NANYANG Polytechnic launched a new engineering diploma on Friday, with a digital manufacturing component to attract youths to take up the course.

The diploma in digital and precision engineering is one of four new offerings for the coming school term in April.

The other three are final year specialisation tracks, which are in demand by the industry: aerospace electronics, fund management and administration, and information security.

Mr David Wong, deputy director of the polytechnic's school of engineering said that while it has been challenging trying to attract youths to take up engineering, the new diploma comes with many attractive components to get them to enrol in.

All 120 students admitted will be offered a scholarship by the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Spring Singapore which covers the full course fees, a monthly allowance of $800, and a chance for an overseas attachment in Germany, Switzerland, Holland or Japan.

Another aspect of the course which may appeal to youths is the digital manufacturing component.

'Instead of working in a sweatshop, students will be working on computers to digitally design and create an object,' he said.