THE Government and the private sector are pumping in $76 million to train more precision engineers for Singapore's substantial manufacturing sector.

The fund will go towards scholarships for students in a new diploma course in digital and precision engineering in Nanyang Polytechnic and upgrading courses for precision engineering workers already in the field.

Precision engineering skills are used to develop a wide range of products, such as the extremely thin camera modules in some mobile phones.

The new initiative will train 2,000 precision engineers over the next five years, and is jointly developed by the Economic Development Board and Spring Singapore.

Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, announced the launch of the plan on Tuesday at Nanyang Polytechnic while opening Engineering Week 2007, an event which hopes to draw more interest in engineering courses.