4/23/2016

Rail Academy to train more rail engineers

Former NTU president Cham Tao Soon has been appointed to assist in the setting up of a Rail Academy to train rail engineers. He said we have lost time and needed to catch up to train rail engineers and develop a workforce for the industry. This new approach of planting our own timber instead of hiring ready made talents from other countries would also serve the goal of building a Singaporean core in the industry.

The SGX also set up a SGX Academy to train better remisiers and specialists for the stock broking industry. Hopefully after all the training the remisiers will be earning more than the cleaners. It would be funny if remisiers have to attend so many courses and training and acquiring so many certificates and qualifications to become specialists and earning just as much as a cleaner. The effort would be a big waste of time and resources, might as well enjoy the more easy and carefree life of a cleaner, no need to attend courses and worrying about the punitive fines for making trading mistakes or violating trading rules and regulations. Anyway it is always good to go for training when one has nothing better to do.  Oh today they call this upskilling. Maybe remisiers should be encouraged to upskill, to multi task and multi skill and acquire a taxi driving licence as well.

With this great interest in training as if training is the solution to all our problems, it is strange that the banking and finance industry is still not moving to set up a banking and finance academy to train bankers and finance specialists. Isn’t Singapore experiencing a dearth of good bankers and shouldn’t the banking industry exercise some initiative, be pro active and join the academy bandwagon? At least it cannot be accused of not doing anything after being found sleeping for the last 3 decades. Or the industry is still thinking of hiring the best foreign talents regardless of nationalities?


Oh, Yaacob should think of setting up an IT or Infocomm Academy with the big budget at his disposal. Academy trained graduates would sound so much better. It just sounds right. At the very least their certificates would be more useful than the degrees that cannot be eaten.  They should convert all the universities to academies that are producing graduates with the relevant and not irrelevant skill sets.

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rb, if the universities are not producing duds then no need all these extra institutions. Why duplicate? Just get the universities to conduct relevant and practical courses rather than producing graduates with no skills set and unwanted by industries and good at ranking only. Tio bo?

Anonymous said...

Singapore is the only country in the world claiming to have world best universities and all kinds of training institutions training babies to octogenarians to arm them with the skills to work till they drop dead.

Unfortunately all the skills are irrelevant or unusable and so the daft Sinkies would have to be replaced by third world people from third world third and fourth and fifth grade universities and degree mills.

They are now thinking of training for the Singaporean core to be ready in thirty years time. Hopefully the Singapore they know is still around and not taken over by foreigners.

Anonymous said...

Once overheard a conversation by a supposedly retrenched PMET with his frens at a heartland coffeeshop:

This fella sound so disheartened and depressed during his conversation. He went on to tell his frens that on one of the instances feeling so dejected after an interview cos he felt being belittled by the ( AH ) interviewers, he went straight to a photocopier shop in North Bridge Rd and photocopied 200 pieces of his uni certificates?

His frens commented he must be so fired up and going to "cheong" for his job applications?

Anonymous said...

This supposedly unemployed PMET let off a long sad chuckle and probably after having one drink too many, his sad chuckle turned to a sad sob?

His frens suddenly seemed to realise something was a missed?

His frens tried to encourage him and told him to stay strong?

Anonymous said...

Finally this unhappy PMET broke his long silence ......

This guy looked like in his 50s ......

He said something about his childhood and what they did in the kampung then as young kids ........

Anonymous said...

He mentioned that one of the moments was whenever they ran out of toilet papers, the next thing they did was to rush and take some newspapers with them to the toilet ......

While doing the "business", he would crush the newspapers with his small palms then and try to make them into toilet papers .......

During those days, he said their childhood common dream was to get into the local uni then ......

Anonymous said...

They should set up a political academy to train politicians to be ready to be govt. I mean for those who are not ready yet.

Hopefully such training will also produce more Chee Soon Juans, and better still, more David Ongs or Michael Palmers.

Anonymous said...

