Speech by Ms Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Education, at the Opening Ceremony of the Singapore Polytechnic (SP)-Advantest Test Engineering Centre (TEC), at SP Convention Centre

Mr Yoshiaki Yoshida President and CEO of Advantest Corporation,

Mr Ricky Sim, Managing Director and CEO of Advantest Singapore,

Ms Jennifer Teong, Member, Board of Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association,

Ms Georgina Phua, Deputy Principal of Singapore Polytechnic,

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. I am honoured to be here today to witness the launch of the Singapore Polytechnic-Advantest Test Engineering Centre, or SP-Advantest TEC in short.

Strengthening the Semiconductor Industry in Singapore

2. Singapore has developed as a key player in the semiconductor industry since the opening of its first semiconductor facility in 1968.

1. We are one of the most diverse semiconductor industries in Asia Pacific, developing products ranging from integrated circuits, disk media and storage devices to micro-electromechanical systems.
2. Singapore's semiconductor industry accounts for about 5% of the world's wafer fabrication capacity and manufactures a fifth of global semiconductor equipments.

3. For Singapore to continue as a key global player in the sector, we need to strengthen our semiconductor ecosystem. Developing a skilled and agile talent pool will be instrumental in driving innovation in production and supply chain management for this industry.

Deepening Strategic Partnerships with Industry

4. To ensure our workforce is well-equipped to meet the rapidly evolving demands of the sector, it is necessary for our training ecosystem to work closely with the industry partners.

5. Our polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) work with industry partners to offer practice-oriented curricula aimed at preparing their learners for the workplace. The curricula is regularly refreshed to equip learners with new skills needed for this industry.

1. For instance, SP's School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering has an Advisory Committee comprising industry leads and champions. In addition to making recommendations and providing advice and support, the advisory committee ensures programmes offered are current and relevant to businesses, industry, labour and professional development practices.
2. Some examples of refreshed courses include the Microelectronics option offered in SP's Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering.
   1. The Advisory Committee suggested to include equipment maintenance in the Microelectronics option as they observed that many graduates from the diploma were employed as equipment engineers in the wafer fab industry and needed the relevant skills to maintain equipment in the wafer fab process.

6. SP has a long history with the semiconductor sector and has developed close links with semiconductor companies since the mid-1980s.

1. I am encouraged that SP and Advantest (Singapore) Pte Ltd have come together as strategic partners to establish a Test Engineering Centre, or TEC, to train the semiconductor workforce in Singapore.
2. We have heard SP's and Advantest's plans to co-develop curricula and co-create authentic hands-on experiences, internships and job stint opportunities.
   1. SP students are placed with semiconductor companies, such as Advantest, Globalfoundries Singapore and Infineon, for a 22-week internship.
   2. Siva Meyiappan, a student in SP's Diploma in Electrical & Electronic Engineering is currently an intern in Advantest as part of the SP-Advantest partnership. Siva has picked up essential skills in the semiconductor industry, such as data analysis and solution ideation.
   3. He has also experienced the ways to ensure safety protection of electrostatic discharge on the production floor and equipment maintenance works on test handlers.
   4. The SP-Advantest partnership will allow more students such as Siva to experience such hands-on experience within the SP campus.
   5. Modules in SP's semiconductor courses also comprise weekly practical sessions in their Wafer Fab Lab, IC Design Lab and in future, the new SP-Advantest TEC.
   6. I understand that the TEC is equipped with an advanced and scalable system, with test handlers which are widely adopted by the semiconductor testing industry.
3. The SP-Advantest TEC will play an important role in developing a robust and adaptable talent pipeline for the semiconductor industry, further enriching our semiconductor ecosystem.

Supporting Adult Learners in the Semiconductor Industry

7. A strong training ecosystem for the semiconductor industry goes beyond ensuring students are equipped with relevant skills upon graduation.

1. It is important to also support adult learners in the semiconductor industry in their efforts to upskill, in the spirit of lifelong learning.

8. This is where a strong partnership between the IHLs and the Trade Associations and Chambers, or TACs, is key.

1. TACs play an important role in consolidating and communicating industry needs to the academia. They help initiate collaborations between companies and the IHLs on courses for workers to upgrade their skills, and also promote internship opportunities in the sector for IHL students.
2. Such collaborations help to ensure the semiconductor workforce remains industry relevant, in addition to keeping our fresh graduates industry-ready.
3. One TAC in the semiconductor industry is the Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association, or SSIA, with whom SP has been working very closely to conduct joint short courses for adult learners in the industry.
4. I am delighted to hear of SP's partnership with SSIA and am eager to learn about the rich and diverse elements of the semiconductor industry in Singapore.

Conclusion

9. I congratulate SP and Advantest on this exciting collaboration and look forward to its contribution towards accelerating talent development and strengthening the local semiconductor ecosystem.

10. Thank you!