18-05-2025
Upgrading of ITE campuses: Reimagining classrooms as an open gym and aircraft engine workshop
The Fitlab is among the latest spaces that have been upgraded at ITE's main campus in Ang Mo Kio. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Upgrading of ITE campuses: Reimagining classrooms as an open gym and aircraft engine workshop
SINGAPORE – Stepping into the newly set up Fitlab at ITE College Central in Ang Mo Kio feels like entering a professional gym.
Once a traditional classroom space, the new open-concept facility spanning 450 sq m now allows the 560 students in the Higher Nitec in Sport Management course to learn in a gym setting that is up to date with fitness industry trends and technology.
Refurbishment of the space began in July 2024 and wrapped up in March 2025 .
Mr Alif Hafiz Masnor, 37, sports studies lecturer at the campus, said: 'With this new upgrade, we are able to meet the current dynamic trends with this high-end equipment.'
The aim is for students to be immersed in practical learning, from leading circuit training exercises to analysing posture and movement through an AI-driven motion capture system – commonly used in professional sports and rehabilitation to track and assess body movement.
Another feature in the gym is InBody scanners, which professional trainers use to conduct health assessments for their clients.
'All these are also available in gyms outside. So we want our students to be able to interpret this real health data and then apply it during their internships,' said Mr Alif.
The Fitlab is one of the latest spaces that have been upgraded at the Institute of Technical Education's (ITE) main campus in Ang Mo Kio. Two others are a laboratory for students studying electronics and information and communications technology (ICT) and a facility for learning about aircraft engineering and maintenance.
In the last of a three-part series, The Straits Times takes a closer look at how ITE campuses have refreshed their facilities to keep up with industry needs and deepen student learning.
Since becoming fully operational in April, the Fitlab has been used to conduct both theory and practical lessons.
ITE students in a Zumba session at the newly refurbished Fitlab at ITE College Central.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
ITE student Malcolm Voong said those in the Higher Nitec in Sport Management course typically already like doing sports. But learning how to use these high-tech machines gives them a more in-depth understanding of the human body.
'Getting better in sports is not just about training, but also what your body needs. Every body is different, so this is a very fun part of learning,' said the 19-year-old, who will be completing the three-year course at the end of 2025.
The space is also stocked with standard gym equipment such as kettlebells and dumbbells, as well as all-in-one trainers with multiple uses – leg press, cable pulley, pull-up bar and more.
Real-world training in aircraft engine maintenance
ITE work-study diploma students Anderson Lim and Siti Sauhana using the polishing robot arm at the new Onboarding@Skill facility at ITE College Central.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
What better way to prepare students for a career in aircraft engine maintenance than to provide them with a workshop on campus that mirrors one in the real world?
With the launch of Onboarding@Skill on May 15, students learn about key engine maintenance processes as well as smart technologies currently used in the industry.
Spanning 200 sq m, the space at ITE College Central was refurbished in collaboration with ST Engineering from January to March, and caters for over 380 students and trainees annually.
They comprise those enrolled in the Higher Nitec in Aerospace Engineering course, and trainees in two ITE work-study diploma courses related to aircraft engine maintenance.
Lecturer Mr Wong Kok Weng (second from left) with his students at the Onboarding@Skill facility.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
Mr Wong Kok Weng, 49, an ITE aerospace technology lecturer, said that previously, the space consisted of standard lab facilities, and the assembly and maintenance of engine components were taught in silos.
'We were learning piece parts, in a way. But this new facility is a ramp-up as it allows students to have an overview of the engine overhaul process,' he said.
Comprising three gates, the space allows students to see how aircraft engine maintenance is done from start to finish.
At the first gate, aircraft engines arrive for maintenance. Components in need of maintenance and repair are removed from the engine after inspection and transported by an automated mobile robot to the second gate.
After repairs and checks are completed, the engine is reassembled at the third gate and undergoes final testing before being cleared for service.
New in the space is a polishing robot arm, which plays many vital roles. It is able to achieve high-quality surface finishes on engine components, saves up to 102 man-hours per engine, and improves workplace safety by minimising exposure to harmful metallic dust.
'This space is very aligned to industrial practices and the latest trends in this field. So we are very close to what the industry needs,' said Mr Wong.
As a trainee in ITE's work-study diploma course in aircraft engine maintenance since 2023, Ms Siti Sauhana, 23, spends 70 per cent of her time learning and working in the assembly line area at ST Engineering. The remainder of the course is spent at ITE.
She said of Onboarding@Skill: 'They have captured the whole set-up for the industry, because the three gates are also what we learn about at work. So this shows students what we can expect when we go to the working site.'
Cutting-edge software and robots for learning
Since April 2024, students enrolled in three Higher Nitec courses at the School of Electronics and Info-Comm Technology have been able to tinker with humanoid robots and use state-of-the art software.
This is thanks to the Universal Omniverse Experience Centre, a facility that was built over a period of 15 months and became fully operational in July 2024.
More than 1,000 students learning about topics like artificial intelligence applications and IT systems and networks use this space for lectures, practical sessions and project work.
Students in the Higher Nitec in Immersive Applications and Game course with their lecturer, Ms Cheryl Lye (centre), at the Universal Omniverse Experience Centre at ITE College Central.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
Before it was upgraded, the space was used for teaching, storage and as a showcase for visitors, said Ms Cheryl Lye, 35, an ICT lecturer at the campus.
It now houses state-of-the-art servers, called the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI).
'If the computer specifications on my students' laptops are not the most updated, they can access the VDI by launching a browser within their devices,' said Ms Lye.
This allows students to access more demanding software that requires higher performance to run immersive applications and game programmes.
The space also has humanoid robots that are used in care homes and schools in Japan for various healthcare purposes. Ms Lye said students are eager to tinker with these robots and see how skills they learn can be applied in real life to help people.
'When we teach, we don't want to just talk at them. So we use real examples to excite them,' she said.
Higher Nitec student Brenda Angela with servers at the Universal Omniverse Experience Centre.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
Brenda Angela, 17, a second-year student in ITE's Higher Nitec in Immersive Applications and Game course, said she can now see how game-based elements can be used in non-gaming contexts, such as education.
'I did not know you could use virtual reality to create a package to teach how to do spray-painting on a ship,' she said, referring to a project done by ITE students and staff two years ago that is now displayed at the showcase area in the upgraded space.
'I had a very narrow mindset. But this new environment helps me explore other viewpoints. I can be more creative when I see the possibilities of what can be done.'
Elisha Tushara is a correspondent at The Straits Times, specialising in Singapore's education landscape.
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