Image School of Technology

THERE is a demand for students like 19-year-old Mullai Nathan.

He is one of the local IT talents the Image School of Technology wants to groom in order to fill what it sees as a gap in the current labour market here.

One of the school's directors, Mr Rajan Nagarajan, said the school hopes to bring back the IT jobs that have been outsourced to India and China.

After all, he pointed out, Singapore has one of the best infrastructures in the world and no shortage of talented individuals.

Mullai is currently enrolled in a two-year, part-time Image Certified Professional Diploma course at the school. With many other schools offering IT-related courses, what sets the Image School of Technology apart?

Mullai, who has a keen interest in IT, said: "This school is different from other schools. The main thing that attracted me to the school is its specialisation in IT.

"I went to a few polytechnics' Open House days with my friends, but could not find what I was looking for.

"The courses offered by the polys were not just about IT, but included other subjects, like maths and science. They were not as appealing to me as I wanted something specialising in IT."

Another drawing point, said Mullai, is the timing of his classes.

Since starting his course in August last year, he has been attending classes on weekday evenings as well as on weekends, making up a total of15 hours a week. This allows him to work part-time so as to fund his education.

Mullai enjoys his classes tremendously as it provides ample learning opportunities.

Classes are interactive and hands-on, he said, noting that everything is taught using computers instead of books.

Hesaid: "The computer labs are always open for students and the teachers are always there to help – not just in the classroom, but also outside of it. I can call the teachers on their handphones any time I need help.

"Even though I encountered a lot of problems while learning programming, I know that the teachers are right there to help me.

"The teachers are experts in programming. But they don't tell you the solution right away. They make you think first. Only when you really cannot crack the problem will they come to your help."

When he missed certain classes previously, he had only to call and arrange to meet the lecturer in school – even on Sundays – to get help with the material from the classes that he had missed.

"The teachers don't just teach and go, they make sure that you learn," said Mullai.

Mr Philip Teo Poh Huat, 45, a part-time lecturer at Image, teaches the introduction to programming module. Mr Teo, who has a Masters in Technology from NUS, has also taught at the ITE and secondary school levels.

Impressive students

He is impressed with the students at Image.

"Even though the students are holding jobs, they remain very hardworking when it comes to their studies," he said. "I had one student who drove a cab, but still found time to attend classes and arrange for extra lessons."

To help students keep up-to-date with tutorials, Mr Teo created an online forum where he can post lecture notes and tutorials.

Even though he is only four months into his programme, Mullai is already flexing his intellectual muscles in real-life situations.

Mullai said that he is able to use what he has learned to help friends with computing problems.

He has helped friends who have trouble installing new software into their computers. He has also gotten rid of viruses on his friends' computers by setting up virus protection for them.

He said: "The school is giving me more than I expected. When I first joined, I thought I would have to help myself, but there's actually a lot of help available."

The school is also in touch with RHB Bank to offer advice to students who might need help with their study loans.