Latest news with #NgeeAnnPolytechnic
Independent Singapore
19-07-2025
- Independent Singapore
What makes Singapore home? Locals share the small, sacred things
Photo: Wikipedia/CC SINGAPORE: A thread on r/Singapore started with a simple question: 'What are some things in Singapore that feel truly local?' The answers that followed didn't just reveal what makes this country unique — they revealed what makes it lived-in. One popular reply summed it up plainly: 'Being able to go downstairs at any point in the night, feel safe, find some food, and leave my stuff on a table without fear.' It's the kind of mundane magic that's easy to forget — until you leave. Another user recalled a cracked path behind Ngee Ann Polytechnic — wedged between a drain and an old fence, used by night walkers and overgrown by rain-soaked branches. One day, without fanfare, it was fixed. Then lit. Not just lit — floodlit — because conventional lampposts wouldn't fit. That kind of infrastructural attention, they noted, doesn't happen in most places. And they're right. In many cities, 'good enough' is the norm. Here, 'good enough' sometimes gets rebuilt overnight. However, perhaps the most poignant reflections came from a Malaysian who had lived in KL, Hong Kong, and now Singapore. Their verdict? 'The most uniquely Singaporean thing is the HDB void deck.' Not because it's grand. Because it isn't. It's where a Malay wedding and a Chinese funeral can happen within metres of each other. Where kids revise for exams, uncles drink and debate, and cats nap on stone benches. They added something else: 'I hope STB never tries to make the void deck a tourist attraction.' That quiet fear of losing authenticity in the name of showcasing it speaks volumes. Singapore's soul, it turns out, doesn't glow in neon. It flickers in fluorescent, in corners where the world doesn't look, and locals don't perform. It is both ordinary and irreplaceable. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Business Times
16-07-2025
- Health
- Business Times
Ngee Ann Poly students' app uses tech, AI to help seniors avoid falls
[SINGAPORE] A group of students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic is looking to develop a mobile app that allows seniors to independently conduct fall-risk assessments from the comfort of their own homes. Traditionally, seniors go to clinics to take fall-risk assessments, where doctors grade their ability to perform physical activities, such as walking. The app, called FallSafe, will allow them to conduct such assessments using their mobile phones. FallSafe combines Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and cloud-native technology. 'Our idea is to allow the elderly to use their mobile phones, which have gyroscope and accelerometer sensors. These are sensors that they can utilise to capture how they performed,' said 19-year-old Jeffrey Lee, who is part of the team behind the digital solution, which is in its proof-of-concept stage. The app has two steps – a questionnaire and a physical self-assessment. The assessment can be as short as 15 minutes, and seniors are encouraged to do it every six months to better understand their own bodies. 'We envision FallSafe to be a mobile app that they can download. When they hold it or put it in their pocket, they just need to walk. Based on how the phone moves, we are able to capture how well they performed in their physical self-assessment. We are then able to use those metrics to calculate the risk that the elderly have,' Lee said. He added that the app aims to provide seniors 'personalised, tailored feedback on how they can improve or maintain their current fall risk'. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Making it accessible for seniors Lee said FallSafe is 'among the first consumer-facing applications in Singapore' to explore the use of mobile phones for fall-risk assessments, without the need for specialised equipment or wearables. Previous studies in Singapore that focused on fall detection using gyroscope and accelerometer data relied on dedicated hardware. One of the biggest challenges was making sure the tech was user-friendly for seniors, said Lee. 'There are so many friction points in an app that to us, it could be second nature, but to the elderly, it is not… Whenever we created a feature, we would share it with our elderly testers and (get their input).' His team thus worked with welfare organisation Lions Befrienders to test FallSafe on seniors. The app is also multilingual, as it uses Google Translate and can be accessed in any language offered by that platform. Although there are no concrete plans at the moment to scale the tech as the team members are busy pursuing internships, they hope to eventually continue their partnership with Lions Befrienders to develop the app, and potentially work with other social service agencies and government agencies. In the long term, the team aims to adopt a social enterprise business model for FallSafe. Any profits made will be reinvested back into the tech for greater impact. Addressing a 'silent issue' Accessible digital solutions such as FallSafe are set to become especially relevant as Singapore's ageing population rises. The Republic is set to transition to a 'super-aged' society by 2026, with more than one in five people aged 65 and above. Lee, along with team members Jovan Ong, Putera Daniel and Kelvin Tan, are slated to win the Outstanding Innovation Team Award on Jul 22 at Ngee Ann Poly's Student Excellence Awards 2025. Falls are a 'silent issue' that is still 'persistent' and has 'far-reaching consequences' for seniors, said Lee. '(They) are the leading cause of injury-related hospital admissions among seniors. Beyond physical injuries such as fractures and head trauma, they can also cause devastating effects on mental well-being.' Lions Befrienders said that seniors usually take a fall-risk assessment only after an incident has occurred. With the user-friendly features and accessibility of FallSafe, the team hopes they will be encouraged to take a more pre-emptive approach to the issue.
