Pioneer cohort of Aircraft Systems Engineering graduates
The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2021 at its Graduation Ceremony from 19 to 22 October 2021. The main session, held at The Theatre at Mediacorp, is graced by Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Education.
More than 2,000 graduates from 46 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are receiving their degree scrolls. They includes 878 graduates from SIT-conferred programmes, 665 graduates from SIT-overseas university (OU) joint programmes1, and 509 graduates from degrees conferred by SIT OU partners2.
Singapore’s First Locally-Trained Aircraft Systems Engineers
The occasion marks the graduation of the inaugural batch of 46 students from the Aircraft Systems Engineering (ASE) programme at SIT. The first degree of its kind by an Autonomous University in Singapore, graduates from this three-year Bachelor degree programme have undergone an interdisciplinary curriculum that grooms them for the aerospace and aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) industries. The curriculum is developed in collaboration with SIA Engineering Company Limited (SIAEC), which provides extensive MRO services to international airlines and aerospace equipment manufacturers worldwide.
As part of SIT’s signature Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP), ASE students are required to undergo an eight-month work attachment at SIAEC, where they gain first-hand industry experience in aircraft maintenance. In addition to the SIT-conferred degree they are awarded upon completion of their studies, the programme also enables ASE graduates to qualify for a Certificate of Recognition (CoR) by SIAEC. The CoR certifies graduates after their successful completion of a SAR-147 Approved Basic Course, one of the key pre-requisites for the award of an Aircraft Maintenance License. SIAEC plans to take in 20 ASE graduates for its Trainee Aircraft Engineer Programme. Career Coaches from SIT’s Centre for Career Readiness (CCR) have been reaching out to graduates to share employment opportunities, offer resume reviews, and conduct mock interviews.
“SIAEC is pleased to see the fruition of the partnership with SIT in the Aircraft Systems Engineering degree programme. Such industry-university collaboration benefits students, employers, and industry as it shortens the time taken to build up relevant practical skills, which are imparted during the industry attachment programme. Congratulations to the students!” said Mr Chua Hock Hai, Senior Vice President (Human Resources), SIAEC.
Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Education, graced the event as Guest-of-Honour.
Pioneer Batch of Graduates with Deep Technical Expertise in Chemical Engineering
The university is also graduating its first cohort of students from the Master of Science in Chemical Engineering programme. The programme equips mid-career professionals with strong fundamentals and robust training in modern chemical engineering technologies.
SIT Graduates Remain Employable Amid Challenging Economic Climate
Based on SIT’s preliminary employment survey3, 72% of the respondents from the university’s Class of 2021 have secured employment since the completion of their studies. Graduates from the Information and Communications Technology (Software Engineering) and Radiation Therapy programmes have attained 100% overall employment.
President of SIT, Professor Tan Thiam Soon, credits the encouraging showing of SIT graduates during the current economic conditions to SIT’s applied learning and industry-focused curriculum. This includes the IWSP, which is mandatory for all students of SIT-conferred and SIT-OU joint programmes.
“Our students go through a rigorous curriculum that provides them with both a solid academic foundation and industry experience. In particular, the IWSP provides students the opportunity to put theory into practice and learn from experienced professionals, over a duration of between eight to 12 months. This gives our students a competitive edge when they enter the workforce. We also continue to ensure the high relevance of our programmes, thanks to the strong collaboration with our industry partners,” said Prof Tan.
Prof Tan Thiam Soon, President, SIT, giving a speech at Session 1 of the Graduation Ceremony.
Support Measures for Class of 2021
In line with the university’s commitment to encourage lifelong learning, SIT has been offering its alumni, including the Class of 2021, $2,000 worth of SITizens Learning Credits since 2019. The Credits can be used to apply for Continuing Education and Training courses offered by SITLEARN Professional Development, the lifelong learning division of SIT. Graduates can enroll in short courses, specialist certificates, and modular certification courses that are stackable towards Postgraduate Certificates. This will allow them to pick up new skillsets to complement the competencies acquired in their undergraduate years. More details are available here.
SIT also supports graduating students through the CCR, which organises career success workshops, recruitment talks, career fairs, and career coaching sessions. Sharing sessions by alumni and industry partners also help to raise awareness of the current challenges in the workplace, the impact of COVID-19, and the importance of being open-minded in exploring career opportunities in adjacent industries.
Students whose families have been impacted by the pandemic can also tap the Student Relief Fund at SIT (COVID-19). Eligible students may receive up to $2,000 each to help them with their daily living and education expenses. Through the generosity of various donors, more than $2.4 million has been donated towards the Fund, which has benefitted 920 SIT students thus far.
Safe Management Measures
To ensure that the ceremonies are conducted in a safe manner, Safe Management Measures (SMMs) have been put in place. All attendees have to be fully vaccinated. Those who are not fully vaccinated can attend the ceremonies if they possess a valid negative result on a pre-event test taken in the preceding 24 hours before the end of the ceremony session. They are also required to submit a health declaration, check-in using TraceTogether SafeEntry token or app, wear masks, and refrain from inter-zonal social interactions. Entry to the event venue will be staggered by seating zones, which are 3 metres apart.
For live streaming, schedule, and details of SIT Graduation Ceremony 2021, please visit https://www.singaporetech.edu.sg/graduation-2021.
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1OU partners conferring joint degrees with SIT: DigiPen Institute of Technology, Massey University, Newcastle University, Trinity College Dublin and University of Glasgow.
2OU partners conferring their own degrees: DigiPen Institute of Technology, Technical University of Munich, The Culinary Institute of America, The Glasgow School of Art, University of Glasgow and University of Liverpool.
3Data is accurate as of 17 September 2021, and obtained from graduates who responded to preliminary employment survey conducted by SIT.
About Singapore Institute of Technology
The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is Singapore’s University of Applied Learning, offering applied degree programmes targeted at growth sectors of the economy. With a mission to nurture and develop individuals who impact society in meaningful ways, SIT aims to be a leader in innovative learning by integrating learning, industry and community.
The university’s unique pedagogy integrates work and study by incorporating applied research for students to work on real industry problems and creating solutions that meet industry needs. SIT also advocates the work-learn continuum, which places an emphasis on upskilling and lifelong learning.
For more information, visit www.SingaporeTech.edu.sg
