DPM Teo Chee Hean at Official Opening of IES Green Building @ Bukit Tinggi on 16 February 2016

Er. Chong Kee Sen, President of The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES),

Members of IES,

Fellow engineers,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening.  Just over three years ago, in December 2012, I was here for the ground-breaking ceremony of the new IES Green Building @ Bukit Tinggi. I am happy to join all of you here today to celebrate its official opening.

This year, IES celebrates its 50^th anniversary as the national society of engineers in Singapore. Engineers and engineering have played a big part in Singapore’s development over the past 50 years. Putting in place housing, public utilities, transportation and communications infrastructure to improve the lives of Singaporeans. NEWater, the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System, Marina Barrage, Marina Coastal Expressway, and new MRT train lines, are just a few of the recent examples. Creating good jobs for Singaporeans in a wide range of sectors including electronics, petrochemicals, rigs, manufacturing, construction, and related services sectors. Building for Singapore and for the world.

Last year, IES launched the Engineering Feats @ IES-SG50 to identify and recognise the top 50 engineering achievements deemed by Singaporeans to have made the greatest impact to Singapore’s growth over the past 50 years. I understand that IES will be putting up the shortlisted entries for public voting on 1 March. This will help to raise public awareness and appreciation of engineering.

50 years on, engineering continues to play a crucial role in driving our future development. As we transition into an innovation economy, we need to build up capabilities in newer engineering and multi-disciplinary fields such as bio-engineering, nanotechnology, aerospace, renewable energy, and build a Smart Nation to drive high value-added, knowledge-intensive activities. These will help to continue creating good jobs for Singaporeans. Engineering will also allow us to develop new solutions to optimise our resources and provide better living. These include developing underground spaces, reducing energy consumption, and improving flexi-work and communications and transportation networks.

In support of these efforts, the Public Service is growing its engineering capabilities and developing its engineering workforce to make Singapore even better for all of us.

First, the Public Service will employ an additional 1,000 engineers this year, which will increase the current pool by more than 13%. And we expect to grow the pool of engineers further next year. We need more and better engineers who go beyond just designing, building, operating and maintaining public infrastructure and systems with their deep technical expertise. More and more, public sector engineers will need to work across agency boundaries to provide holistic and integrated solutions with their strong systems engineering and technical leadership skills.

Second, public sector engineers will have access to structured training and development opportunities to help them continually refresh and upgrade their skills.

Third, the Public Service will introduce an Engineering Technical Leadership Programme. We will groom engineers with deep technical expertise to take on positions such as Chief Engineers, Chief Technologists and Chief Scientists in ministries and public agencies. These Engineering Leaders will provide scientific, engineering and technical leadership to the public sector engineering community, and build collaborative networks with industry and research partners so that the entire engineering community in Singapore will continue to excel and make significant contributions to transform Singapore in the next 50 years.

Fourth, the Public Service Division has reviewed public sector engineering salaries so that engineers are fairly compensated for the work that they do. Specifically, we will be revising the starting salaries for fresh graduate engineers, as well as in-service engineers to keep pace with market benchmarks. More details about these changes will be announced during the Committee of Supply debate in April.

I spoke about what the Public Service is doing to grow its engineering capabilities. As the national society of engineers in Singapore, IES can strengthen the professional and networking support for engineers. For example, encouraging more engineers to deepen their skills, including through professional certification, accreditation and chartership. Creating or strengthening platforms and networks for engineers from private and public sectors, academia and researchers to share and innovate, creating new knowledge and practices. Linking experienced engineers with engineers who have just started out, to serve as mentors. Reaching out to students and encouraging them to embark on an engineering career.

This new IES Green Building @ Bukit Tinggi allows IES to scale up its capacity and capability to serve its members and the engineering community. I congratulate IES, and the engineering community, on the opening of the new building, which has obtained the BCA Green Mark Platinum certification.

Just as engineers have played an important role in Singapore’s development in the past 50 years, let us work together to engineer a better Singapore and a better future for all of us.

Thank you.