Speeches
Address by Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Education at the Opening Session of Temasek Polytechnic’s Graduation Ceremony 2009 on Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 9.30am.
Mr. Boo Kheng Hua, Principal & CEO, Temasek Polytechnic
Members, Temasek Polytechnic’s Board of Governors
Members, Temasek Informatics & IT School Advisory Committee
Distinguished Guests, Graduands and Parents
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good Morning
It is my pleasure to address graduands at this Opening Session of Temasek Polytechnic’s Graduation Ceremony 2009. Today marks an important milestone in all of your lives. Each one of you has worked very hard and should be proud of what you have achieved. As we celebrate your success, let us also acknowledge the many people who have helped you along the way including your parents, other family members, friends, classmates, teachers, lecturers and other polytechnic staff.
Infocomm Technology- A Bright Spot Today
While today’s global outlook may appear bleak with the ongoing global recession and the influenza pandemic, there are reasons why you should be optimistic.
As graduates from the Temasek Informatics & IT School, you will be glad to know that in spite of the economic downturn, the prospects of the Infocomm industry in Singapore remain bright. According to a survey conducted by the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore last year, there were 139,000 infocomm professionals employed in 2008 and some 6,500 infocomm job vacancies. In spite of a subdued economy, there continues to be demand in various areas of industry, such as software development, software design, business process outsourcing management, solutioning and architecting and infocomm security. Your education in the Temasek Informatics & IT School has equipped you with a strong grounding in the range of competencies needed by the InfoComm industry. However, I would advise you to embrace your graduation today as the beginning of your journey as members of the workforce - not as the end of your education and training.
The Government is also doing its part. A Resilience Package totalling $20.5 billion was introduced earlier this year with the aim of saving jobs, enhancing business capabilities and preparing our economy for continued growth and global competitiveness in the long term. As part of the Resilience Package, 6 government agencies will aid the Infocomm industry through more than 10 different programmes which will broadly encourage innovation and development, internationalisation, as well as provide capital loans and manpower training.
Living in a Changing World
While you benefit from the education and opportunities provided, there are some things you can do to keep growing as an individual and active member of society. First, adopt a positive attitude. Embrace opportunities to serve and learn from every experience. It is not just about doing work, but how well it meets the expectations of others. Maintaining the mindset of service creates a positive experience for those working around you while bringing joy and purpose to the work you do. Maintain the positive attitude towards learning you have shown during these past 3 years - whether you proceed to further studies or join the workforce, every day offers new opportunities to discover new ideas and develop fresh perspectives. Bear in mind that learning also means being adaptable to changes and unanticipated circumstances. For those of you who encounter difficulty securing one of your preferred jobs, this may mean being flexible enough to take on a job that will enable you to accumulate valuable experience.
Second, be willing to upgrade your skills and knowledge. The world is constantly changing and new technological innovations and methods evolve even as we speak. To stay relevant and employable, you must sharpen your knowledge and skills to keep yourself up-to-date. Many of you will aspire towards further education and there are more opportunities to do so these days. Besides pursuing a degree, you can also take advantage of study options offered by the 5 polytechnics in the form of Advanced and Specialist Diplomas. These aim to deepen your existing knowledge and skills as well as provide training in complementary skill sets.
Third, adopt a global mindset. We live in an increasingly cosmopolitan world. As Singapore is fast becoming a hub for doing business in Asia, more and more of our jobs require us to work outside Singapore. The number of expatriates in Singapore is also on the rise. It is vital that we develop an understanding of the world and learn to work in different cultures and countries. Take an interest in learning from foreigners, appreciate the diversity that they bring, but stay anchored to your own culture.
Finally, I quote the English Philosopher, Herbert Spenser (1820 - 1903), who said “The great aim of education is not knowledge but action”. Your education is valuable in so far as it prepares you to act for the good of society. I encourage you to use your knowledge and skills to explore how technology can enhance our lives. Let me highlight some graduates from your School who have done so.
Tan Boon Kheng, who graduated last year with a Diploma in Mobile & Wireless Computing, was awarded the CISCO Systems (USA) Special Industry Prize for a project done in collaboration with the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) titled Where R U? In this project, Boon Kheng helped to design an application which provides caregivers with an effective way to locate their lost charges using a GPS-enabled mobile device. This application addresses a real need of groups that require special attention, such as the intellectually-disabled, young children and the elderly. It helps to alleviate the anxiety when a loved one goes missing and provide savings in both time and resources.
Benny Chng, graduating today with a Diploma in Financial Business Informatics, will be receiving the IDA Award which is given to the top student of the Informatics & IT School who best reflects the attributes of character, competence, change-readiness and a spirit of collaboration. During his internship at Thomson Reuters (Singapore) last year, Benny helped to test and establish a set of documentation on the performance of a new module in Thomas Reuters’ flagship Risk Management system. He prepared a White Paper on Principal Component Analysis which was submitted to Thomson-Reuter’s Headquarters (HQ) in Paris, providing the company’s researchers and developers with valuable input for the further refinement of their Risk Management system.
Graduands, I hope that the good work done by Boon Kheng and Benny will inspire many of you to make further contributions in the world of IT.
As you continue to pursue your dreams, remember also the dreams which were our forefathers’. They turned our island into the world’s busiest transhipment hub and replaced attap huts with skyscrapers. As shapers of our future, the dream to make Singapore an even more attractive home and a distinctive global city rests in your hands.
Conclusion
In closing, I would like to wish all graduands every success in life and an enriching journey ahead.
Thank you and congratulations.