAEL), may just be the answer for you. Jointly created
by three ITE College East students from the Higher Nitec in
Business Information System course – Thamim Ansari s/o
Samsudeen, Muhammad Basheed s/o Mohamed M and Puah
Zheng Yi, MMAEL is an application that directs users to retailers
Eco Warriors: ITE College East students and 2nd prize winners of the
National Climate Change Competition 2012 (NCCC 2012) Technology
Prize Challenge (from left) Muhammad Basheed, Thamim Ansari
and Phua Zheng Yi meet Guest-of-Honour, Mr Niam Chiang Meng,
Permanent Secretary (National Climate Change) at the NCCC 2012
Award Ceremony on 19 Feb 2013.
of green products and alerts users when these retailers are
nearby. Users can also use the application to claim discounts
on green products, get tips on green transport options and
calculate their carbon footprint as they travel.
It was this integrated, multi-purpose application that won
the students the 2nd prize in the National Climate Change
Competition 2012 (NCCC 2012) Technology Prize Challenge
under the Upper Secondary/JC/ITE category. The competition,
which aimed to raise awareness on climate change among
youths, was launched by the National Climate Change
Secretariat, and supported by the Ministry of Education,
Building and Construction Authority, National Environment
Agency, National Research Foundation, and National Youth
Achievement Award Council.
On her students’ achievements, Ms Preethi Jabaraj, Lecturer,
Business Information Systems, ITE College East, said, “The
competition is a good platform for the students to develop
awareness of environmental issues and social responsibility.
Winning the award has encouraged them to explore beyond the
scope of their class room and motivated them to be innovative
in their approach.”

12
STARS
New Life with Tie-Dye
Students organise tie-dye workshop and fashion show for
good cause
by Jamie Chan
Promoting Inclusiveness: The team posed for a
picture with students with disabilities from ITE
College Central and the MDAS.
It is possible to reinvent old clothes into
hip fashion wear with a simple solution:
tie-dye. Students Dinah Syafiqah Bte
Jallal, Seri Nabilah Binte Rizal, Nur Hazirah
Bte Abd Rashid, Siti Nasuha Bte Ramlee,
Jasmin Bte Zulkifli Yeo and Brandon
New Weilong were inspired by a fellow
classmate, Pavanjit Singh Sandhu, who
suffers from spina bifida (a birth defect in
which the backbone and spinal canal do
not close before birth) and is wheelchair
bound. They held a tie-dye workshop on
19 January 2013 at ITE College Central,
and invited eight physically-challenged
students from ITE College Central and
the Muscular Dystrophy Association
Singapore (MDAS) to participate in the
event.
During the event, participants learned
the art of tie-dyeing, and enjoyed a
fashion runway show where nine models
of different body types showcased tiedye
creations on the runway. By giving
old or plain apparels a new lease of life
through tie-dye, the team hoped to also
encourage youth to be environmentally
friendly, while embracing other youths
with physically-challenged. In addition,
the students helped raise funds towards
beneficiaries from the MDAS through
ticket sales for the workshop and fashion
runway, as well as sales of tie-dye tote
bags on campus.
Promoting Inclusiveness and
Awareness about Disabilities
“Pavanjit is our classmate and friend,
and we are inspired by his positive
attitude. We decided that since
we were aiming to raise funds for
beneficiaries under MDAS, we could
also use this event to create awareness
about disabilities among students in
ITE,” Dinah said.
Dinah and her friends had tapped
on the Central Singapore Community
Development Council (CDC)’s Mayor’s
Imagine Fund (MIF), which encourages
youth volunteerism and supports youths
who wish to implement communityrelated
initiatives and projects. The group
received a $2,600 start-up grant from MIF
to make their vision a reality.
Ms Sherena Loh, Executive Director,
MDAS, shared her support for the
project, “We are glad that these youths
have included various aspects of society
in their project. Their invitation to
members of MDAS to participate in the
tie-dye workshop really drives home the
element of inclusion in the programme,
and indeed makes it a holistic outreach
effort.”
Sharing and Helping: ITE students helped MDAS
members with their tie-dye work during the workshop.
Beauty Comes in All Shapes: Models of different
looks walked down the runway to promote the
‘new’ tie-dyed fashionwear.
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