Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) will partner SMRT Corporation Ltd and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) to develop a sector-specific training collaboration to support skills development and workplace learning for SMRT’s large base of value-chain partners. The aim is to help upskill Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to help improve rail reliability, as well as to drive innovation and productivity enhancements across the land transport sector. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed today between SIT, SMRT and SSG to launch this prominent, first-of-its-kind partnership.

Leveraging on SIT’s expertise in workplace learning that is centered around its applied learning pedagogy and focus on the work-learn continuum, and SMRT’s ongoing application of workplace learning, the two organisations will co-develop the training curricula, with support from SSG. In addition, SMRT will help its value chain of SMEs, ranging from cleaning companies to rolling stock maintenance service providers, to identify skills gaps holistically and recommend appropriate training, in areas such as data-driven predictive maintenance and project management. This pilot collaboration is expected to benefit 100 SMEs over three years, and contribute to a more vibrant skills and workplace ecosystem for the sector.

“Workplace learning is an integral component of the work-learn continuum. Through SIT’s suite of integrated industry solutions, we are well equipped to support this new skills partnership in building a strong skills ecosystem and workplace learning culture in enterprises. We are pleased to have SMRT onboard as a lead firm to drive workplace learning practices to help upskill, deep-skill and reskill its staff and value chain partners in domain-specific and emerging skills,” said Associate Professor Ivan Lee, Vice President (Industry & Community), SIT.

Mr Lee Ling Wee, Chief Executive Officer, SMRT Trains Ltd., said, “We are excited to partner SIT and SSG in this initiative. With Singapore’s rail network set to increase to 360km by 2030, from about 230km currently, there is a need to build a pool of local talent for the growing rail industry. SMRT encourages all our staff to adopt the Kaizen culture of continuous improvement in our workplaces and strive for best-in-class practices. This MOU also encourages our partners to train and work with us to continuously deepen operations and maintenance expertise in our rail industry.”

Signatories of the MOU comprised of (from left to right): Mr Lee Ling Wee, Chief Executive Officer, SMRT Trains; Dr Michael Fung Jin Lung, Deputy Chief Executive (Industry) / Chief Human Resource Officer / Chief Data Officer, SkillsFuture Singapore; Associate Professor Ivan Lee, Vice President (Industry & Community), Singapore Institute of Technology

The signing was witnessed by (from left to right): Mr Neo Kian Hong, Group Chief Executive Officer, SMRT Corporation Ltd; Mr Seah Moon Ming, Chairman, SMRT Corporation Ltd; Minister Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education Singapore; Mr Ong Tze-Ch’in, Chief Executive, SkillsFuture Singapore; Professor Tan Thiam Soon, President, Singapore Institute of Technology

Compelling Education 4.0 Discourses Facilitated at SIT’s Second Applied Learning Conference

The MOU signing on the skills partnership took place at the second Applied Learning Conference 2020 today. Organised by SIT and held at Sands Expo and Convention Centre on 30 and 31 January 2020, the conference was graced by Guest-of-Honour Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education, and attended by more than 400 local and overseas academia and industry partners.

Compelling discourses revolving the theme of ‘Developing Future-Ready Talents in An Era of Disruptive Change’ were facilitated. Featuring renowned thought leaders from international and local institutions of higher learning, as well as key opinion leaders from the industry, the conference provided a platform for various education trends and perspectives, concepts of applied learning and international best practices to be shared and discussed, promoting industry-academia collaboration and sharing.

Some of the pertinent discussions at this year’s conference include:

• Two emerging education trends on precision education and micro-credentialing highlighted by Plenary Speaker Dr Paul LeBlanc, President, Southern New Hampshire University;
• A consideration on engaging students as partners in teaching and learning, by Professor Mick Healey, Higher Education Consultant and Researcher and Emeritus Professor at the University of Gloucestershire;
• A showcase on the importance of transformation of human resource management by Professor Dr Georg Nagler, President, Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg Mannheim;
• An interactive roundtable discussion featuring SIT faculty, students, alumni and industry partners, SBS Transit and Ernst & Young, on the essence and benefits of SIT’s signature Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP).

The conference also featured distinguished speakers from Prime Minister’s Office, Sakae Holdings, FinTech Academy (Singapore) and TRIGEN Automotive, amongst other members of the industry.

A unique feature of the second Applied Learning Conference was the photo essay competition themed ‘Applied Learning in Action’, which attracted 25 entries from local and international educators. Through photos and captions, educators illustrated how novel educational strategies were being developed and explored so that complex concepts may be understood and applied to real world challenges. Three top winners with photo essays that showcase innovative and holistic approaches will be announced on second day of the conference.

In conjunction with the Applied Learning Conference 2020, SIT has also launched a book titled ‘Applied Learning in Higher Education: Perspective, Pedagogy and Practice’. Presenting an in-depth look into connecting academic knowledge and skills to real-world application in industry and community, the book has been written with inputs by the university’s academics and staff. Featuring a collection of case studies, the book illustrates the applied learning pedagogy, with examples from a variety of disciplines including Accountancy, Design, Engineering, Computer Science and Health Sciences. A diverse range of topics on what constitutes the applied learning pedagogy are covered, including work-based learning and internships, project-based learning, case-based learning, industry-focused capstone project, simulation and technology for applied learning, as well as authentic assessments. The book is now available for purchase online from Informing Science Press, Amazon, and Google Play.