Former NTU president Cham Tao Soon has been appointed to assist in the setting up of a Rail Academy to train rail engineers.
RB

Cham Tao Soon is very good in such things, especially carrying out very well the policy initiatives (even if not well thought of) of the PAP govt.

Making NTU operational was also his brainchild. But then who are now doing most of the PMET jobs, especially in the construction, banking and IT industry? Where do these people graduate from?

Anonymous said...

heheheh, the stupid Singaporeans will spend their whole life saving for retirement but end up money not enough.

Now the next stupid thing they are told to do is to train for a life time but skills not good enough except to be taxi drivers and security guards.

And those foreigners no need to save and no need to train for a life time all go home very rich after taking over all the jobs that the silly garment think Singaporeans cannot do after going from one training course to another, from one world best school and university to another.

Who do you think is the real silly ones?

Anonymous said...

Rail Academy for what?
- it's not as if SMRT is going to hire the Singaporean graduates is it?

Anonymous said...

Big Singapore-HDB Flat mystery
-----------------------------------
If HDB flats belongs to HDB.
And my HDB flat toilet ceiling is leaking.
Why must my top floor neighbour and I pay for the repair and water-roofing?

Landlord-owner (HDB) should pay right?
It's a structural problem correct?

Veritas said...

While a rail academy is a good idea, it can also be seen as a result of fucking terminally ill Singapore system. BTW who is training engineers in the last time? It is the companies. Companies set aside apprentice head count.

During my days in intern in a big MNC, I got marvelled when the manager of Analogue R&D department is a poly graduate, some senior engineers just ITE, and a few guys even from non engineering background.

Today these people will have no chance to even get their resume seen by recruiting managers. The HR will filter it.

Singapore is not really short of talent per se. But years of sucking up industries have produce a bunch of fucking managers, who are used to the experience hire. They do not have patience to train and worse, they are not capable to train fresh grad.

And when fresh engineering graduate cannot find jobs, fuck up graduate ends up in engineering while good students study something else.

The situation is quite hopeless today.

Anonymous said...

If u rent a property, any problems with the property u call the landlord to fix. But since hdb said u bought the property and own it for 99 years, then it becomes your problem as leasing period normally does not extend to over 2 years not 99 years.

Anonymous said...

@ April 23, 2016 12:50 pm

But that's the whole point.
HDB is the landlord and owner.
We are just the lessee.
HDB should pay.

When you lease a car.
Who pays for the engine overhaul?
The owner right?

Anonymous said...

You pay property tax on your HDB also. Hahahahahahhah.

patriot said...

The DAFT Sinkies will be forever paying to UPSKILL.

BUT,
forever looking for employments too.

The Ruler and Academic will be
FOREVER goading the Sinkies to upskill and upgrade.
They(ruler/elite) themselves NO need any upskilling or upgrading, they ONLY NEED TO STAY IN OFFICE AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND GET THEIR OWN REWARDED SINFUL REMUNERATIONS.

Fuck the Sinful Self Serving Sinkies.

patriot

Anonymous said...

Rb // Former NTU president Cham Tao Soon has been appointed to assist in the setting up of a Rail Academy to train rail engineers.//


Many NTU undergrads feedback many NTU lecturers just read off from prepared notes during lectures ......

Attending these types of lectures worst than taking "sleeping pills" .......

Did Tao Suan ...... oops ...... Cham Tao Soon tenure in NTU led to such situations. ....?

Anonymous said...

// He said we have lost time and needed to catch up to train rail engineers and develop a workforce for the industry.//


Good luck to the new trainees?

Tao Suan ..... oops ...... Cham Tao Soon's former NTU job known to hire many who are expurts in "putting undergrads to sleep" ......?

U go NTU during term time peep into lecture halls u think how come hardly any student attend?

Many tak boleh tahan all "siam" lectures?

So the lecturers noe they gg talk to ( almost ) "empty" lecture theatres, many sinkies and oldies become suckers lor .......

These lecturers every month just ( "anyhow" ) "talk" to ( almost ) empty lectures halls once a week, then every month collect taxpayers remunerations 20+k up and all these not including annual bonuses up to 10+ months?

