SAESL expands aerospace talent pipeline under four new partnerships

Initiatives are expected to support up to 200 trainee technicians annually.

Singapore Aero Engine Services Private Limited (SAESL) will sign four memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to expand its aerospace talent pipeline and advance maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) technologies.

The partnerships with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Republic Polytechnic (RP), Temasek Polytechnic (TP) and ASTAR Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ASTAR ARTC) will be signed at MRO Asia-Pacific 2026. It will cover training, internships, traineeships, work-study programmes, and hands-on industry experience.

"Singapore's aerospace industry will continue to depend on a strong pipeline of skilled local talent and continued development of advanced technologies,” said Chris Pattinson, chief executive officer, SAESL. Through these partnerships, we are creating more opportunities for young talent to gain direct experience in aerospace MRO and build meaningful long-term careers in the sector.

Peter Lam, chief executive officer of ITE, also noted that SAESL will offer 30 Work-Study Diploma placements in 2027 through its partnership with ITE. The collaboration will also include scholarships, staff attachments, and curriculum development.

“Closer industry collaboration and staff attachments will also strengthen our training and help ensure that our curriculum remains aligned with evolving industry needs,” he added.

TP has trained nearly 600 SAESL trainee technicians since 2021, whilst SAESL has hosted 260 TP engineering students as interns.

“As MRO becomes more advanced and data-driven, we need a workforce that is adaptive, digitally fluent and grounded in strong engineering fundamentals,” said Patrice Choong, principal & CEO at Temasek Polytechnic.

Jeanne Liew, principal & CEO at Republic Polytechnic, said the RP partnership will provide students and working professionals with industry exposure and applied learning through the RP Aerospace Hub.

Separately, SAESL and A*STAR ARTC will collaborate on advanced MRO technologies, including AI-native and autonomous inspection, assembly and disassembly solutions. It will also support local small and medium-sized enterprises in adopting and industrialising advanced manufacturing technologies.

“This new five-year collaboration reflects our shared commitment to accelerate the deployment of nextgeneration MRO technologies, strengthen workforce capabilities, and advance Singapore’s aerospace ecosystem,” said David Low, chief executive officer of A*STAR Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (A*STAR ARTC).

The initiatives are expected to support up to 200 trainee technicians annually as SAESL plans to hire more than 1,000 technicians over the next five years.

The partnerships form part of SAESL’s $242m expansion and transformation programme, which includes a new 26,000-square-metre facility in JTC’s Loyang industrial estate, scheduled for completion in 2027, as well as an expansion into Rolls-Royce’s existing premises at Seletar Aerospace Park.

SAESL will also expand into Rolls-Royce’s existing premises at Seletar Aerospace Park and aims to increase its MRO capacity by 40%.

The initiatives will complement SAESL’s Training Academy, established with support from the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).