A joint training program between the Colombo Plan Staff College and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore, under the Singapore Cooperation Programme in partnership with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE),, was held from October 19-23. A total of 25 participants coming from various parts of the world were involved from the program to discuss the strategies and techniques to overcome the challenges of Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) in the TVET sector.

The program was organized in order to provide a foundation of knowledge on Industry 4.0 and its key technologies; understand the Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) and Assessment Matrix (AM); and gather the responses by TVET institutions in meeting the training requirements for Industry 4.0.

Due to the restrictions on physical activity imposed by the governments to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the 5-day event was held online and was hosted through Microsoft Teams.

The opening ceremony was held on October 19, 2020 at around 10;00 am Singapore/Philippines standard time. Notable people in attendance, aside from the participants themselves, include: The CPSC Director General, Dr. Ramhari Lamichhane; Deputy Director of the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Eleanor Kang; The Chief Executive Officer of the ITE Education Services Singapore (ITEES), Mr. Bruce Poh and the Deputy Director of the School of Business and Service of ITE Singapore, Dr. Fu Qiang. The proceedings are moderated by the ITE’s Assistant Manager for ASEAN, Central Asia & East Asia Planning & Development, Ms. Leow Ling Hui.

Topics discussed during the program include the following: (1) 21st century skills for global competitiveness; (2) Covid-19 pandemic impact on TVET; (3) Introduction to Key Technologies on IR 4.0; (4) Benefits and Challenges of New Technology Developments to Governments, Industries and the Workforce; (5) Understanding Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) and Assessment Matrix (AM); (6) Understanding Impact of Technology on Labour Market and (7) Risk Management in Implementing New Technologies.

Virtual Tour of the ITE Smart Manufacturing Hub

To further supplement the classroom sessions, a virtual tour of the ITE Smart Manufacturing Hub, Smart Equipment Lab and Digital Manufacturing Hub as well as a dialogue session with Mr Bruce Poh and the Director of the School of Engineering of ITE Singapore, Dr Lim See Yew was also held.

Presentations by Dr. Ramhari Lamichhane and Engr. Abdul Ghani Rajput on TVET Skills for the 2st century and Understanding the Impact of Technology to the Labor Market, respectively.