Move to integrate pre-employment education with post-employment training

Learning should not stop once an individual leaves school. 

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam says the government is placing more emphasis on integrating pre-employment education with post-employment training.
He said this would ensure better career prospects and wages for workers. 

It'll also help industries stay competitive. 

Stressing the need for continuing education, Mr Tharman said such integration will also provide opportunities for everyone to keep moving up, beyond the level dictated by their initial education. 

"It is something we can and must do very well in Singapore - giving every Singaporean not just a first rate education before he or she starts working, but giving them opportunities to keep refreshing and upgrading their skills over the course of their careers."

"We have to anticipate this even when our students are in the ITEs, polytechnics and universities. Anticipate it when they're young the fact that they're going to have to learn many new things in the course of their career. And what they learn when they're young has to provide them a foundation to be able to continue learning as they move along their careers." 

Mr Tharman made these points at the opening of the WorldSkills Singapore competition on Thursday.

About 160 youths will be competing in the biennial competition, organised by the institutes of technical education and the five polytechnics. 

This year's competition has a new category - Aircraft Maintenance.

The winners will represent Singapore at the WorldSkills Competition in Germany in July 2013.