Singapore , 12 October 2007 – The Polytechnics are all set to woo youths to enter the rewarding field of engineering. Apart from debunking stereotypes, the Polytechnics have organised a series of workshops and quizzes to educate and excite youths. In addition, an incentive scholarship will be offered by the Economic Development Board for studies in precision engineering.

The annual Engineering Week 2007 (EW07) organised by the Polytechnics will be held from 15 to 19 October 2007.  The Opening Ceremony will be held on Tuesday 16 October 2007 at 11 am at Nanyang Polytechnic Auditorium.  Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, will officially launch Engineering Week at the ceremony. 

The theme “Engineering: Passion and Possibilities” seeks to ignite passion in secondary school students for the study of engineering at the Polytechnics.  The key message: Engineers are versatile professionals who inject innovative ideas and create solutions through products, equipment and services to make our lives better. The focus will also be on the numerous enriching and rewarding careers available in engineering. 

I New National Precision Engineering Scholarships
At the EW07 Opening Ceremony, Guest-of-Honour Mr Lim Swee Say will be announcing a new National Precision Engineering (NPE) Scholarship, awarded by the Economic Development Board and SPRING Singapore.  This scholarship is an added incentive for school leavers keen on careers in the booming precision engineering sector. 

II Engineering & Science Challenge 2007
To encourage the application of engineering knowledge, the five polytechnics have organised the inaugural Engineering & Science Challenge 2007.  In the preliminary round held in September, teams of three students each were required to answer a written quiz.  Besides the quiz, students had to apply engineering concepts to build, develop and operate a dual-powered car, which ran on solar energy and battery power.  Teams were assessed on the responses to the quiz and the performance/design of their self-built cars. 

Some 43 teams of 129 secondary school students have vied for top spots in the competition. The top three teams will pit their skills in the finals in the form of an oral quiz, which will be contested at the EW07 Opening Ceremony on 16 October at 11.20 am.  The top three schools are: Admiralty Secondary School, Kranji Secondary School and Zhonghua Secondary School.  Prizes for the Engineering & Science Challenge have been generously sponsored by Motorola.

III A Week of Workshops on the Wonders of Engineering
An exciting week of more than 100 workshops also awaits secondary school students at the five polytechnics throughout EW07. The workshops show how engineering concepts are applied to our daily lives.  Students will be taught engineering-related processes through fun and engaging activities. These include: building their own glider, teaching tricks to robotic pets, devising a wireless home security system, and learning to make a mobile phone, among many others.  Details of the activities can be found at www.engineering.edu.sg.

IV Publicity & Branding Campaign
Beyond EW07, the Engineering Promotion Task Force will also run a branding campaign to debunk engineering stereotypes and highlight the bright prospects of the engineering profession.  The campaign includes advertisements in the various media – print, radio,
online and outdoor. The advertisements will highlight engineering as a ‘hip’ and ‘exciting’ career option, with excellent development and growth prospects.

Publicity on engineering-related events can also be found in a one-stop information portal on engineering (www.engineering.edu.sg). At the portal, students can read about successful engineers, information on the engineering diplomas offered by the five Polytechnics and interact with others on various engineering-related topics.

Engineering Week is spearheaded by the Engineering Promotion Task Force formed by the five Polytechnics in 2003, with the support of the Ministry of Education, Economic Development Board, A*STAR, Institution of Engineers Singapore and the Singapore Science Centre.  This is the fourth year that the polytechnics are running this event.

“Engineering will continue to be one of the main drivers of Singapore’s economic growth. It is therefore important not only to promote engineering
as a career to students but also to highlight to them the progress of the profession in society. Industries need to attract the best engineering talents and this is where institutions of higher learning are contributing by producing a steady stream of high quality engineering graduates to meet this growing demand,“ said Mr Edward Ho, Chairman of the Polytechnic Engineering Promotion Task Force and Deputy Principal for Development, Nanyang Polytechnic.

“Our polytechnics offer a sound engineering education that equips each engineering student with relevant knowledge and skills to meet the needs of a dynamic profession.  In recent years, the polytechnics have offered new and exciting engineering courses in areas such as biomedical engineering, precision engineering, aerospace technology and clean energy.  We would like to encourage more secondary school leavers to take part in the many activities offered during Engineering Week, and discover for themselves just how enriching an engineering career can be.”

    HIGHLIGHTS OF WORKSHOPS FROM FIVE POLYTECHNICS