450 ITE engineering students to benefit from study award under $1.35m fund
A total of 450 students pursuing engineering courses at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) will be able to tap a new study award to help finance their studies and daily expenses.
They will receive a total of $3,000 each under the SP Group Engineering Study Awards, established by the utility group through a donation of $1.35 million.
Three separate cohorts of 150 students from low-income families will benefit from the awards over the next three years from July.
ITE chief executive Low Khah Gek said at the launch of the awards on Tuesday (April 12): "With this study award, our financially needy students can take on fewer part-time jobs, and instead, focus more on their studies and excel."
Mr Muhammad Rayyan Faiszal, 19, who works at a wet market on weekends, is among the first batch of students to receive the awards.
The first-year Nitec student in electrical technology at ITE College West said: "I am happy to receive the award as it relieves the pressure of having to think about putting in more hours at work and earning more for my family."
His mother works in sales and his father is a Grab driver.
The awards are given to students based on their good academic performance and conduct.
Ms Celeste Koh Xing En, 17, a first-year Nitec student in the mechatronics and robotics course, and who lives in a two-room rental flat with her mother and older brother, said the award will help her financially and is also a good barometer of her progress in school.
She added: "When my mum heard that I got this award, she was quite happy as it showed that my efforts were producing results."
In addition to the study awards, SP will also provide work-study stints in power grid, sustainable energy, and new technologies for ITE students, as well as mentorships with its engineers, some of whom are ITE alumni.
SP said 16 per cent of its 3,600 staff are ITE alumni and of this group, close to 60 per cent have pursued further education to attain their diploma or degree.
Group chief executive officer of SP Group Stanley Huang said: "ITE has provided many of our technical officers and technicians a strong foundation to grow their engineering capabilities. They play an important role in upholding Singapore's world-class electricity and gas reliability standards."
Over the years, SP has awarded more than 450 education scholarships, sponsorships and book prizes amounting to $10 million to students in the field of engineering.
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