THE Institute of Technical Education (ITE) will be launching a new School of Design and Media next year.

To be housed in ITE College Central, it will offer programmes that allow students to design spacecraft, learn animation and study visual effects and motion graphics.

'The new school will focus on programmes that will develop creative talents for Singapore's design and media sectors,' said Senior Minister of State for Education Lui Tuck Yew.

He was at the ITE graduation ceremony held at the National University of Singapore yesterday. More than 11,500 students received their certificates and medals.

He said the courses will help ITE keep up with changes in the economy, offering students skills that will come in handy as the digital entertainment industry expands.

He said ITE students enjoy chances for international exposure through the Global Education Programme, which includes overseas attachments, student exchanges, community service and sports and cultural programmes.

These were perhaps some of the factors that helped 93 per cent of last year's graduates find employment within six months of graduation. ITE graduates command an average monthly salary of $1,400.

At yesterday's ceremony, the top student of this year's cohort, Timothy Jung Ming, 18, was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal.

The Culinary Skills (Western) student partnered a top local chef for the Bocuse d'Or Asia Pacific Culinary Competition in Shanghai earlier this year. They won a bronze medal and the right to enter the International Competition in France next January.

Timothy had once considered studying business administration at Republic Polytechnic. But the course was not something he wanted to do.

'Ultimately, it doesn't matter where you are from - whether it's ITE or a polytechnic,' he said.

'The battle is not in schools, but in the industry.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on July 30, 2008.