CNA
13-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
Work It - Crushing the internship and landing a full-time job
In an increasingly competitive job market, it's not enough to secure a good internship. Your performance during the stint is a crucial stepping stone to nailing that full-time job. So what do you need to do to impress potential employers? Ho Zhi Hui, co-founder of Skilio, a startup matching up students with companies breaks it down. This episode was recorded live at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
CNA
04-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
A faster way to power your career move in tech
For Mr Daniel Teo, a facilities manager at the National Parks Board (NParks), upskilling with new tech skills helped him make a bigger impact at work. Managing energy data across more than 400 parks, Mr Teo had built a dashboard on his own. But without formal training, he hit a ceiling when it came to automating tasks and incorporating advanced features. To deepen his skills, he enrolled in the Specialist Diploma in Data Analytics at Ngee Ann Polytechnic's (NP) School of InfoComm Technology (ICT). Designed for working adults, the part-time programme gave him the flexibility to upskill while continuing in his full-time role. He picked up essential coding and learnt to use robotic process automation tools. The result? He developed an automation solution that saved NParks the workload of one full-time data entry staff. His initiative earned him both a Public Sector Transformation Award and an NParks Innovation Award. Encouraged by the experience, Mr Teo completed a second course – the Specialist Diploma in Applied Generative AI – in six months. 'The specialist diplomas enabled me to move from traditional facilities management into a more tech-driven position,' he said. 'I now use AI and data analytics to streamline processes and improve productivity.' Mr Teo's story reflects a growing number of professionals who are building future-ready skills while remaining active in the workforce – a goal that NP ICT's part-time programmes aim to support. 02:53 Min LEARN AT YOUR OWN PACE NP ICT's courses are built with flexibility in mind. Classes follow a blended learning model that combines online and in-person sessions, helping learners balance study with work and personal commitments. Modules can be stacked towards specialist diplomas, so learners can choose to progress at a comfortable pace or fast-track their learning. For instance, the Specialist Diploma in Data Analytics can be completed in nine months, and some learners have completed two specialist diplomas in under two years. Graduates of selected ICT part-time diplomas may receive exemptions of up to 12 subject credits when applying for ModularMaster programmes at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, in fields such as data science and cybersecurity. CREDENTIALS THAT MATTER Beyond flexibility, NP ICT's programmes are designed to deliver real outcomes in today's job market. Many include industry-recognised certifications from organisations such as CompTIA, EC-Council and PeopleCert, enabling learners to graduate with both academic qualifications and professional credentials valued by employers. NP ICT works closely with industry to keep its training relevant. Corporate programmes are co-developed with companies such as UOB, foodpanda and YouTrip to ensure the content reflects current workplace needs. 'We understand the demands that working adults face – limited time, competing responsibilities and the need for tangible outcomes,' said Dr Joel Yang, director of NP ICT. 'That's why our programmes are modular and industry-aligned, equipping learners with the credentials and confidence to take the next step in their careers.' Mr Jesse Loh's journey shows how this approach can open new doors. Formerly a continuous improvement specialist in logistics, he now works as a cybersecurity analyst at Visa. While on a traineeship at the company, Mr Loh enrolled in NP ICT's Specialist Diploma in Cybersecurity Practice to strengthen his technical skills. 'The course provided me with a broad understanding of key cybersecurity domains, including access management, encryption, network design and threat modelling,' said Mr Loh, who also holds a master's degree in management. 'It boosted my confidence to participate in technical discussions and gave me a clearer idea of where I want to deepen my expertise.' Whether building specialised expertise or pivoting into a new field, NP ICT's part-time programmes offer a practical way to gain future-ready skills without putting your career on hold.
