YANGON (Myanmar) • Mr Ko Ko Lwin, 22, has a degree in marine engineering from Myanmar Maritime University. But that did not stop him from signing up for hands-on skills training at the Singapore-Myanmar Vocational Training Institute (SMVTI) last year.
"I wanted to improve my skills and get more practical training," he said, adding that at SMVTI, each student is assigned to one training machine while at his previous school, 40 students used one machine.
The school trains Myanmar youth to be skilled workers and was officially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday, the final day of his three-day official visit.
PM Lee toured the campus, located on the site of a former polytechnic in downtown Yangon.
It will take in a total of 800 students in two groups, every year.
Modelled on Singapore's Institute of Technical Education, the SMVTI offers six-month courses in hospitality and tourism, electrical skills and electronics, facilities management and engineering services. It helps to match its graduates with jobs.
About 40 per cent of the pioneer batch of 400 who graduated last month have found jobs or internships.
Myanmar's director-general of technical and vocational education Win Maw Tun said the tourism industry is booming, adding: "You can see a lot of hotels around the city. We need qualified human resources for these businesses."
There are plans to replicate the school elsewhere in Myanmar, like in its eastern Shan state, he said.
Singapore will also sponsor internships to the Republic for the top graduate of each course in every cohort.
But Singapore will hand the reins over to Myanmar in time, said Mr Tan Seng Hua, chief executive of Institute of Technical Education Education Services. "Once the local team is ready, we'd be very happy to see them take over," he said.
Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung, who is part of the Singapore delegation to Myanmar, told reporters that the institute is Singapore's way of helping Myanmar.
"Myanmar is going through a very special period of its history. A lot of transitional issues - the democratising process as well as the liberalising of its economy to be more market-oriented," he said.
It is meaningful for Singapore to contribute to Myanmar in this period, especially since it has experience in training workers, he said.
"We live in Asean and Asean is one big family," said Mr Ong. "We find common causes in many issues of the world. And when help is needed, we will extend our help."
Charissa Yong
