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The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) is launching a new work-study diploma in agriculture and aquaculture technology in April 2023.

This is part of the government's plan to build the manpower pipeline for Singapore's farming industry, said Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) Koh Poh Koon during his Committee of Supply speech on Thursday (Mar. 2).

Growing demand for agri-food specialists

Previously announced in 2022, the new diploma will equip fresh graduates and in-service employees from ITE Nitec and Higher Nitec with engineering skills to operate new agriculture and aquaculture systems.

The two-and-a-half-year diploma will also provide technical knowledge about food crops cultivation and fish farm management.

To train the students, the school launched a fully automated farming facility known as the Horticulture Technology Hub at ITE College East in 2022.

The agri-food sector is seeing a rise in the use of more productive, innovative and resource efficient technologies, which require skillsets distinct from traditional farming.

The diploma will aid Singapore in meeting the new and growing demand for specialists in agri- and aquaculture who are skilled in science, engineering, and info-communications, including genetics, automation and internet of things.

Contributing to Singapore's food resilience

The programme is part of the Singapore Food Agency's (SFA) ongoing work with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and local farms to develop training programmes forb oth students and adult learners and tap on agri-food career opportunities.

Such manpower development initiatives aim to attract, develop and emplace skilled workers in the agri-food sector and contribute to Singapore’s food resilience, said SFA and MSE.

The agency also worked with Workforce Singapore (WSG) and Republic Polytechnic (RP) in 2022 to launch the Career Conversion Programme for the agri-tech sector, which aims to reskill mid-career professionals to join the industry as an agri-tech specialist or agri-tech operator.

RP has also added a new specialisation, food and agrotechnology, to its diploma in biotechnology for students.

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Top image via ITE.