Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) offerings have changed significantly over the years.

Speaking on the sidelines of a fund-raising event, Mr Heng said ITE no longer imparts just vocational skills.

Rather, it takes a holistic approach where personal development is also taken into consideration.

Mr Heng was at ITE Headquarters and College Central on Sunday for the culmination of the Million-Metre Run.

An ITE alumnus, Bruce Tong, had run a million metres, or 1,000 kilometres, around Singapore to raise funds for financially disadvantaged ITE students.

His run had taken several weekends over the last three months.

The run, which is jointly organised by the National Youth Achievement Award, Gold Award Holders' Alumni (GAHA) and ITE, took Mr Tong past ITE's old satellite campuses as well as its new mega colleges.

Mr Heng said the new brand of ITE education is reflected in Mr Tong's achievement.

He said: "If you look at many students who have graduated, and Bruce being a very good example, our students learn how to be resilient, how to develop deep emotional and social skills.