e2i GOLD MEDAL
Laurence Oh Tiong Yaw
Nitec in Technology – Electronics Engineering
ITE College Central
Growing with ITE
After completing his Industrial Technician Certificate in Mechanical Engineering in 1998, Laurence Oh decided to sign on with the Army. As a technician, he was constantly learning new skills for his work. Between 2002 and 2007, Laurence’s strong belief in building up his fundamentals led him to pursue two Automotive Technology courses and an Electronics (Computer & Networking) course at ITE.
In 2019, Laurence pursued the Higher Nitec in Technology (Electronics Engineering) course, after his superiors recommended he upgrade his skills following a promotion. He chose to return to return to ITE as he wanted a stronger foundation before pursuing a diploma in the same field. Drawing upon 20 years of technical and engineering experience, Laurence diligently completed his assignments, even taking on work that is not a project requirement. The effort he put into his course was an inspiration to his peers!
The Learning Never Ends
“Combining the strong foundation I have gained in ITE in various fields, and my years of work experience, I am better able to apply my skills and excel at work. Learning has no limits and I hope more of my peers and colleagues will be inspired to keep their knowledge current for lifelong employability.”
After ITE
Laurence is doing well as an Engineer with Headquarters Maintenance and Engineering Support Command, in the Singapore Armed Forces. He is now ready to deepen his skills further, and has applied for the Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Republic Polytechnic.
Top Achievements
- Laurence produced extraordinary work for his course assignments and gave his all during lessons, even after an exhausting day at work. For his commitment, perseverance and good academic results, he was awarded the e2i Gold Medal.
- For one of his projects, Laurence designed and fabricated a Printed Circuit Board. He gave the school a few of such circuit boards, including a fully assembled one complete with components and Raspberry Pi (a mini computer). He did so to inspire the other part-time students in their studies.
IES Engineering Award
How Jia Jun Wilson
Higher Nitec in Electronics Engineering
ITE College East
At Home with Technology
How Jia Jun Wilson firmly believes that technology is key to improving lives. Growing up, his father often discussed the latest technology trends and statistics with him. When he needed to refine his soldering skills in ITE, his mother gave him tips on how to do it better. He is perfectly at home with the use of technology and working hands-on on gadgets.
Passionate about the use of electronics and Internet of Things, Wilson cherishes every opportunity to pass on his knowledge. As President of the ITE College East Flying Club, he taught the community, as well as his schoolmates, drone programming skills. He also represented ITE and led the presentation on drone technology during two ministerial visits. Besides skills, Wilson also learned the importance of trying new things and persevering through failure at ITE. Today he is expanding his skills so he can use them to better the lives of others.
Technology for the Better
“So much of our lives are powered by technology. Technology is here today, and it is the future, so why not be a part of it? I believe that with technology, I can give back to others and better their lives. I also believe that we must not give up easily. This may seem simple on the surface. However, when the going gets tough, it is truly difficult to persevere. By not giving up, we can give ourselves another chance to do better.”
After ITE
Wilson is currently taking the Diploma in Computer Engineering course at Temasek Polytechnic. He hopes to be part of a company manufacturing consistently reliable tech products that help others as they go about their lives.
Top Achievements
- Wilson built a strong skills foundation at ITE, achieving a perfect Grade Point Average of 4.0. He also achieved a plethora of awards, including the Rotary-ITE Student Excellent Award (2021) by the Rotary Club of Bugis Junction, ITE Gold Service Star Award (2021) and EAGLES Award (2021).
- He joined The Sixth Sense Competition organised by Sick Sensor Intelligence, in 2021 and 2022. He won the Commendation Award in 2021 and the Silver Prize in 2022 for his projects. In 2022, he was selected to present his project for the Award Ceremony. This achievement is particularly special to him because he saw how his hard work had paid off and how he had improved during his second try.
- Wilson was also active in community work. This included raising funds for the needy under the 3M Moves programme, making masks for the elderly, and packing goodie bags for needy students under the GIC Sparks programme, and gathering rice for needy families under the Walk for Rice programme in 2020 and 2021.