FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAJOR CHANGES MADE TO WORLDSKILLS SINGAPORE 2018,

TO RAISE THE PROFILE OF SKILLS MASTERY IN SINGAPORE

WSS 2018 OPENS FOR REGISTRATION TODAY

SINGAPORE, 14 NOVEMBER 2017 – The biennial WorldSkills Singapore competition is set to be a celebration of skills for all – competitors, students, industry partners and members of the public. Four key changes will be made to WorldSkills Singapore 2018 (WSS 2018).

First, the number of skills competition areas will be increased significantly, with a focus on emerging and industry-relevant skills such as Cyber Security. Second, participation will also be broadened beyond the polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to include the Autonomous Universities (AUs) and members of the public. Third, WSS2018 will serve as a key platform to strengthen Education and Career Guidance (ECG) for students.Fourth, we will rally industry support and participation, to increase the involvement of employers in the development and honing of skills.

Expansion of competition areas to emerging skills/ industries

2.      Nine new skill areas have been included into the competition. This brings the total number of skills areas to 26 in WSS 2018. The nine new skills areas are:

 i.           3D Digital Game Art

ii.           Automobile Technology

iii.           Beauty Therapy

iv.           Cyber Security

v.           Fashion Technology  

vi.           Hairdressing

vii.           Rapid Transit Systems

viii.           Freight Forwarding

ix.           Water Technology

Expanding Participation to AUs and members of the public

3.     The 13th edition of WSS will also welcome participation from all Singaporeans who meet the age criteria. As skills mastery goes beyond technical and vocational education and training, participation in WSS 2018 will be opened up to include university undergraduates, students in private training institutions and employees in private companies, in addition to students from the polytechnics and ITE. This will raise the level of 2 the competition, and the overall standards of WSS. Please refer to Annex A for the participation eligibility criteria.

Holistic Education and Career Guidance

4.       Building on the WorldSkills spirit of skills mastery in one’s chosen field, WSS 2018 will also be used as a platform to strengthen education and career guidance efforts. An expected number of over 10,000 secondary school students will be exposed to the variety of skills areas, learn more about industries through an interactive exhibition and explore various education and career pathways available to them through career talks and workshops. Such hands-on experience and learning at WSS 2018 will build on the education and career guidance efforts delivered in schools. WSS 2018 will also be open to members of the public to allow more Singaporeans to experience the competition.

Increased Industry Involvement

5.      Past competitions saw many companies across diverse sectors step forward as sponsors and partners for the event. They play a crucial role in highlighting the importance of skills in their respective industries and encouraging young Singaporeans to pursue skilled careers. Their participation reflects the growing importance that industries place on the development and promotion of skills needed in the future economy. WSS 2018 will further increase industry involvement, where many of the interactive booths, talks and workshops will be helmed by industry partners.

Platform for Local and International Skills Recognition

6.      To support these changes, competition finals for WSS 2018 will be held from 5 – 7 Jul 2018 at Suntec Singapore. About 20,000 visitors are expected to attend the event.

7.      Mr Ng Cher Pong, Chairman, WorldSkills Singapore Council and Chief Executive, SkillsFuture Singapore said, “WorldSkills Singapore is an opportune platform for us to develop young skilled talent and celebrate skills. The new changes we are introducing to expand the scope of WSS 2018 and reposition the competition will raise the overall profile of skills in Singapore, signal the importance of skills in both established and emerging industries and the role that different segments play in skills development. With greater participation by industry, students and members of the public, we hope to draw the nation to support our young people in their journey of skills mastery.”

8.      Top medallists at WSS stand a chance to represent Singapore at the international WorldSkills Competition (WSC), often referred to as the ‘Youth Olympics of Skills’. The next WSC will be held at Kazan, Russia, from 29 Aug - 3 Sep 2019. Held every two years, the WSC is the largest skills competition that gathers the best global talents to compete in over 50 skilled professions and trades.

9.      Team Singapore recently put up a strong performance at the WSC held at Abu Dhabi from 15 – 18 Oct 2017. The team comprising 21 competitors from ITE and the five Polytechnics clinched 2 Gold Medals in 3D Digital Game Art and Freight Forwarding, 3 Bronze Medals in Health and Social Care, Information Network Cabling and IT Network Systems Administration, and 8 Medallions for Excellence.

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Registration for WSS 2018

Registration for the competition is open from 14 November till 8 December 2017. The eligibility criteria are listed in Annex A and the application forms and further details are available at www.worldskills.sg.

For Media Publicity

The media is invited to publicise WSS 2018. For further information, please contact:

Ms Jamie Chan

Head/Media, Institute of Technical Education

6590 2026

jamie_chan@ite.edu.sg

Ms Siti Hamimah Aminuddin

Senior Manager, SkillsFuture Singapore

6512 1293

siti_hamimah_aminuddin@ssg.gov.sg

WorldSkills Singapore

The WorldSkills Singapore Competition is led by the WorldSkills Singapore Office, which is under SkillsFuture Singapore, and jointly organised by the Institute of Technical Education, Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic and the Ministry of Education. WorldSkills Singapore supports the national SkillsFuture movement.

Issued on 14 Nov 2017

Annex A

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR WSS 2018 COMPETITORS

Competitors must be:

·         Singapore Citizens only. Competitors must not be older than 21 years of age (as at 1 Jan 2018) except for following skills areas:

• Undergoing or have completed relevant training/course at an education institution or company
• Sponsoring institutions intending to field NS-liable competitors are advised to field competitors graduating in Mar 2019 or later.

Registration for the competition was launched on 14 Nov and will be open till 8 Dec 2017. Application forms and further details are available at www.worldskills.sg.

Annex B

WSS 2018 SKILLS AREAS & COMPETITION VENUES