Oldies and sinkies like to be suckers and like tuakees to "poke" their BUTTOCKS shiok shiok and groaning in pleasure like Whores in the bed?

Anonymous said...

Heard during GE 2015 many oldies also like to be "serviced in the BUTTOCKS" like horny whores in the bed "groaning with pleasure"?

Anonymous said...

"Garment作贱,犹可understand ( bcos they are Pimps And Prostitutes? );Oldies作贱,不可理喻"?

Anonymous said...

// patriot April 23, 2016 1:36 pm
The DAFT Sinkies will be forever paying to UPSKILL.//


Aiyo ......

Kena 很 "TUAKEE" 了 in the BUTTOCKS 还需upgrade lagi besar?

Siao?

Danti jalan 脚 open "大大"?

Very Pai Kuah?

Unsightly?

Dun be a greedy Whore, pls .......

请自重 。。。。。。

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

These idiots are spinning their wheels. They are trying to "please everybody" by suggesting or doing ineffective shit.

There is no "solution" to what is going on, and eventually going to happen.

1. Remisers will be replaced by a combination AIs, algorithms, revamped systems. I'll be surprised if there are any human remisers left in 5-10 years time.

2. All trains will be TOTALLY robot operated, at about the same time autonomous (driverless) cars will be zooming around ferrying fare-paying passengers in speed, comfort and safety. This will probably happen in less than 10 years. Train engineers will essentially be "robot maintenance" crews, and they will eventually be replaced by machines.

3. At the moment there is a shortage of IT people, especially in the fields of cybersecurity and mobile connectivity. However this is temporary. Jump in now and you could probably make very fast very big money...until everyone one else jumps in to fill the void. The Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore aka "Quantum Lah!" is hard at work on quantum cryptography and next-gen computer security.

There is a lot going on in AWESOME Singapore, unbeknownst to the majority of people. When these new techs hit the scene, the adoption rate will be rapid (aka "tipping point" to quote Malcolm Gladwell) and most people will be caught unaware.

90% of the jobs today will probably disappear withing the next 10 years.

No, you cannot use govt "legislation" or "political action" to prevent this. The Geeks Will Rule The Earth. Geeks motto: MOVE FAST, BREAK THINGS! 😎

Virgo49 said...

Bro 1.27

Considered yourself lucky only paid property tax.

Not too long ago,the HDB conned those old flat owners their MUP or Monies U Pay.

Main Upgrading Projects where they are upgraded with an extra toilet or washing area.

Most paid between 14 to 24k amount enough to buy a 3 and 4 rooms flat in the 80s.

They are inconvenienced for Two to three years and same time subsidies the HDB with the amount they paid for the General landscape outside their flats.

Now the residents wise up and they stopped this con jobs.

Most of the contractors are previously from the Board's general staff who are redundant after the TC s are formed.

One of my Kaki relative in the Henderson estate of two blocks voted not for upgrading.

Citing no monies to pay.

Later they are SERS and allocated new units opposite Tiong Bahru Plaza.

After five years occupancy they sold their flats for a fortune.

No monies for the con MUP now have half millions for Genting Highlands.

Cheers

Anonymous said...

Rail Academy to train rail engineers is a very good idea provided there is real training activities doing hand on.

There is one important skill all i say all field engineers must learn. One po said 1 out of the team in the field in which 2 died after being knocked down by the 60mph moving train: he survived.

That is the skill all must learn: how did he survive?? The po said he jump out b4 the train could hit him.

NO skills need to learn except this one. Learn to jump off the track. The academy will issue certificate of qualified grade 1 safe field engineer if a field engineer can jump 1 meter high back to the safety zone. This is the skill most important to mrt field engineer.

Anonymous said...

This is the skill most important to mrt field engineer.
April 23, 2016 5:50 pm

What about Singaporeans?
Is the PAP government useless & overpaid?
How to vote in more Opposition MPs to investigate?
Is that also an an important skill to acquire?

Anonymous said...

