New MOU will see more internships and industry attachments introduced in addition to current programmes

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 13 May 2024 - NCS and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at providing ITE students and graduates with more pathways to kickstart exciting careers in technology. The ceremony was witnessed by the Guest of Honour, Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information.

The MOU will see NCS providing more internship and industry attachment opportunities to ITE students within the company. This new partnership is part of a broader commitment by NCS to offer internship and industry attachment opportunities to Nitec/Higher Nitec, Diploma and Degree students.

ITE students selected for internships will work closely with field support and customer servicing teams, building their skills and experience for IT-related career opportunities even before they graduate. Students who demonstrate strong capabilities can also qualify for the Ignite work-study programme designed specifically for Nitec/Higher Nitec graduates, serving as full-time NCS employees while taking on a fully sponsored Diploma course, with no bond obligations.

Sam Liew, Chief Executive, Gov+ of NCS, said "NCS is committed to providing multiple pathways for all local talents to clinch rewarding career opportunities, especially in the exciting technology industry. In doing so, we are helping to grow the strong pool of local tech talents needed for Singapore's digital economy, in a purposeful manner by equipping them with the right skillsets and right experiences to help them thrive and realise their aspirations."

Low Khah Gek, Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Technical Education, said "By combining our efforts, we are closing the loop for our students so they can apply the theory they pick up in the classrooms to real and tangible tasks at the workplace. Students will gain rich learning and understanding of the vast job and career opportunities available in the new economy powered by digitalisation and technology."

NCS and ITE are also planning to further expand their partnership to enhance skills training and development for students in Electronics and Info-Comm Technology, including co-designing industry-relevant curriculum for learning and development programmes.

As a home-grown tech leader in the Asia Pacific region, NCS has been a strong advocate for local talent development. The partnership with ITE is the company's latest initiative in working closely with governments, enterprises and educational institutions to grow a pipeline of future-ready tech talents.

In addition to creating internship and industry attachment opportunities, NCS also fully sponsors the course fees of students in the Ignite, Fusion and Nucleus work-study programmes, with no bond requirements.

Together, the various initiatives will help more local talents seize the 80,000 well-paying jobs in areas such as software and telecommunications by 2025, as outlined under the refreshed Information and Communications Industry Transformation Map.^[1]

The expanded pipeline of talents will support NCS' expansion across Asia Pacific, fulfilling the digital transformation needs of the region and opportunities in emerging and high-demand tech fields.

Hashtag: #NCS

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About NCS

NCS, a subsidiary of Singtel Group, is a leading technology services firm with presence in Asia Pacific and partners with governments and enterprises to advance communities through technology. Combining the experience and expertise of its 13,000-strong team across 58 specialisations, NCS provides differentiated and end-to-end technology services to clients with its NEXT capabilities in digital, data, cloud and platforms, as well as core offerings in application, infrastructure, engineering and cybersecurity. NCS also believes in building a strong partner ecosystem with leading technology players, research institutions and start-ups to support open innovation and co-creation. For more information, visit ncs.co.

About the Institute of Technical Education

The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) was established as a post-secondary institution in 1992, under the Ministry of Education. ITE is a principal provider of career and technical education and a key developer of national skills certification and standards, skilling Singapore for the future economy. It offers three key programmes - (1) Pre-Employment Training for youths after secondary education (2) Continuing Education and Training for adult learners and (3) Workplace Learning and Work-Study Programmes with employers. Under its 'One ITE System, Three Colleges' Governance Model, ITE has three Colleges - ITE College Central, ITE College East and ITE College West. For more information, please visit our website at https://www.ite.edu.sg.