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He seeks job boost with NTU's SGUnited Skills Programme course

This article is more than 12 months old

Engineering grad sets sight on an IT-related job after enrolling in NTU's SGUnited Skills Programme

When he was younger, Mr Hansen Leow would often visit Sim Lim Square with his friends to purchase computer parts and build his own computers.

He always had an interest in the information technology (IT) industry but never had the time or opportunity to pursue further education in related fields.

But because of the Covid-19 situation, he was recently able to find the time to pick up new skills.

The 35-year-old worked in business development in the financial technology sector for eight years.

And it was his exposure to technical expertise in the field, coupled with encouragement from friends and family, that finally spurred him to register for the Software Developer Immersive (SDI) course offered under the SGUnited Skills Programme of Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

It is a full-time, six-month training programme developed to help jobseekers acquire industry-relevant skills in the area of infocomm and media, to enhance their employability and access job opportunities in this current economic climate.

There are six specialisations offered, including the SDI course that Mr Leow is enrolled in as part of the first cohort.

SDI trainees will learn key aspects of the software development process as well as the foundations of product management, thus providing them with the core skills to work within technical teams.

MARRIED WITH CHILDREN

Mr Leow, who is married and has two children aged seven and six, is currently juggling his studies with a part-time job, and intends to continue doing so until he graduates in January next year.

He told The New Paper: "I'd be lying if I said it has been easy to cope with the workload, but I am happy to be a part of this course as I am learning a lot from my course mates and instructors.

At the end of the day, I believe this will all be worth it."

Although classes are conducted online, he feels the quality of learning has not been compromised.

"The instructors are very encouraging and they provide us with a lot of resources. They are always there to help us, such as opening extra Zoom consultation sessions."

The NTU alumnus, who graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (mechanical engineering) degree, did not have a background in software.

But he intends to use his newly acquired practical skills, which he believes to be beneficial for career progression, to boost his portfolio and secure a job in a frontier technology company.

"I don't expect to be a pro when I graduate from here, but I hope this will be a stepping stone to a better job," he said.

Mr Leow was also attracted by the highly subsidised course fees - trainees pay a net fee of $500, which can be offset by SkillsFuture credits.

Trainees who fulfil the minimum attendance required every month will also receive a training allowance of $1,200 a month from SkillsFuture Singapore for the duration of the programme.

Applications for the final three runs of the SDI course this year and next year are now open.

The registration closing date is Oct 26 for Nov 15, 2021, to May 13, 2022; Dec 28 for Jan 17 to July 15, 2022; and March 1 for March 21 to Sept 16, 2022.

For more information, visit bit.ly/NTUSGUSPro

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