XN000022-1984-06-02 — Page 8

SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1984

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COMPETITIONS TO BOOST CRAFTSMEN'S STATUS

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NINETEEN FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME DAY-RELEASE STUDENTS OF TECHNICAL INSTITUTES WERE AWARDED CERTIFICATES OF MERITS AND PRIZES TODAY (SATURDAY) FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN CRAFT SKILLS COMPETITIONS.

THE CONTESTS WERE HELD RECENTLY BY THE FIVE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL (VTC).

THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE ANNUAL CRAFT SKILLS COMPETITIONS ARE TO GIVE MORAL SUPPORT TO THE IR CRAFT STUDENTS AND TO BOOST THE SOCIAL STATUS OF CRAFTSMEN IN GENERAL.

SPEAKING AT THE PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY, MR H.R. KNIGHT, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE VTC, SAID THE SKILLS OF CRAFTSMEN HAD BEEN LONG UNDERSTOOD AND APPRECIATED BY PEOPLE ENGAGED IN TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY IN THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, CRAFT SKILLS OR CRAFTSMEN HAD NOT ENJOYED THE RECOGNITION THEY DESERVED, HE ADDED.

+ THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES HAD RUN CRAFT SKILLS COMPETITIONS FOR SEVERAL YEARS TO HELP PUBLICISE THESE SKILLS WHICH MUST BE LEARNT WITH PATIENCE AND APPLICATION AND CAN TAKE YEARS TO ACQUIRE AND PERFECT, MR KNIGHT SAID.

THE COMPETITIONS FOR BOTH FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME DAY- RELEASE STUDENTS COVER THE THREE MAJOR FIELDS MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING.

IN THE COMPETITIONS HELD BETWEEN THIS MARCH AND MAY, PARTICIPANTS WERE ENCOURAGED TO DO THEIR BEST IN BASIC MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL WORKS, MACHINING, BENCH FITTING, ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION AND THE MAKING OF ELECTRONIC ORGANS, WIRELESS MICROPHONES AND RADIO RECEIVERS.

IN VIEW OF THE GROWING SOPHISTICATION AND THE AUTOMATION DEVELOPMENT IN INDUSTRY, MR KNIGHT SAID THAT TODAY'S MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CRAFTSMEN LEARNED TO OPERATE NOT ONLY HAND TOOLS AND SMALL POWER TOOLS, BUT ALSO THE MOST COMPLEX AND EXPENSIVE MACHINE TOOLS, INCLUDING COMPUTER- CONTROLLED MACHINES,

+THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR, AND APPLICATION OF, ELECTRICAL POWER AND THE INCREASING USE OF MICROPROCESSORS IN THE CONTROL OF PLANT AND EQUIPMENT ALSO MEAN THERE WILL BE INCREASING DEMAND FOR SKILLED ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC CRAFTSMEN, HE ADDED.

MR KNIGHT THANKED THE CHEN HSONG MACHINERY COMPANY LTD FOR ITS SUPPORT AND DONATION OF PRIZES FOR THE COMPETITIONS.

TWENTY-FIVE OUTSTANDING STUDENTS OF THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES WERE ALSO AWARDED THE CHEN HSONG SCHOLARSHIP AT THE CEREMONY.

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