Singapore, 3 April 2023 – ITE and all five Polytechnics in Singapore and TomoWork will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work together to deliver impactful programmes for students and graduates with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

The collaboration will provide career training and opportunities for young aspiring students who are interested in roles that are in demand upon graduation. This partnership is aligned with the Enabling MasterPlan 2030, which sets out the vision for Singapore to become an inclusive society and increasing the employment rate of persons with disabilities to 40% in 2030.

The MOU will be signed by Ms Low Khah Gek, CEO of the Institute of Technical Education, Mr Russell Chan, Principal & CEO, of Nanyang Polytechnic, Mr Lim Kok Kiang, Principal & CEO of Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Ms Jeanne Liew Principal & CEO of Republic Polytechnic, Mr Soh Wai Wah, Principal & CEO of Singapore Polytechnic, Mr Peter Lam, Principal & CEO of Temasek Polytechnic, and Mr Mike Momota, CEO of TomoWork.

The signing will be witnessed by Guest-of-Honour, Ms. Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Manpower and Mr Joel Leong, Board Chairman of TomoWork.

Prior to this MOU, there had been deepened collaborations to help SEN students: For example, the Talent Accelerator Programme (TAP) – which is in its third year – helps SEN students make the transition to working life through a 12-week preparatory experience. In 2023, the TAP will be held for the first time at Republic Polytechnic (RP), and RP will host 24 participants from all five polytechnics.

To achieve its goals, it is imperative to obtain the partnership and support of industry partners from the business sector. For this year’s TAP, leading companies like Bloomberg, EVCo, foodpanda, Google, LinkedIn, Micron, MSD Pharma (Singapore), Singlife, and Standard Chartered among others, will be onboard, to support in the acceleration of career preparation opportunities. Besides learning from the industry, participants will also acquire critical soft skills, career skills & technical skills to prepare them for jobs of the future. At the end of TAP, the participants will showcase to the public their learnings on the stage at Demo Day (30 May 2023 at Republic Polytechnic).

The leaders of ITE and the five polytechnics strongly support this joint initiative:

Ms Low Khah Gek, CEO of Institute of Technical Education, said, “Many employers have already incorporated diversity as one of their core business values, but they may face challenges in its implementation. We are glad that TomoWork is able to plug the gap by connecting the differently-abled community, companies and institutions of higher learning to overcome these challenges together. We are proud to partner TomoWork in empowering students with SEN to be job-ready and future-ready.”

Mr Russell Chan, Principal & CEO of Nanyang Polytechnic, said, “This is a meaningful collaboration that will give excellent opportunities and exposure to students with Special Education Needs. As a polytechnic that believes strongly in industry connections, I am very heartened that partners have also come forward to mentor and help. There is also much value in the peer relationships the students will form with each other through this shared experience, as they face the challenges of a fast-changing world together.”  

Mr. Lim Kok Kiang, Principal & CEO of Ngee Ann Polytechnic, said, “We are delighted to partner with TomoWork to create more opportunities for our students to gain valuable professional and life skills that will open doors to fulfilling careers. Even as we are committed to fostering a supportive learning environment for our students, we are thankful for the many industry partners who are journeying alongside us. Together, we will build a more inclusive society in which our students can truly flourish.”

Ms Jeanne Liew, Principal/CEO, Republic Polytechnic said, “We are pleased to be expanding our existing partnership with TomoWork to provide our students and graduates with special educational needs the opportunity to sharpen their skills through TomoWork’s tailored career training programmes. This MOU reinforces our commitment to create a more caring and inclusive society that enables every person to fulfil their potential. As part of the TomoWork Talent Accelerator Programme (TAP), students can look forward to participating in inclusive and experiential activities at Republic Polytechnic’s Xperiential Learning Centre, Singapore’s first large-scale inclusive outdoor adventure facility.”

Mr Soh Wai Wah, Principal & CEO of Singapore Polytechnic, said, “The concerted effort from the polytechnics, ITE and TomoWork is set to create a more inclusive social environment in Singapore for SEN learners to have greater access to learning and training resources as well as equal opportunities to succeed in life. As lifelong educators, we are privileged to be part of a meaningful partnership where we will shape the career training impact programmes to prepare the learners to be work ready and life ready for the roles that they aspire to pursue upon graduation.”

Mr Peter Lam, Principal & CEO of Temasek Polytechnic, said, “TP has enjoyed a good partnership with TomoWork since its inaugural run of the Talent Accelerator Programme in 2021.  We are excited that through this MOU signing, the partnership with Tomowork will now include all Polytechnics and ITE, and we are very glad that students with SEN from all polytechnics and ITE can now come together to explore exciting career opportunities in growth industries like technology and finance.”

Mr Mike Momota, CEO of TomoWork, said, “We are very honoured to be here today to celebrate our meaningful milestone with very strong collaboration in the industry and all Polytechnics. Also, this is my privilege to contribute to the realization of Enabling Masterplan 2030. The deep understanding and warm support of our stakeholders have made us what we are today, and we feel grateful that we have provided a meaningful opportunity for the nearly 200 graduates through our partnership.”

– End –