Having practitioners from industry to participate in the training of students is not a new concept  in SAB. In fact, Professional Attachment (PA) has been an integral part of our curriculum for a long time. SAB recognises the importance of linking students’ academic studies with industrial exposure. Hence students are attached to companies for a period of 8 weeks at the end of their second year to learn the know-how. For those students who are unsure of their career direction, PA exposes them to the many opportunities within the industry of their specialisation.

Mentorship Programme

The Division of Actuarial Science and Insurance has a much longer attachment programme, called the Mentorship/Career Guidance Programme, for its students. Five Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) have been signed between the University and all the 5 trade associations of the insurance industry for this purpose.

The first MOU was signed in 1993 between the President of NTU and the President of the General Insurance Association (GIA). The programme was initiated by the past president of GIA, Mr David Chan, who during his one-year part-time teaching stint in NTU in 1992, realised the need for greater interaction between insurance students in NTU and insurance practitioners in town. Since then four more MOUs were signed between the University and the trade associations, namely:
 
1. The Career Guidance Programme with the Life Insurance Association in 1994;
2. The SIBA Mentorship Programme with the Singapore Insurance Brokers’ Association in 1995;
3. The SRA Mentorship Programme with the Singapore Reinsurers’ Association in 1995; and
4. The SRBA Mentorship Programme with the Singapore Reinsurers Brokers Association in 1998.

Students who opt to participate in the programme are randomly allocated to the participating  companies of the elected programme for two years (i.e. during their second and third years). Each participating company assigns a senior practitioner as a mentor/counselor to the students, and he/she sets aside time and resources to guide the student. Most of the students continue their 8-weeks of Professional Attachment with their mentor companies. Since the beginning of the Mentorship Programme, we have a total of 290 students (78 actuarial and 212 insurance) who have participated in the programme.
 

University education helps you to develop your intellectual ability and to equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to approach and solve problems in an analytical and logical manner. PA provides you with the opportunity to integrate theory with practice, gain “hands-on” experience and be exposed to the many opportunities in the industry. Therefore, students who are going for their PA this May/June should make full use of the attachment and

? adopt a positive attitude and be diligent in their work,
? have an inquiring mind to learn,
? take the initiative and be pro-active.

Your potential employers will probably be evaluating you with the view of having you as their potential employee.

So it is up to you to make use of this golden opportunity to impress them and to turn “potential” employers into “sure” employers. Many employers are no making use of the Pas as a means to identify potential recruits. Also a number of students have been offered jobs by their PA companies before graduation. Therefore do put in extra effort during this attachment and build up a good network for your future employment. This is especially important in view of the current economic crisis.

Undoubtedly our students have benefited immensely from the PA programme and we wish to convey our thanks to you for the valuable time and resources that you have devoted to the PA programme. Thank you too for being so patient in training our students. We greatly appreciate your contribution as our partners in the field of learning. And by nurturing these young talents, the industry will also stand to gain from graduates who are well-groomed in theory and exposed to the working environment.

We certainly appreciate the burden on you, especially given your busy schedules, long working hours and heavy responsibilities. To make time for our students, to be patient with them, to respond encouragingly to their ideas, must surely be an onerous task. I believe there have also been delightful moments when intelligent young minds demonstrate how much they have benefited from your investment in them. Finally, in committing yourselves to the programme, you are making a useful donation of your time and resources. It is a splendid expression of your social commitment and it is a reflection of your willingness to further the standard of the industry. We are very fortunate to have practitioners like you who are so willing to be our partners in helping our students to learn the business in their respective field.

We look forward to your continual support.