SINGAPORE - Mr Abdul Latiff Muhamed Abdullah, 38, will return to school for the first time in September since graduating with an Institute of Technical Education Higher Nitec electrical engineering diploma in 2010.
He is among a pioneer batch of five SP Group employees to benefit from a partnership inked by the utilities group on Friday (July 15) with the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) to upskill and reskill its workers.
The three-year collaboration, signed at the Energy Innovation 2022 conference at Marina Bay Sands, will provide continuous skills upgrading pathways for SP employees through a full-time undergraduate degree in electrical power engineering sponsored by their company.
Speaking at the conference organised by the Energy Market Authority (EMA), Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling said the programme is part of efforts to grow the energy sector workforce to bolster Singapore's green economy ambitions.
SP's support for his three-year undergraduate degree course has given Mr Latiff an opportunity to further his studies in electrical engineering, which he had put on hold for years as he could not find the time to do so.
He was hired as a technician at SP Group in 2007 after he e-mailed the company for a job upon noticing its logo on his electricity bill.
Building electricity infrastructure has since become a passion for Mr Latiff, who was part of the team that laid the power cable grid infrastructure for the Marina Coastal Expressway in 2013.
"As SP Group looks to build up electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, I hope to contribute to this plan, which helps to protect the environment, by studying related modules," he said.
His colleague Chan Meng Hoe, who has been with SP for almost three decades, has decided to set aside time to study as well, despite his wealth of experience in critical infrastructure projects.
Mr Chan was involved in completing a utilities service diversion for the Downtown MRT line ahead of schedule and the pre-development of Changi Airport's Terminal 5.
The principal technical officer, 49, said upgrading is crucial as he needs to keep pace with new technologies in the energy sector.
Mr Chan added: "With the mass merging of renewable energy to the existing grid system, I believe this (degree) course will equip me with the required skill sets and knowledge to see me through the next two decades of my service with SP Group."
Friday's agreement is an extension of the ongoing partnership between SIT and SP to advance Singapore's energy sector. Their collaborations include SP's investment in Singapore's first experimental, multi-energy microgrid at SIT's future campus in the Punggol Digital District.
Commenting on the programme, EMA chief executive Ngiam Shih Chun said: "As Singapore advances our energy transition towards a more sustainable future, we will need to ensure that workers are equipped with relevant skill sets to take on new opportunities...
"We hope this collaboration between SIT and SP Group will be the first of many such partnerships to come, to build a future-ready workforce that will propel Singapore's energy sector forward."
