SOME 300 students from 10 schools in Penang will be benefiting from Bentley Education’s DIGITECH Programme, which is an initiative to enhance STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education.
According to Naraindrran Loganathan, the regional senior program manager of Bentley Systems, the programme will be focusing on upper secondary school students, namely Form 4 and Form 5 students.
He said the curriculum for the programme would be created and designed by Forward School with the support of Penang STEM.
“To enrol in the programme, students will need to sit for an aptitude test so that we will have the right target group.
“For the first year, students will be learning the basic computer programming skills where they will be learning how software is created and how the code is being developed.
“The second year, they will be taught how to apply the computer knowledge that they have to solve infrastructure problems in the real world.
“For instance, we will be using the Penang South Islands (PSI) as one of our key areas that they must work and this will be part of our competition programme as we want to include the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals,” he said during a mock cheque presentation ceremony today at Komtar.
Bentley Education has sponsored RM110,000 for the DIGITECH Programme.
Naraindrran also shared his concern about the drop in the number of students pursuing science subjects lately.
“We aim to ignite students’ interest in STEM subjects through this programme. If successful, we plan to expand it nationwide and take it to Southeast Asian countries,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the collaboration was a significant milestone in the state government’s ongoing efforts to provide quality STEM education and foster innovation among the youth.
“Bentley has helped us in bridging the gap between academia and industry by sponsoring the infrastructure learning course as part of our STEM initiative.
“This gives our students the practical skills and real-world experiences that will prepare them for the demands of the modern workforce.
“Apart from this programme, Bentley also sponsored our lower secondary students last year via the Design-Engineer-Construct programme. It was a resounding success where a total of 50 students gained valuable insights into 3D design and construction of buildings.
“This year, Bentley has once again agreed to sponsor the Design-Engineer-Construct programme, which will benefit seven schools with about 150 students,” Chow said while thanking Bentley for its unwavering commitment to education as well as for providing financial assistance.
“Your sponsorship has not only provided financial assistance but has also served as a source of motivation for our students to strive for excellence and pursue their dreams.
“I would also like to register my appreciation to Forward School as the training partner working with Penang Maths Platform (PMP) and Bentley Education.
“I would like to thank our state Education Department (JPNPP) and the schools involved for endorsing and supporting this critical programme for our talent of tomorrow,” he added.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Alissala Thian
Video by Law Suun Ting