If runaway train ramp through sinkieland, think many ( daft ) sinkies might be knocked down?

The garment hasn't given green light or official announcement to jump off?

Schools and universities oso never teach?

Anonymous said...

If runaway train ramp through sinkieland, think many ( daft ) sinkies might be knocked down?

The garment hasn't given green light or official announcement to jump off?

Schools and universities oso never teach?

Anonymous said...

// Former NTU president Cham Tao Soon has been appointed to assist in the setting up of a Rail Academy to train rail engineers.//

Is mee CHAM kuey ..... oops Cham Tao Soon up to the task of setting up the Tao Suan Academy ...... oops ...... Tao Soon Academy?

Anonymous said...

//Rail Academy to train more rail engineers//


Business as usual?

虎头蛇尾?

Anonymous said...

Global news ..... at MSN ......:

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/apr/22/students-threaten-break-with-nus-after-election-of-new-president

Anonymous said...

Do you think it's better not to set up the rail academy?
Do you think it's better to wait until we have a catastrophic train accident with hundreds of casualties instead?

Otherwise, Sinkies will always vote for the wrong party tio bo?

Just think.
Wouldn't it have been better if thousands of people got infected with Hepatitis C instead?
Do you think the incompetent Millionaires would have been fired by now?

Anonymous said...

It's always like that?

Wait until all the horses or almost all bolted, then wake up?

Billionaires foresight?

Anonymous said...

Sounds like from ( many ) past experiences, many sinkies have no trust billionaires will not "sacrifice sinkies interests" to "ownselves enrich ownselves" behind sinkies back?

By the time many sinkies realised, it's too late?

Rice bowls broken?

Dreams shattered?

Happy families broken?

Children's future gone ( forever )?

Whole working lifetime CPF saving kena "life imprisonment"?

Wives ( private ) poohsees kena "trespassed" and "shared" by ( ugly ) DOM?

Maciam become public goods liao with no-excludability and no-rilvarous privacy?

Anonymous said...

The academy is not useful because the graduates will not be working in mrt company. The graduates from mumbai and philippines will book the seats, as the elites will save money to pay very low so that sinkies will not join. This was similar to those days when bus drivers were paid $1200pm, and bus companies said sinkies dont work as drivers, then they hire prc drivers.

Look at the way accident happened that resulted 2 workers died. The ceo said they followed safety procedures closely. The company said not. The system of passing information or records are not clear. Otherwise, how could the ceo had another way of seeing the problem?

So the maintenance team could be controlled by foreigners who might not pass right information upwards. What faults might be just smoke screens. So the academy is another smoke screen. For: showing "improvement", but breakdowns continue.

Anonymous said...

The Chinese has a saying :

The fartking elites "站着说话腰不疼"?

The elites lazy bums can't even move their BUTTOCKS to wash a spoon or cup?

Much less can or even know how to iron a shirt?

Collect billions, hide in ivory towers TKSS who dunno or cannot?

At the end of the day, just a bunch of termites gnawing the tree to a colossal collapse?

Anonymous said...

The elites think they are doing great but for how long?

Taking steroids to boost an athlete performance won't last long?

Using vice trade that is low tech to boost low value-add labour-intensive F & B sectors, pump up property prices due to higher influx of foreign labour and tourists in the short term are not dissimilar to an athlete taking steroids for quick fix?

Anonymous said...

To sustain the costs of living and pay through the noses, "everyone including the angmoh needs to be a bastard" in everyday life?

The current restructuring ( if genuinely believed in ) should have started in the early 2000s than now?

Meanwhile the "derailed train" CANNOT stop, can it?

Anonymous said...

Foreign labour still needs to be ramped up or at least sustained to support the earlier flawed policies otherwise how to fill up the hundreds of thousands of private condo units built during the "crazy" construction boom?

Are the elites on the ground DAY IN DAY OUT to feel the "heat" literally how bad the increasing population density is affecting everybody including students?

How can one focus, study, think in a crowded hawker centre?

Anonymous said...

