- Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills
Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, the Hon Karen Andrews MP, has held a bilateral meeting in Singapore to underscore the strength of the decades-long links between Australia and Singapore in higher education and training.
Minister Andrews met with the Senior Minister of State Dr Janil Puthucheary, as well as Ng Cher Pong, the CEO of Skills Future, Singapore.
“Australia and Singapore have enjoyed a strong relationship, stretching back to the Colombo Plan in 1951 that has seen an estimated 130,000 Singaporean alumni from Australian universities,” Minister Andrews said.
“Both countries are prioritising high-quality university degrees and vocational education and training (VET) qualifications. I’m sure there is still much we can learn from one another to ensure we’re training students with the skills of the future.”
Minister Andrews also visited James Cook University’s Singapore campus and the Singapore Institute of Technical Training, working in conjunction with the Box Hill Institute of TAFE, two of 25 Australian institutions offering programs in the country.
A roundtable dinner also brought together key leaders in education to discuss the workforce skills both countries need to meet the needs of the economy.
“I’m proud of the quality of Australian qualifications, but I also want to encourage more Australian students to consider Singapore as part of their study experience,” Minister Andrews said.
“Combined with the New Colombo Plan and the Singapore and Australia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), I’m confident we can support each other to allow even more Australian and Singaporean students to expand their horizons.”