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School Modelled after Singapore's ITE Handed over to Myanmar

School Modelled after Singapore's ITE Handed over to Myanmar
Ministry of Education | Education Minister Ong Ye Kung (centre, seated) and Myanmar's Minister for Education Myo Thein Gyi at the SMVTI Vocational Training Institute on Feb 19, 2020.

A vocational school school in Yangon with a curriculum which Singapore helped design was officially handed over to the Myanmar government on Wednesday (Feb 19).

Modelled after Singapore's Institute of Technical Education (ITE), the SMVTI Vocational Training Institute is part of Singapore's efforts to support Myanmar's development and progress.

The Myanmar government has been gradually taking over the funding and management of the institute since 2018, while Singapore continued to provide training and management advice to help staff operate it independently.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, who attended the handover ceremony at the institute's Yangon campus, said: "The objective was to impart practical and employable skills for Myanmar youth, to help them secure jobs, and contribute to Myanmar's growth, especially in this period when Myanmar is undergoing reform and transition."

SMVTI Vocational Training School in Myanmar. Image: SMVTI
SMVTI Vocational Training School in Myanmar. Image: SMVTI

Since training started in 2015, the institute has produced more than 3,000 graduates in the engineering, technology, hospitality and tourism sectors.

Many found good jobs, including in major hotels and well-known restaurants, said Mr Ong. Some even rose to managerial positions a few years after entering the workforce.

While Singapore would no longer be involved in day-today operations, it would still continue to support the institute. This included a handover package, which features the training of Myanmar senior officials in Singapore.

The establishment of the institute was first proposed by former president Tony Tan during his state visit to Myanmar in 2013. It was officially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong three years later.

 

 

 


Source : This is part of the story originally published in The Straits Times. Read the full story here.

Indah Gilang Pusparani

Indah is a researcher at Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Daerah Kota Cirebon (Regional Development Planning and Research Agency of Cirebon Municipality). She covers More international relations, tourism, and startups in Southeast Asia region and beyond. Indah graduated from MSc Development Administration and Planning from University College London, United Kingdom in 2015. She finished bachelor degree from International Relations from University of Indonesia in 2014, with two exchange programs in Political Science at National University of Singapore and New Media in Journalism at Ball State University, USA. She was awarded Diplomacy Award at Harvard World Model United Nations and named as Indonesian Gifted Researcher by Australian National University. She is Researcher at Regional Planning Board in Cirebon, West Java. She previously worked as Editor in Bening Communication, the Commonwealth Parliament Association UK, and diplomacy consulting firm Best Delegate LLC in USA. Less
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