With the heat in a tropical city and policy makers literally bringing in hordes of people by the millions to worsen the already tak boleh tahan density of 10,000 pax per sq km?

Productivity, innovation and creativity your foot?

Try invent something world class in such an environment?

The probability of success is almost ZERO?

No?

Anonymous said...

Where is the foreign talent who used sinkieland as the spring board to snag countless regional projects but mess up the national stadium field?

Will he stay to clean up the cock up or pack his bag with his millions earned and leave the shit for current and future generations sinkies?

Seems like in the past, the only "trick" the elites knew was through numbers and not quality?

Who dunno add inputs can increase outputs?

But such low tech practises will in time reach a turning point and where to go from there?

With a much higher costs, unabated increasing population density to support the property sector, it is undeniably operating in a big "Vicious Cycle" to try make a BIG JUMP and escape from it through current intended restructuring?

But what is the probability of success?

How many policies have succeeded in the past 25 years?

Jumping from one frying pan to another?

For how long more?

What and where is the breaking point?

Is the vice trade and mindless building boom adding a lot of economic value?

If not, how can the economic heights be sustained if there is nothing solid underneath to justify in the long run?

Can the elites pull off a sustained unwinding and soft-landing and avoid a hard-landing or crash?

Anonymous said...

Some crazy nuts mentioned demand and supply will adjust and bring down prices and thus costs?

These must be economic morons talking about economics?

Bet they had never applied and exerted their minds in any economics course their whole life?

Properly not even the basic "A" Level or IB economics?

By saying demand and supply will help the market and thus prices and costs adjust downwards, they are highly HUGE economics ignoramus?

If demand and supply theories in the goods, money and labour markets are so simple, any ah ter ah kow including some kongcum GongKia blind oxes can be an economics expurt already and sit at the top of MBFC calling the shots?

Partial equilibrium is NOT equivalent to the general equilibrium in the macro as well as micro open economic system?

The adjustment process is painful and not unlike the US 2008 subprime mortgage housing crisis?

Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea went through such process during the 1997/ 98 AFC?

For structural policies flaws, the market adjustment process ( MAP ) often is very, very, very painful .......?

Anonymous said...

For a small and extremely open economy, once the state of economics reached this situation, it is almost impossible to dismount from the ( one trick ) pony ........?

By right when exports fall, the domestic currency exchange rate should self-adjust in the international market to "force" domestic adjustments structurally, in pricing, imports, consumption, ...... etc?

But without any natural endowment, this route is a dead end especially when the economy is highly exports dependent and therefore this path is NOT an option?

So NODX has been falling month after month in recent past without any end in sights?

When u have a ( kongcum and blur like sotong (look) ) engineer helming the economics ministry for the past decade, what could be expected?

For labour costs, the last 2 times wages were cut via CPF contribution reductions but back then housing prices were not so "crazy"?

It is like moving a stack of cards?

Touch one card and risk one whole section collapsing?

This round it is not even labour costs being the culprit but land costs?

How to dismount from a ( one trick ) pony?

Anonymous said...

Actually there are some ways to dismount but it needs guts?

Do the elites have it?

Can they stomach some fractured arms and legs in the process?

Even some fractured skulls and necks?

Got DISMOUNTING GUTS?

Anonymous said...

In 2015, total trade contracted around $100 billion falling from about $980 billion in 2014 to about $880 billion in 2015 at current market prices

In terms of total trade to GDP ratio in 2015, it is down to about 220% using data based on current market prices

Is it a good thing?

It used to be around 350% between 2012 to 2014 based on data obtained from WTO website

What does it imply going fwd?

Anonymous said...

Given there is a time lag between fall in merchandise trade and domestic demand, a continued plunge would likely show up in the domestic sector and overall economic performance down the road?

Private sector investment spending and households consumption spending over time would likely track the fall in merchandise trade and in turn garment revenue would likely fall as well?

The national income data between 2016 to 2020 would be "interesting" to watch as to how the various domestic demand sectors adjust to such drastic fall in merchandise trade in recent times given the historical dependency of the economy on exports-driven growth?