谭嘉燕目前就读于工艺教育中区学院人力资源与行政系一年级，因喜欢户外活动，两个月前加入学校的户外探险兴趣小组，并跟许多其他科系的同学一起参加为期三天的户外露营。
其间，参与绑紧跳让她印象深刻。她说，自己原本就惧高，从没想过有朝一日会有勇气从七层高楼跳下去。“以前参加过的露营，只要是高空项目我都无法完成。但这次同学和指导员不断鼓励我，我就跳下去了。”
跳下的一瞬间，谭嘉燕对于自己的勇气感到惊喜，战胜恐惧后也更有信心面对生活的挑战。
此次别具意义的户外露营经验，也让谭嘉燕学会如生火、煮饭、搭帐篷等不少野外求生技能，让她在未来职业规划中有了更多选择。“兴趣小组还与企业或机构合作，让我在之后有机会去实习和进修，也许未来能够成为一名真正的露营指导员。”
户外探险是新加坡青年影响组织（Singapore Youth Impact Collective）旗下项目的兴趣小组之一，该组织昨早于工艺教育中区学院为两个新项目及一间名为“APTITUDE”的新活动中心举行开幕仪式。
青年影响组织在2017年由樟宜基金会、触爱社会服务及新加坡社会基金会等六家企业组成，目的在于通过鼓励工教院的学生参与不同兴趣小组，教导相关技能，帮助他们提升专业课程之外的职场技能。
除了兴趣小组，新开幕的APTITUDE活动中心设有沙发、会议桌、电玩机及多款桌面游戏卡牌等休闲设施，是学生课余时间交流玩耍的安全场所。
截至目前，青年影响组织已为项目投放近100万元运转资金，开放给年龄介于17至25岁的工教院学生。主办方希望在未来三年内让230名学生受益。
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Tan Jiayan of ITE College Central participated in the school’s outdoor adventure interest group and successfully overcame her fear of bungee jumping, as well as learnt outdoor skills. This in turn provides her with more choices in career planning, and she is considering becoming an outdoor instructor in the future.
The experience of bungee jumping enables 19-year-old Tan Jiayan to develop life skills, and also prepares her for the future workplace with the new skills she has picked up.
Tan Jiayan is currently enrolled as a first year student of Human Resource and Administration at ITE College Central. She likes outdoor activities and joined the school’s outdoor adventure interest group two months ago, participating in a three-day outdoor camp with other students.
The bungee jump left an impression on her. She has a fear of heights, and never thought that she would have the courage to jump from a seven-story building. “In previous camps, I couldn’t complete any high-altitude activities. But this time, with the encouragement of my course mates and instructors, I could do it.”
At the moment of jumping, Tan Jiayan was pleasantly surprised by her courage. After overcoming her fear, she is more confident to face other challenges in life.
This unique outdoor camping experience also allowed Tan Jiayan to learn a range of outdoor skills such as fire-starting, cooking, tent pitching, so that she has more choices in her career planning. “The interest group also works with companies or organisations which may offer me opportunities of internship or further training, and maybe become a real outdoor instructor in the future.”
Outdoor adventure is one of the interest groups enabled by the Singapore Youth Impact Collective, which launched two new programmes and an event centre called ‘APTITUDE’ at ITE College Central yesterday.
The Singapore Youth Impact Collective consists of six organisations including Changi Foundation, TOUCH Community Services and the Community Foundation of Singapore. It aims to help students from the college to improve their professional skills by encouraging them to participate in different interest groups and pick up workplace skills.
In addition to the interest group, the newly opened APTITUDE centre also has leisure facilities such as sofas, conference tables, video games and a variety of table games. It is a safe place for students to socialise and play in their spare time.
Up till now, the Singapore Youth Impact Collective has invested nearly $1 million in operating funds to support the programmes which are open to students of ITE colleges between the ages of 17 and 25. The organisers hope to benefit 230 students over the next three years.