Straits Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
New campaign by Singapore charity TomoWork spotlights persons with invisible disabilities
Mr Thaddaeus John Tham Yong Yi (right), who has dyslexia, and Ms Lai Su Ying, who is hard of hearing, at the launch of the Infinity Within Campaign at Republic Polytechnic on June 12. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO New campaign by Singapore charity TomoWork spotlights persons with invisible disabilities SINGAPORE – In secondary school, Mr Thaddaeus John Tham Yong Yi struggled in spelling and grammar. While his classmates were were doing well , he was barely passing his English composition essays. Unknown to them, Mr Tham has dyslexia, an invisible disability that affects his reading and writing skills. Unaware of his condition, his peers were confused as to why he was poor in the English language. When he later entered Ngee Ann Polytechnic to study biomedical engineering, the feeling of isolation deepened. This changed when he found help from TomoWork, a Singapore charity which advocates for disability inclusion in companies. Mr Tham, 20, has now taken a further step by helping to raise awareness of people with invisible disabilities like himself. The recent polytechnic graduate is part of a group of youth who worked with TomoWork to help shape a new campaign called Infinity Within. The year-long campaign, announced at Republic Polytechnic at the Tomo Day 2025 event on June 12, calls for greater support for people with invisible disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, and partial hearing or vision loss in Singapore. The campaign will feature a mix of online and offline initiatives, such as videos and articles available at and talks at TomoWork's corporate partners such as insurer Singlife to raise public awareness. As part of the campaign, TomoWork has produced an 'imVISIBLE pin'. In the shape of an infinity symbol, the pin is half-purple and half-transparent. The purple on the imVISIBLE pin represents allyship with persons with disabilities, while the transparent portion represents the unseen challenges of invisible disabilities. The infinity symbol is used as it has been a long-standing symbol associated with neurodiversity. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO The pin is meant for individuals to identify themselves with an invisible disability, for allies to show support for inclusion and to foster conversations about such disabilities. Speaking at the event, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua said: 'The pin represents not just disability, but also our collective commitment to build a more empathetic, caring and inclusive Singapore where everyone can truly contribute and thrive.' Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Social and Family Development & Ministry of Law, speaks at the launch of the Infinity Within Campaign. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Mr Tham, who helped design the pin, hopes that it will remind persons with disabilities that they are not alone. He said: 'I hope that the pin becomes a powerful, lasting symbol that shows people with invisible disabilities do exist, and that they deserve to be seen, heard and respected.' Mr Tham found a stronger sense of belonging after meeting peers with similar experiences, after joining TomoWork's Talent Accelerator Programme in 2025. The stint is a 12-week programme that aims to bridge the gap between education and employment for graduating polytechnic and ITE students with disabilities, by preparing them for work and helping them learn soft skills. During the programme, groups of students are attached to an organsation to come up with a solution to a problem. The programme's participants helped to produce all online content for the Infinity Within campaign. The pin will be given to all 33 participants of the 2025 programme, which ends on June 13, as well as donors who donate S$60 and above to TomoWork. Now in its fifth edition, 118 students with special educational needs have benefitted from the Talent Accelerator Programme since 2021. And nearly 80 per cent of them have found jobs within six months of completing the programme. Ms Lai Su Ying, 21, a participant of the programme in 2024, helped create videos for the campaign, sharing her experiences and challenges with her disability. Ms Lai, who is hard of hearing, hopes that the campaign will bring more attention to persons with disabilities and that general public will be more inclusive towards them. She said: 'We're not just disabled people. We are persons with disabilities. We are not disability focused first, we are still people first. We are all still people, and we are all still human.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
