West Atlas - Keppel Corporation

Keppel O&M seeds $50,000 for
NTU scholarships
In the last five years, Keppel
Offshore & Marine has
awarded more than 450
scholarships to tertiary
students and its employees in
a bid to build up the talent
pool in the maritime industry.
Earlier this month, the
Company contributed
S$50,000 to the Nanyang
Technological University
(NTU) to establish two
student endowment
schemes – a Gold Medal cum
Cash Award and a Book Prize
– under the Mechanical
Engineering Programme of
the School of Mechanical &
Aerospace Engineering.
The schemes will benefit final
year students who have
topped their specialised
electives in Marine &
Offshore Engineering.
“Keppel is committed to
the long-term growth of
Singapore as an international
maritime centre, and we
see ourselves contributing
strongly in the vital areas of
education, innovation and
talent development,” said
Mr Tong Chong Heong, MD
& COO of Keppel O&M.
Keppel O&M currently
employs 1,300 engineers in
Singapore. Most of its
management also comprises
trained engineers who were
recruited as fresh graduates
from the polytechnics and
universities, and who were
groomed through its
management trainee
programme.
“The expertise required in
our nature of work takes
years of learning to reach a
high standard of skilled
workmanship. And while
our second tier of leaders
has emerged, we still need a
constant pool of competent
people who can be
deployed to their maximum
capabilities,” he said.
“With the establishment of
the Keppel Offshore &
Marine Gold Medal cum
Cash Award and the Book
Prize, we hope to encourage
bright young talents to help
advance the offshore and
marine industry, which holds
out great opportunities for
those seeking a rewarding,
meaningful and satisfying
career.”
Of the newly-established
awards, Professor Lam Khin
Yong, Chair of the School of
Mechanical & Aerospace
Engineering, said, “The
awards will further enhance
the attractiveness of
the Marine & Offshore
Engineering final year
specialisation for talented
mechanical engineering
undergraduates to pursue.
“The School has
competencies in disciplines
such as marine engineering
and marine & offshore
technology. Many of our
faculty are trained in these
Community People 31
Keppel O&M’s new student endowment schemes will further enhance the attractiveness of the Nanyang Technological University’s Marine &
Offshore Engineering final year specialisation programme, as well as encourage more young graduates to join the offshore and marine industry
areas and we are well-placed
to play our part in
contributing to the growth of
Singapore’s marine and
offshore engineering
industry.”
Over the years, Keppel O&M
has been working closely
with industry partners
including the Maritime Port
of Authority, the Singapore
Maritime Foundation as well
as local universities and
polytechnics to develop
talent training schemes.
In 2006, the Company
invested a total of
S$17 million in training and
development. Of this sum,
S$11 million was invested in
Singapore as compared with
S$3.6 million in 2005. keppelite
Keppelite I September 2007