The
emphasis on innovation stresses the need to build up capabilities
and skills to remain competitive. This need challenges both workers
and students to strive for a mindset that progresses beyond positive
attitudes to include spirit of innovation, resourcefulness and
creativity; to continue learning and master new skills; to adapt,
innovate and challenge paradigms. Brisk technological changes
render job skills outdated rapidly. Our future workforce need
to have the capability to learn new skills and the ability to
innovate and solve old problems. The future workforce is known
as the knowledge workers. Hence, while providing an environment
for students to acquire skills and knowledge, the Institute of
Technical Education (ITE) regards it as equally important to mould
its students into thinking individuals who continually seek innovative
best practices and apply new technology creatively. As a learning
organization, total training is of immediate importance to the
ITE to equip its students with attributes of a knowledge worker
and this includes encouraging students' participation in extra-curricular
activities. With this in mind, the concept of a Student Quality
Circle scheme was mooted and implemented in ITE West (Dover).