As Singapore sought to attract companies with a more sophisticated technological base (e.g. silicon wafers,
computers), a major goal of this second phase was to produce technical workers at all levels. Concerned about the
low status of blue-collar jobs, from 1992 Singapore invested significantly in the Institute for Technical Education
(ITE; Box 7.2). With a number of campuses around the city, the ITE provides high-quality technical and vocational
education, with high-tech facilities and amenities that are comparable to those of modern universities elsewhere.
Each technical field is advised by industries in that sector to keep it current with changing demands and new
technologies. New programmes can be built for multinational companies looking to locate in Singapore. There
has been strong market demand for ITE graduates, and it is possible for the top graduates from the ITE to go on
to polytechnics and then to university. As a result of these changes, the image and attractiveness of vocational
education vastly improved. At the top end of the technical workforce, the number of university and polytechnic
places was also expanded during this period to increase the pool of scientists and engineers.