Ngee Ann leads the way in continuing education

NGEE Ann Polytechnic is set to play a bigger role in championing lifelong learning with the launch of a Continuing Education and Training Academy.

In three years' time, the academy will be training 10,000 adults a year in courses ranging from early childhood education to retail and IT.

This will expand on the role of Ngee Ann's existing Centre for Professional Development, which now trains 5,000 people a year in part-time diploma and workforce skills qualification courses.

The academy will also provide career counselling and advice. Its range of courses will be expanded to include those targeted at the 'silver population', for instance, in hobby areas like foreign languages such as French.

Ngee Ann's principal, Mr Chia Mia Chiang, said: 'We want to allow the silver population to come in, pick up a hobby or deepen their understanding in technology areas like the use of hand-held devices.'

The academy will be the Polytechnic's platform to promote and facilitate the re-employment of older employees.

Mr Chia said the setting up of the academy is in part a response to the Government's masterplan for continuing education and training which aims to help workers acquire new skills.

The Government will provide places for more people to be trained by setting up new training centres.

Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong, who officiated at the launch of the academy yesterday, lauded the Polytechnic's efforts in helping workers obtain 'portable and industry-relevant' skills.

A worker who has benefited from lifelong learning is Mr Tan Hooi Soon, 48. Even before the senior technical officer at the Public Utilities Board had graduated with a Ngee Ann Poly technology diploma in May, his job scope had been enlarged.

Mr Tan went from supervising two employees in drainage systems to supervising 30 men in catchment surveillance work at the new Marina Barrage project.

The father of three children, aged 17 to 22, was also promoted and given a 10 per cent pay increase.

'It's tougher to study as you get older. Other people spend one hour, I need to take three hours. But it's worth it,' said Mr Tan, who topped his class with 23 distinctions out of 24 subjects.