New diploma course to train students on handling transportation issues

SINGAPORE —  Republic Polytechnic (RP) today (Jan 9) announced that it will be working with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and public transport operators SMRT Corporation and SBS Transit to tailor its new Diploma in Engineering Systems and Management (DESM) course to meet the manpower needs of an expanding transport system. 

The course will be the first polytechnic diploma to train students in soft skills such as rescheduling of buses and avoiding faulty tracks, as well as hard technical skills, such as train operation and maintenance. 

SMRT and the Employment and Employability Institute will also establish a bus career development centre by the second quarter this year to train bus drivers and develop their career path. 

The launch of RP’s new course followed consultations with industry experts. Third-year DESM students will undergo an internship at SMRT and SBS. At SBS, for example, students will gain experience in rail engineering or bus fleet maintenance over a period of four to six months, said Ms Tammy Tan, SBS Transit’s Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications. This would prepare them to work as like assistant engineers, who supervise technical officers in maintaining trains and buses, as well as station managers, who ensure that operations run smoothly. 

The DESM course will take in 60 students in April, and applications open Jan 12.