Results are out and big decisions have to be made! The release of the ‘O’ Level results earlier in the week would mean that fresh secondary school graduates in Singapore would have to make their choices on where to move on from there.
Traditionally, entering a Junior College (JC) would mean that students would undergo another two years of wearing uniforms as well as taking another brutal national exam.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved being in JC. But let’s not be tied down by tradition, shall we? After all, the path less travelled is said to be a more fulfilling and exciting one.
So here are 4 new and upcoming courses in Singapore’s local polytechnics that may just interest you to take the road less travelled and also pursue a diploma in what you already love.
Courses for the sporty students
Love sports and sweating it out? Now, you can learn about it in school. Sports Coaching (R49) offered by Republic Polytechnic (RP) is letting you in on the behind the scenes of sports and all that it encompasses.
Students can learn all about the tricks of the trade to becoming the next breed of professional trainers for future athletes. The course takes an all rounded approach to the idea of coaching from learning the basic nutritional facts and psychological aspects, and also takes a more holistic approach by teaching students the vital soft skills needed to build good team management.
Students who choose this diploma can work towards becoming not only a coach but also an Allied Educator for MOE as well as a Sports Official in upcoming games.
With Singapore hosting more and more sporting events from the Youth Olympic Games to the upcoming Netball Super League, it looks like having more sports-educated individuals would not be such a bad idea after all.
Courses for the tech geek
With demand for cyber security on the rise thanks to security breaches all over the world, organizations and companies all over the world are stepping up their game to secure their company’s intelligence from being splattered all over the internet.
This is where IT security professionals come in. It may not sound like the nicest working title or name but taking a diploma in cyber security may just secure you a job for life.
Polytechnics in Singapore are taking the lead in grooming Singapore’s future IT security professionals by offering new cyber security diploma courses.
In April this year, Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) will be introducing its new diploma — Diploma in Information Security & Forensics (N94). RP will also be launching a new diploma programme in Infocomm Security Management (R55).
Even Singtel is offering students a scholarship specifically catered to network engineering, cybersecurity and customer experience.
For budding IT specialists, these courses will allow you to learn how exactly to secure codes and processes that go into developing applications to ensure that they are protected from external threats from the very start. Known as Security Development Lifecycle, this highly valued skill is well regarded in the Infocomm industry.
Courses for the animal lover
If you love animals and have always been an animal lover, this course may just be the perfect one for you. Diploma in Veterinary Bioscience (N90) offered by Ngee Ann Polytechnic and also Diploma in Veterinary Technology (T45) offered by Temasek Polytechnic are some courses that offer students hands-on experience in teaching students on how to care for, handle and manage various animals, ranging from laboratory animals to pets.
While the job is not particularly glamourized in the media, the demand for vets and doctors in general is one that will always be there with career prospects ranging from zookeepers to animal curators to veterinary technician to even an entrepreneur in the veterinary industry.
Courses for the film junkie
If you love special effects and all that is digital, the diploma in Visual Effects and Motion Graphics offered by Singapore Polytechnic may be what you’re looking for. The practical elements of this course, combined with your own creativity and twist, will ensure you develop the skills to go far in this industry. Graduates of this course now work for production companies throughout the country, including Double Negative, Disney, LucasFilm, etc.
And if you have already watched X-Men: Days Of Future Past and saw Fan Bingbing teleporting through what looks like cool, purple volcano craters, just remember that Singaporean, Skeel Lee, 31, was the brains behind the computer-generated portals.
The choices are infinite for students looking to expand their horizons with courses ranging from sports coaching to film and sound to veterinary courses. With all these changes in the industry and world in general, students can look forward to more interesting courses with both a practical and applied learning approach offered by the polytechnics in Singapore.
And if you’re thinking, “Why should I go to a polytechnic when I can enter a junior college?”, let the statistics do the talking. Of those who entered the polytechnics after the O levels, 40 per cent had actually qualified for entry to a junior college.
So make the choices that are right for you.
