Calvin Cheng (centre), chief technology officer at Algo Access, will be mentoring Ngee Ann Polytechnic first-year students Gautham Vijayan Kumaran (left) and Ng Kai Li
The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) joins a new Industry Mentors’ Network (IMN) programme which sees first-year polytechnic students linked up with industry professionals to gain access to career advice and industry networking.
The programme, initiated by Singapore’s Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) and in line with a regional SkillsFuture movement, seeks to provide greater opportunities for education and career guidance and to get students in Singapore to think about career aspirations early in their polytechnic education. Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and Temasek Polytechnic (TP) will also be adopting the IMN programme.
Students will receive early advice from their mentors on what it takes for them to achieve their career goals and how to chart their career roadmaps. In addition, they can tap the mentors’ expertise and network for professional learning opportunities. While industry mentorship is not new to polytechnic students, it is usually only extended to students as part of their final year internship. This is the first time students are given mentorship from their first year onwards.
“Mentoring is a powerful tool. Through supportive relationships with their mentors, our students will learn from these role models not just about what their dream job entails but also about professional ethics and work ethos that make them successful, ” said Mr Clarence Ti, Principal of Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Echoing this view, David Kelly, IMarEST’s Director of Asia Pacific commented: “If you’ve been successful in your career, benefited from certain opportunities or been lucky enough to have strong mentors, it’s so important to give something back. Not only does this help to shape the future of the marine industry, but you’ll also allows students to think about things from a new perspective or answer questions they may not have considered previously. Providing the guidance with the support of the IMarEST Singapore branch is an excellent initiative which we support in the region.”
Organisations that have signed up to the programme:
1. Accenture
2. Algo Access Pte Ltd
3. Barclays
4. CrimsonLogic Pte Ltd
5. Croda
6. Engineering Computer Services (S) Pte Ltd
7. Ernst & Young
8. Inspire-Tech Pte Ltd
9. Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology
10. JTC Corporation
11. Lonza Biologics
12. Mechem Consultancy Services Pte Ltd
13. Medtronic
14. National Trade Union Congress
15. Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP
16. PSA International Pte Ltd
17. PSA Marine (Pte) Ltd
18. RSM Chio Lim LLP
19. SecureAge
20. SembCorp
21. Setsco Services Pte Ltd
22. Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation
23. SMITECH (Asia) Pte Ltd
24. Terasaki Electric Co. (F.E.) Pte Ltd
25. TÜV SÜD PSB Pte Ltd
26. V-KEY Pte Ltd
27. Xcellink Pte Ltd
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF MARINE ENGINEERING, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
The IMarEST is an international membership body and learned society for all marine professionals. It is the first Institute to bring together marine engineers, marine scientists and marine technologists into one international multi-disciplinary professional body. It is the largest marine organisation of its kind with a worldwide membership of over 17, 000 based in over 128 countries.
Working with the global marine community, the IMarEST promotes the scientific development of marine engineering, science and technology, providing opportunities for the exchange of ideas and practices and upholding the status, standards and expertise of marine professionals worldwide.
Education is supported through Marine Learning Alliance Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the IMarEST Group that delivers marine education and training courses primarily through distance e-learning. These include degree courses in Hydrography and Sustainable Maritime Operations and various short technical courses.
The IMarEST works with a growing number of corporate partners offering different levels of support to maritime organisations. IMarEST ‘Marine Membership’ is open to all companies and organisations, providing access to membership benefits, knowledge-sharing, online promotion and exclusive discounts. The ‘Marine Partner’ initiative is for organisations that work strategically with the IMarEST to create and deliver a bespoke annual programme of activity and premium promotion.
The IMarEST is a respected authority in every maritime country. It is a Non-Governmental Organisation with consultative status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), observer status at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), and it has special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC), which facilitates its access to other international intergovernmental meetings where its specialized marine expertise is of particular use, e.g., the United Nations meetings on Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the work of the International Seabed Authority on marine mining. It is a nominated and licensed body of the Engineering Council (UK), a member of the Science Council and has significant links with many other maritime organisations worldwide.
The IMarEST runs a series of industry leading and technically excellent events and conferences as well as publishing the internationally recognised publication, The Marine Professional.
