Singapore Rail Academy to partner 5 educational institutions to help rail workers gain formal qualifications

The revamped academy will also bring together existing training by LTA, SMRT and SBS Transit under a consolidated curriculum.

Minister of Transport Jeffrey Siow interacting with students at the Singapore BusTech and RailTech Grand Challenge on Oct 24, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)

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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Rail Academy will partner five educational institutions to help rail workers gain formal qualifications by making it easier for their on-the-job training and industry certifications to count towards diplomas and degrees.

The partnership, announced by Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow on Saturday (Oct 24), is part of a broader revamp of the academy from November that will also see training programmes by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operators SMRT and SBS Transit brought under a common curriculum.

Speaking at the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) BusTech and RailTech Grand Challenge at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College West, Mr Siow said the partnership would make it easier for students to enter the rail industry and for existing workers to pursue further qualifications.

The five educational institutions are ITE, Nanyang Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, and the Singapore Institute of Technology.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Currently, industry certifications earned at operators or at the academy are not always recognised when a rail worker pursues formal diplomas or degrees later on, Mr Siow noted. The partnership aims to bridge this gap by linking industry training more closely with formal education. For instance, a student who takes up the Work-Study Diploma in Land Transport Engineering at ITE College West can gain practical experience with public transport operators while studying. After graduating and joining the workforce, the student can continue attending training programmes and earning certifications at the academy. If the worker subsequently decides to pursue a higher qualification, these certifications and training could count towards the next academic milestone. “He or she does not have to start from scratch,” Mr Siow said. “In all, our students will know that the future in this industry is bright. It is a glowing and thriving industry. And no matter where you start, there are clear pathways for you to go further.” LTA said the institutes of higher learning will develop more structured and complementary education and training programmes for the rail sector. These programmes will form pathways for new and existing rail professionals to build up industry-relevant skills and qualifications, including at the Higher Nitec and diploma levels. Institutes of higher learning will also explore new work-study programmes with public transport operators, allowing rail workers to pursue further qualifications while gaining practical industry experience, LTA said. Executive dean of the Singapore Rail Academy Lew Yii Der said the expanded academy marks an “important step forward” in strengthening Singapore’s rail workforce as the rail network grows and technology advances. “(The academy) will therefore provide more opportunities for them to deepen their expertise, develop new skills, help our rail professionals keep pace through training and professional development, while providing clearer pathways for them to deepen their skills and progress in their careers,” he said.

Currently, industry certifications earned at operators or at the academy are not always recognised when a rail worker pursues formal diplomas or degrees later on, Mr Siow noted.

The partnership aims to bridge this gap by linking industry training more closely with formal education.

For instance, a student who takes up the Work-Study Diploma in Land Transport Engineering at ITE College West can gain practical experience with public transport operators while studying.

After graduating and joining the workforce, the student can continue attending training programmes and earning certifications at the academy.

If the worker subsequently decides to pursue a higher qualification, these certifications and training could count towards the next academic milestone.

“He or she does not have to start from scratch,” Mr Siow said.

“In all, our students will know that the future in this industry is bright. It is a glowing and thriving industry. And no matter where you start, there are clear pathways for you to go further.”

LTA said the institutes of higher learning will develop more structured and complementary education and training programmes for the rail sector.

These programmes will form pathways for new and existing rail professionals to build up industry-relevant skills and qualifications, including at the Higher Nitec and diploma levels.

Institutes of higher learning will also explore new work-study programmes with public transport operators, allowing rail workers to pursue further qualifications while gaining practical industry experience, LTA said.

Executive dean of the Singapore Rail Academy Lew Yii Der said the expanded academy marks an “important step forward” in strengthening Singapore’s rail workforce as the rail network grows and technology advances.

“(The academy) will therefore provide more opportunities for them to deepen their expertise, develop new skills, help our rail professionals keep pace through training and professional development, while providing clearer pathways for them to deepen their skills and progress in their careers,” he said.

Minister of Transport Jeffrey Siow speaking at the Singapore BusTech and RailTech Grand Challenge on Oct 24, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)

EXPANDED TRAINING SCOPE, NEW CERTIFICATION SCHEME

The overhaul of the Singapore Rail Academy follows recommendations by the Rail Reliability Taskforce , as Singapore seeks to strengthen its rail workforce amid an ageing and increasingly complex MRT network.

Established by LTA in 2017, the academy currently conducts more than 20 training sessions annually for about 500 engineers who are new to the rail industry.

Rail operators SMRT and SBS also run their own training programmes for their wider operations and maintenance workforces, including competencies specific to each rail line.

