I would like to raise an ongoing issue at a local university that I hope the authorities would look into as soon as possible.
The university in question recently highlighted its focus on practical learning with the aim of ensuring that its students acquire skills relevant to the industry.
However, there has been a severe lack of maintenance on lab equipment and apparatus, leading to students having to resort to simulation instead of hands-on experience.
One such example is the oscilloscope, which desperately needs to be fixed. Then there are other equipment that have been out of order for ages, such as the spectrum analyser and the soldering station.
In our discipline, it is of utmost importance that we get as much lab time as possible.
So if the focus is on making sure the students are industry-ready, denying us practical learning opportunities seems at odds with the university’s objective of providing the industry with a skilled locally-educated workforce.
A batch of students will be graduating this June. With the lack of exposure to hands-on experience, I’m concerned that these individuals would be shunned by the industry for lacking relevant knowledge and skills.
Ill-Equipped
