1.Good afternoon to all award recipients, teachers, principals, families, colleagues from the public service agencies and our partner companies from the private sector.
2.Thank you for supporting our students. This is an important milestone. It is very heartening to see society coming together to support the next generation of engineering talent who will power our country.
3.Congratulations to our 198 scholars - you have demonstrated a strong passion and aptitude for science and technology, and we hope the ETPS will further develop your talent for STEM-related careers to engineer the future of Singapore.
Science and Engineering Today
4.Engineers are the innovators and creators of our future. The complexities of existential and emerging problems require our engineers to work collaboratively to imagine solutions that may not exist today. Their STEM knowledge and skills play a critical role in driving innovation to address global challenges and foster economic growth. In particular, deep disciplinary knowledge and interdisciplinary thinking are essential to tackle wicked problems and create sustainable solutions in all facets of our lives, such as in healthcare, transport, education and environment.
5.With rapid advances in technologies across industries, the engineering fields of today and tomorrow present many exciting opportunities for young Singaporeans. From mechanical, electrical to civil engineers; or software design to even Artificial Intelligence (AI) engineers, the choices are endless for our youth.
About ETPS
6.The ETPS signals MOE’s commitment to nurture the next generation of trailblazers in the engineering field. It represents our investment in STEM education, our students, and the future of our nation.
7.It is important that we continue to grow our own pipeline, so that Singapore will always have a core pool of talent and be complemented by foreign talent to keep our economy strong, and to solve many of the problems today, as well as tomorrow.
8.I understand that the ETPS applicants this year have demonstrated a strong passion for designing and creating, with many aspiring to make a positive impact in society. Our selection process involved a rigorous group interview, where students exchanged ideas and perspectives related to STEM, while discussing and exploring solutions together. We hope they become engineers in the future who are not just academically strong, but also passionate, creative and have the gumption to collectively imagine, create, and transform their visions into reality.
9.Once the scholars are on board, we have over 25 partners, from across the private sector and government agencies, offering them invaluable learning experiences and work attachment programmes.
10.The ETPS programmes and workshops give our scholars meaningful experiences which will help them deepen their knowledge and interest in engineering.
11.From the video you have watched earlier, the first batch of scholars shared how the ETPS experience have inspired them. Hao Jun's exposure to the programmes at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the hands-on opportunities during his attachment at Dyson broadened his view of engineering. Similarly, Peter’s three-week internship at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has sparked his interest in engineering. Chloe's participation in the workshop at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) highlighted the nature of engineering to be able to work collaboratively with one another to solve complex problems.
12.I was very happy to see many young women in this programme, challenging the mindsets and stereotypes about jobs in engineering. So, kudos to all our female scholars in this programme.
13.Their experiences and learning underscore the invaluable impact of workshops and internships in shaping the perspectives and passions of our budding engineers. I would like to thank SUTD and NTU for hosting our first cohort of scholars and the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) who will host this year’s cohort.
14.Indeed, the success of the ETPS is only possible with the strong support of our industry partners who share the same vision. We extend our gratitude to our partners for their staunch support in providing invaluable opportunities to students in this programme. I think the opportunity to gain exposure to the government agencies, private sector, and industry at a very young age is one of the unique selling points of ETPS.
Inspire Youths as Agents of Change for Tomorrow through Engineering
15.To our new ETPS scholars, leverage the opportunities offered by the scholarship to grow your passion. The small steps you take today to learn and explore could pave the way for blazing new trails in the future. Who knows, the engineering talent that you have can solve many other challenges in the future, not just in Singapore, but for the rest of the world. All the best to you.16.Thank you.