Under the revamped academy, these programmes will be consolidated into a common curriculum to standardise training and make skills more transferable across operators.

It will also expand its training scope beyond engineers to include technicians and operations staff and professionalise training by providing new industry certification pathways.

For example, the academy will develop a new sector-wide professional certification scheme to recognise rail professionals who demonstrate “exceptional expertise and mastery” in rail maintenance and operations, LTA said.

The target is for 20 per cent of the rail operations and maintenance workforce to be recognised under this certification scheme, LTA added.

From early 2027, the academy will also progressively establish a rail-sector Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) certification framework, starting from Basic Certificates in Railway Operations and Railway Maintenance.

An advisory panel comprising local and international rail experts will also be convened to provide strategic guidance and share best practices on training and capability development.

“Taken together, these changes to the Rail Academy will help us build a stronger pipeline of skilled train professionals ... with clear standards and pathways to progress,” said Mr Siow.

GROWING NEEDS FOR SKILLED RAIL WORKERS

Mr Siow noted that the responsibilities of transport workers have changed over the years as the public transport system evolves.

The government is progressively electrifying Singapore’s bus fleet , with half of public buses to be electric by 2030 and the entire fleet to run on cleaner energy by 2040.

For bus engineers and technicians, this means learning to work with new high-voltage battery systems, electrical components and digital diagnostic tools – which are “entirely different” from managing a conventional diesel bus, said Mr Siow.

At the same time, Singapore’s MRT network is also ageing, and older lines will need to undergo major renewals even as the network continues to expand.

“In fact, we will shift our emphasis from opening new lines, to maintaining and upgrading existing ones,” Mr Siow said.

This was why authorities began extended scheduled closures of parts of the rail network for major upgrading projects last year, allowing projects to be carried out more quickly, efficiently and safely.

“As we focus more on upgrading and maintenance, we must build up an army of engineers and technicians who understand these systems deeply, who can make sound decisions, and carry out works safely,” Mr Siow said.

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改组后的学院还将把陆路交通管理局 (LTA)、SMRT 和 SBS Transit 现有的培训整合到一个统一的课程体系中。

2026年10月24日，交通部长萧敬腾在新加坡巴士科技与铁路科技挑战赛上与学生们互动。（图片：CNA/林丽婷）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：新加坡铁路学院将与五所教育机构合作，帮助铁路工人获得正式资格，使他们更容易将工作培训和行业认证计入文凭和学位。

交通部长萧敬腾于周六（10 月 24 日）宣布的这项合作，是该学院从 11 月开始进行更广泛改革的一部分，改革还将把陆路交通管理局 (LTA) 和地铁运营商 SMRT 和 SBS Transit 的培训计划纳入共同的课程体系。

萧先生在新加坡工艺教育学院（ITE）西区学院举行的陆路交通管理局（LTA）巴士科技和铁路科技大挑战赛上发表讲话时表示，此次合作将使学生更容易进入铁路行业，也使现有员工更容易获得更高的资格。

这五所教育机构分别是工艺教育学院 (ITE)、南洋理工学院、共和理工学院、新加坡理工学院和新加坡技术学院。

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小谜题，脑力挑战 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少 萧先生指出，目前，铁路工人在运营商或学院获得的行业认证，在他们日后攻读正规文凭或学位时，并非总能得到认可。此次合作旨在通过将行业培训与正规教育更紧密地结合起来，弥合这一差距。例如，在ITE西区学院攻读陆路交通工程工读文凭的学生，可以在学习期间获得公共交通运营商的实践经验。毕业并进入职场后，学生可以继续参加学院的培训课程并获得认证。如果该工人随后决定攻读更高学历，这些认证和培训可以计入下一个学术里程碑。“他或她不必从零开始，”萧先生说。 “总而言之，我们的学生将会了解到，铁路行业的未来一片光明。这是一个充满活力、蓬勃发展的行业。无论你从哪里起步，都有清晰的晋升路径。”陆路交通管理局（LTA）表示，高等院校将为铁路行业开发更加系统化、互补性的教育和培训项目。这些项目将为新老铁路从业人员提供途径，帮助他们提升行业相关的技能和资质，包括高级技师证书（Higher Nitec）和文凭课程。陆路交通管理局还表示，高等院校还将与公共交通运营商探索新的工读项目，使铁路从业人员能够在积累实践经验的同时，继续深造并获得更高的学历。新加坡铁路学院执行院长刘义德表示，随着铁路网络的扩展和技术的进步，学院的扩建标志着新加坡在加强铁路劳动力方面迈出了“重要的一步”。 “因此，（该学院）将为他们提供更多机会来加深专业知识，发展新技能，帮助我们的铁路专业人员通过培训和职业发展跟上步伐，同时为他们提供更清晰的途径来加深技能并在职业生涯中取得进步，”他说。

