Business graduate takes ITE course to upskill himself in Automotive Technology field

This article was contributed by the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

Teo Wei Li Willie
Nitec in Technology – Automotive Technology (Light Vehicles) @ ITE College West
Recipient of e2i Gold Medal 2020

Smooth Sailing with New Skills

As a Business Development Manager in a company selling marine-related products, Willie is involved in the sales and distribution of engine parts and seawater pumps. Although he has a diploma in Mechatronics Engineering and a Business degree, Willie’s lack of technical knowledge in the automotive field, however, meant that he struggled in understanding catalogues and looking for the right parts.

Despite conducting research, Willie was unable to grasp the knowledge and concepts, and decided to undergo formal training to upskill himself. ITE’s curriculum and hands-on training was exactly what Willie was looking for and he decided to sign up for an Automotive Technology course.

His enthusiasm and drive saw him excel in his course, despite having minimal knowledge on the subject, while juggling his work and family commitments. Yet Willie even found time to help weaker classmates in their school work.

ITE has not only given Willie the skills and confidence to provide solutions and technical support to his clients, but also the knowledge to communicate effectively with his technicians and engineers. As a bonus, Willie can now troubleshoot his wife’s car if it ever has a problem!

Changing Perspectives

Willie shared: “I had reservations about joining the ITE CET programme, but they were quickly eclipsed by what the school and teachers offered.

"From the very first lesson, there was always something new and interesting to learn. Not only did I gain theoretical and practical knowledge, the experience also changed me – I learnt to approach the unknown with  great curiosity.”

After ITE

The training at ITE equipped Willie with the necessary skills to perform his job efficiently and to solve customer’s issues.

Top Achievements

• Willie achieved the Certificate of Merit and Gold Course Medal for his course.
• He used to find it frustrating that he is unable to relate to his clients and understand their problems fully. He also struggled to understand catalogues and manuals, which further hindered his work. The training he received at ITE gave him the skills needed to use the tools in his job effectively. He could also read service manuals and diagrams with ease now, thereby increasing the pace of his learning at work.