Why train our overseas competitors?

SnowFlag SG

From today's Strait Times

Why train our overseas competitors? I REFER to the article, 'Singapore Poly to take in full-fee foreign students' (The Sunday Times, Oct 3). It is indeed a good move to attract full-paying foreign students to study in our polytechnics. However, I question the move by the polytechnics to set up similar training centres overseas.

This is akin to training our competitors en masse. The short-term gain may be an increase in revenue but in the long term we may actually be shooting ourselves in the foot.

One of the reasons multinational companies invest in Singapore is our highly trained workers, most of them the products of our universities, polytechnics and institutes of technical education.

If we set up training centres overseas, we will be training our low-cost competitors and paving the way for the future 'outsourcing' of jobs from Singapore.

It might be better to improve the calibre and reputation of our polytechnics and universities so that overseas students will pay to study here. If we are selling products like frozen prata, we need to distribute them regionally. However, where training services are concerned, going regional can also mean attracting those from the region to come to us instead.

Not only will it boost revenue for our education sector, but it will also boost our retail and rental-property sectors.

Besides this, some of the overseas students may put down roots in Singapore, thus increasing our local talent pool.

DR ANNE CHONG SU YAN

What do u all think? Wise move by SP? Rolling Eyes

SibeiSuayKia SG

If your thinking that SP will Teach ALL of it's pro master stuff to China students

THINK AGAIN!

paperchicken SG

If we dun teach, somebody else will. Rolling Eyes

Only_Facts SG

It'll be the same as what was reported in the newspaper yesterday abt japan.
the japan goverment wanna take the easy way to get more workers from overseas but in one of the fews reports they got quite alot of ppl disagree on that and mention that the jobs in japan should be given to the local japanese first (the housewives and the retired) as alot of them still wanna join the work force but b'cos of either their too old or have been a house wives for too long (as women in japan their status is still lower than men-Pure Facts).

So the problems is that most of the cities are falling into this trap b'cos by getting overseas workers are of cos cheaper (in a way or another) but in the long run the one who suffers will be the local cos they're just asking the ppl outside to come in and fight with the local for jobs.

Think abt it..................

paperchicken SG

If companies cannot get the suitable ppl to work for them they will close shop and shift elsewhere. More jobs will be lost.

Think abt it ............ Rolling Eyes

Only_Facts SG

Overseas talent are mean to come in and guide the company into greater horizon (to expand) so more local can get jobs but not the other way around….............

burntan SG

Right!! Don't think that it is only Singapore have the knowledge.

paperchicken SG

the topic is abt shortage of skill labour not FT. Rolling Eyes

bluesky296 SG

aiyah, the solution is simple....

Just like the Kong Fu Master, always train the disciples well enough to boost your reputation but not well enough to take over you because you are alos learning higher skills yourself, understand?

what the students learn overseas will be different to what we are teaching here. why, because of different educational , social & cultural background. In overseas, you will need to adapt your cirriculum to what will be applicable in the country's context. eg IT school set up by Ngee Ann Poly in Indonesia wil not have the same standard as in Singapore. At the same time, our training here will be advanced to higher level.

In fact, this theory is the same as moving low-value production factory elsewhere and maximising our capacity for high-value research labs. Mr. Green

fymk SG

they still have to teach equivalent to sp diploma or lose face ....doesn't really matter...the author is correct. It is giving companies a chance to outsource from singapore hence taking away jobs from Singaporeans.

robertteh SG

No objection to this statement. What people should be worried about is foreign preferences carried to the extreme by over-liberal openness thereby encouraging abuses by local employers and foreign half-baked talents.

Many presumably IT talents cannot communicate well in English. Ask some of the IT fellow Singaporeans, many presumably foreign talents are actually half-baked ones but are employed by boses to enjoy for some minor savings. Such a scenario will spell dooms for locals. Cool Cool Cool

oldbreadstinks SG

reminds me of those japanese cooks in those high class resturants, they always hire them from japan and once their jobs are finished, they'll just return without teaching anyone how to make those dishes

pkchukiss SG

Discovery of talents

By offering education opportunities to people from other countries, we are opening our country to more people, from which talents in various fields may be spotted, and groomed.

Singapore is a small country, and depending on our small pool of professionals is insufficient to keep our country's economy going. Unless we see an influx of trained workers, this is a pretty good system to attract potential talents to our country, and to spot and put these people to good use in Singapore.

Exposure to Singapore

Singapore offers a different experience as compared to other countries. Certain people might like staying here after their studies and decide to migrate here. Given our abysmal birth rates, we might need the boost in the future.

Education hub

As part of our focus on education as a major locomotive for our economy, these foreign students would be a resounding endorsement for the Singapore Education Experience, and establish us as an education hub.

The Disadvantages

The current focus on foreign students will lead to a de-emphasis on locals - something which these institutions were established for. Essentially, this means they have lost sight of their original focus. There are many people failing to gain entry into the local universities and polytechnics. Rather than dismiss them out right, it would be a service to the future generation that the government studies why these people fall out of the local system, and implement remedies to improve the situation.

The focus on foreign students do not guarantee that they would commit themselves to Singapore. Many eventually return to their home countries, bringing with them valuable information and experience gained in Singapore. Besides putting their home countries in good stead, they also compete with Singapore, using the very resources that we have provided them with. Not a comforting thought.

The Bottom line

Training foreign students should only be an endeavour undertaken as a charity towards poorer countries, and should not be depended upon as a source as a sustained pool of foreign talents. Such trained foreigners often have their allegiances with their home countries, and are probably not worth the effort and public tax money.

dreamykite SG

I agreed with DR ANNE CHONG SU YAN. We should not train our competitors. This polytechnics has no integrity. I also know after the foreigners finish their 3-years poly is given a bond to work for company, why singaporeans don’t have it?? not fair, system sucks.