The latest run of the ITE Mentorship program commenced in October 2022. The four-part program aimed to expose student mentees to the Engineering and IT industries, with off-campus site visits accompanied by mentors who are professionals in these industries. Many times, students find it difficult to draw meaningful connections between their academic learning and real-life applications. Many are also often unaware of their surroundings and how the built-environment works. This gap can be partially addressed by carefully curating meaningful opportunities for students to be mentored by industry professionals, while immersing them in environments that exemplify some of these best practices.
The kickoff session was held at Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Engineering, where student mentees were given the opportunity to carry out hands-on activities that exposed them to the workings of a simple direct current (DC) motor. Through this exercise, the students learnt to appreciate and draw connections between the classroom and real life applications.
They were also given insights into the various pathways in the Engineering industry, allowing them to uncover the different possibilities, should they continue to pursue their education in this area. The School of Engineering also shared their program and how the students can advance themselves in this area of education. Mentees also had the chance to connect with their mentors for the first time, as they explore their share their personal aspirations and exchange experiences.
The following session was held at Landscape Engineering Pte Ltd, a leading engineering and construction company that specializes in large scale landscape projects that reside within the lush, challenging terrains of Singapore’s gardens, parks and wetlands. The founding team shared their personal experiences and journeys that have shaped their careers, giving the students invaluable insight regarding the value of engineering in our built-environment. The tour around the premises also introduced them to how various departments work within the company, supporting each other to achieve human-centric solutions that can benefit the physical and mental wellbeing of users.
Students were then able to further their conversions with their respective mentors, using the “Ikigai” framework to explore their individual passions, values, gifts and possibilities for their future.
Session 3 brought the students back to Temasek Polytechnic. The staff and students from the School of Informatics & IT led everyone through a series of facilities that covered various emerging fields like gaming, malware analysis, AI applications and analytics innovation. They were also given an introduction to how they can further their educational pursuits in the areas of the IT industry. Students were then led to further explore their unique strengths, engaging their mentors in deeper conversations about possible professional pathways.
The final session saw the students sharing their mentorship experiences with their peers. Mentees shared their personal discoveries and strengths, how they envision their careers to be like, and how they can take positive steps in achieving their goals.
Mentors also continued to provide their student mentees with feedback and guidance about their paths forward, helping them to navigate through their future with more confidence.
The mentorship program was successfully completed in November 2022, with positive feedback from the various stakeholders. We look forward to the next collaboration with schools and the industry!
