SINGAPORE — Three years ago, at the age of 35, Sri Mardiah Suharman made the leap to quit a 14-year career in the airline industry and go back to school full-time at ITE College East to pursue a Nitec in Nursing.
Mardiah, now 38, had been a member of the Qatar Airways cabin crew since the age of 20, and was based in Qatar. She returned to Singapore when flights were grounded because of the Covid-19 pandemic, during which she pondered a career change after witnessing the tenacity of healthcare workers.
She started her studies at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) in 2022, and her stellar grades saw her clinch the top nursing graduate award for her cohort. She could also fast-track her studies by moving on directly to a diploma in nursing at Ngee Ann Polytechnic instead of taking her Higher Nitec.
On July 29, Mardiah was one of 11,964 students who graduated from ITE this year. Among them, 604 received certificates of merit for being among the top graduates of their cohort, while 222 received course medals for topping their respective courses.
At the graduation ceremony at ITE College Central, Mardiah also received one of ITE's 18 top graduate awards, which include the Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal, Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal and Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal.
She was awarded the Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal, which is presented to an outstanding ITE graduate from each ITE college for excellent course performance, active participation in co-curricular activities and contributions to the respective college.
"Having not studied for over 20 years, I struggled when I first entered ITE. I needed more time to catch up and process information," she recalled. "With the help of my classmates and lecturers, I managed to overcome these difficulties."
Mardiah, who has been living off her savings and does not intend to work part-time while in polytechnic, knows that her future pay and job scope as a nurse will be starkly different from those of her previous job. But she said she does not regret making the switch.
"There's a big difference in the money, but money isn't everything at the end of the day."
She added: "I'm at an age where I need to consider (the salary) — it's very important to me. But I'm thinking far ahead. I want to have a career that I'm passionate about and that is fulfilling. And nursing sits very well with me."
Esther Tan Xuan Ting, 21, who pursued a Higher Nitec in Early Childhood Education, was one of three recipients of the Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal at ITE's graduation ceremony on July 29.
This award is given to the top ITE graduate of each ITE college who has excelled in academic performance and co-curricular activities, and enriched the community or college life.
Tan's achievement came in spite of challenges at home during her four years in ITE College Central from 2020 to 2023.
When she was in Secondary 3 in 2018, her father was diagnosed with cancer and had to stop working. Her mother also could not work, as she had to be his primary caregiver.
They have since had to tap their savings and rely on financial aid to cope with living expenses.
Nevertheless, Tan achieved a perfect grade point average score of 4.0, and was on the Director's List for all terms from 2022 to 2023. On top of that, she held various leadership positions, such as president and music director of ITE's That Acapella Group.
She was also the senior president of the Student Icons Group, which hosts campus tours for secondary schools.
She said her greatest motivation is to make her parents proud, and that she prides herself on being an all-rounder. "I wasn't an all-rounder to begin with. I think it just grew from my passion and how much I really wanted to learn, grow and develop, and do my best not just for myself, but for my parents as well," she said.
Tan is now pursuing a diploma in early childhood development and education at Temasek Polytechnic. She aspires to be an early childhood educator.
This year also marked the graduation of ITE's first batch of students under the enhanced three-year Higher Nitec programme. Over 50 students completed their certification within an accelerated timeframe, taking just two years. It typically takes four years to get a Higher Nitec certification.
At the ceremony, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Education Maliki Osman noted that close to nine in 10 graduates who were seeking employment found work within six months of graduation, and urged prospective employers to join the Government's efforts in helping ITE graduates to upskill.
Said Dr Maliki: "What matters ultimately is that companies recognise and pay our graduates based on their abilities. And beyond that, that companies invest in their training, and provide opportunities for them to apply their upgraded skills to better contribute back to you."
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
