THE Government presented a group of 17-year-olds with a new type of scholarship on Friday which will cover their costs from polytechnic all the way through to university.
The Infocomm Development Authority presented 20 students - 19 boys and one girl, who all scored 10 points or fewer at the O-level examinations - with the new 'through-train' Integrated Infocomm Scholarships.
The students will be allowed to pursue any kind of IT-related course at any of the five polytechnics and three universities here.
The scholarship pays for the tuition fees, which may include expenses for overseas attachments, as well as gives and allowance and grant for buying computers.
On graduating, they will not be bonded to any government agency, but will have to work for three years in the infocomm industry here.
The scholars get more options because after finishing their first stint at the polytechnic, they may also apply for the IDA's other National Infocomm Scholarship. This is another scholarship scheme that sponsors undergraduates for overseas or local studies.
IDA chief executive Ronnie Tay said the two programmes complement one another and help groom talent 'in a systematic way.'
Polytechnic students usually had different skills and a more 'hands-on' approach, compared to students who took the junior college route, and are also in demand by employers, said the permanent secretary for Information, Communications and the Arts, Mr Chan Yeng Kit.
The scheme is part of the IDA's larger plan to grow and retain talent for the IT sector, which brought in revenue of about six per cent of the national GDP last year.
There are about 139,000 professionals in the infocomm industry now.
