VOCATIONAL TRAINING DURING PERIOD OF NATIONAL SERVICE

Encik Abbas Abu Amin asked the Minister of Defence how many persons have been trained in a skill or craft whilst undergoing National Service and whether his Ministry has any plan to inject more vocational training during the period of National Service and if it will consider the use of facilities provided by the Vocational and Industrial Training Board, the Economic Development Board and other government training centres.

The Minister of State of Defence (Dr Yeo Ning Hong) (for the Minister of Defence): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Defence has for its primary objective and responsibility the build-up and maintenance of a military capability and preparedness consistent with our national defence and security. Its main task is to provide our national servicemen with the necessary military training to enable them to defend their home and country. To this end, our young national servicemen, after basic military training, are assigned to combat and service vocations. They are then given further training in field craft as well as operational and technical skills to enable them collectively to constitute a well-organized and efficient fighting force. As our armed forces become more technically orientated, the number of men trained in technical and vocational skills will increase correspondingly.

Currently some 20,000 national servicemen are enlisted into full-time national service each year. Normally about half of these are assigned to combat vocations, The other half are assigned to service and technical vocations, like electrician, finer, mechanic, and various categories of technician, tradesman, and craftsman. National servicemen are given vocational training in skills or trades consistent with the vocations they are assigned. Those assigned to combat vocations (including Officers and NCOs) gain valuable experience as well as supervisory and manmanagement skills. Service and technical personnel are trained in those skills that have direct relevance to their work. In many instances, such training is of great value in the civilian sector so that they can, in addition to making a valuable contribution to our defence effort, also enhance their earning capacity on completion of their two to 2 1/2 years of national service.

Mindef is conscious of the importance of skilled manpower as a national resource. It would like to provide as many national servicemen as possible with some skill or craft which would be useful in civilian life. To upgrade the training of our national servicemen in the service and technical vocations, the following steps have been taken:

(a) Since April 1980, a Joint Apprenticeship Training Scheme has been instituted by the SAF and the VITB to enable certain national servicemen to qualify for NTC-3 (National Trade Certificate 3) or NTC-2. Those national servicemen who are assigned to technical vocations which are directly equated to VITB training are given day-release to attend theory classes at VITB. Their practical training during their full-time national service in the SAF is accepted as equivalent to on-the-job training and qualifies them for NTC-3 or NTC-2 on successful completion of their courses.

(b) The SAF runs regular ordnance engineering training courses to upgrade the quality of its mechanics and technicians. The standard of this training is equivalent to those provided by the VITB.

National servicemen who are assigned to combat vocations are given every opportunity to learn some skill during their national service. The acquisition of such skills must, however, be consistent with our primary objective of national defence. It must also take into account the operational and training requirements of the SAF. Mindef has been conducting joint studies with VITB and EDB to explore the feasibility of using more of the training facilities at the Government Training Centres so that our national servicemen can benefit from the industrial and technical training at appropriate levels.

Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi: Sir, noting that there will be more technical and technological training of national servicemen and noting in the Minister's remarks that this training is of value to the national servicemen in their civilian occupation, could the Minister of State inform the House as to how the Ministry of Defence selects these trainees, and what criteria does the Ministry use in selecting those for the various training schemes?

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Mr Speaker, Sir, the assignment of national servicemen to the various vocations takes into account both the medical status as well as the educational qualifications of the national servicemen. This is to ensure that we do not have square pegs in round holes.

Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi: Sir, assuming that their medical standing is equal, does it mean that priority is given in accordance with the level of educational achievements?

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Mr Speaker, Sir, yes.