萧先生指出，目前铁路工人在运营商或学院获得的行业认证，在日后攻读正规文凭或学位时，并不总是得到认可。

该合作旨在通过将行业培训与正规教育更紧密地结合起来来弥合这一差距。

例如，在ITE西区学院攻读陆路交通工程勤工俭学文凭的学生可以在学习期间获得公共交通运营商的实践经验。

毕业进入职场后，学生可以继续在学院参加培训课程并获得证书。

如果该员工随后决定追求更高的学历，这些证书和培训可以计入下一个学术里程碑。

“他或她不必从零开始，”萧先生说。

“总而言之，我们的学生将会明白，这个行业的未来一片光明。这是一个充满活力、蓬勃发展的行业。无论你从哪里起步，都有清晰的道路可以让你走得更远。”

陆路交通管理局表示，高等学府将为铁路行业制定更加系统化和互补的教育和培训计划。

这些课程将为新老铁路专业人员提供途径，以培养与行业相关的技能和资格，包括高级Nitec和文凭级别。

陆路交通管理局表示，高等院校还将与公共交通运营商探索新的工作学习计划，使铁路工人能够在获得实践行业经验的同时，继续深造并获得更高的学历。

新加坡铁路学院执行院长刘义德表示，随着铁路网络的发展和技术的进步，扩建后的学院标志着新加坡铁路劳动力队伍建设迈出了“重要的一步”。

“因此，（该学院）将为他们提供更多机会来加深专业知识，发展新技能，帮助我们的铁路专业人员通过培训和职业发展跟上步伐，同时为他们提供更清晰的途径来加深技能并在职业生涯中取得进步，”他说。

新加坡交通部长萧敬腾于2026年10月24日在新加坡巴士科技和铁路科技挑战赛上发表讲话。（图片：CNA/林丽婷）

扩大培训范围，推出新的认证体系

新加坡铁路学院的改革是根据铁路可靠性工作组的建议进行的，因为新加坡希望在地铁网络老化且日益复杂的情况下加强其铁路劳动力。

该学院由陆路交通管理局 (LTA) 于 2017 年成立，目前每年为约 500 名铁路行业新工程师举办 20 多场培训课程。

铁路运营商 SMRT 和 SBS 也为其更广泛的运营和维护人员开展自己的培训计划，包括针对每条铁路线的特定技能。

在改组后的学院中，这些课程将被整合到一个通用课程体系中，以实现培训标准化，并使技能在操作人员之间更具可转移性。

它还将扩大培训范围，从工程师扩展到技术人员和运营人员，并通过提供新的行业认证途径使培训专业化。

陆路交通管理局表示，例如，该学院将制定一项新的行业范围内的专业认证计划，以表彰在铁路维护和运营方面展现出“卓越专业知识和技能”的铁路专业人员。

陆路交通管理局补充说，目标是让 20% 的铁路运营和维护人员获得该认证计划的认可。

从 2027 年初开始，该学院还将逐步建立铁路行业劳动力技能资格 (WSQ) 认证框架，首先推出铁路运营和铁路维护基础证书。

还将召集一个由本地和国际铁路专家组成的咨询小组，提供战略指导，并分享培训和能力发展方面的最佳实践。

“总而言之，铁路学院的这些改革将有助于我们培养更多技术娴熟的列车专业人员……并制定明确的标准和晋升途径，”萧先生说。

对熟练铁路工人的需求日益增长

萧先生指出，随着公共交通系统的演变，交通运输从业人员的职责也随之发生了变化。

新加坡政府正在逐步推进公交车队的电气化，到 2030 年，一半的公共汽车将实现电动化，到 2040 年，所有公交车都将使用更清洁的能源。

Siow先生表示，对于公交车工程师和技术人员来说，这意味着要学习使用新的高压电池系统、电气元件和数字诊断工具——这与管理传统的柴油公交车“完全不同”。

与此同时，新加坡的地铁网络也在老化，即使网络不断扩张，较老的线路也需要进行重大更新。

“事实上，我们将把重点从开辟新生产线转移到维护和升级现有生产线上，”萧先生说。

正因如此，当局从去年开始对部分铁路网络进行长期计划性封闭，以进行重大升级改造项目，从而使项目能够更快、更高效、更安全地进行。

“随着我们更加注重升级和维护，我们必须建立一支了解这些系统、能够做出合理决策并安全开展工作的工程师和技术人员队伍，”萧先生说。

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