Parl Sec Low Yen Ling at ASME Forum

​SPEECH BY MS LOW YEN LING, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION & MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, AT ASME FORUM 2015 ON WEDNESDAY, 25 NOVEMBER 2015, 12.40PM AT TEMASEK POLYTECHNIC AUDITORIUM 1 & 2

Mr Edmond Khoo
Deputy Principal & Director (Career & Education Services Centre), Temasek Polytechnic

Ms Irene Boey
Chairman, ASME Forum

SMEs,

Distinguished guests,
and students of Temasek Polytechnic:

1.            A very good afternoon to everyone present at ASME Forum 2015 @ TP. I would like to congratulate ASME and Temasek Polytechnic on the initiation of the first career forum for polytechnic graduates held with the small and medium enterprises. Thank you for inviting me to be part of this occasion.

How students can gain from participating in work and study programmes

2.            I see many excited faces among the students here today; some of you will very soon be graduating from your polytechnic, and may choose to embark on your career adventures right after. You have probably heard from your lecturers, seniors, or family members that mastering industry-relevant skills is critical for career advancement. We all know that our companies are facing greater competition from globalisation and the challenging economic environment, and they are increasingly looking beyond academic qualifications and are on the lookout for young talents who possess industry-relevant skillsets and a positive attitude. Developing industry-relevant skillsets can hence help you stand out from the crowd when searching for your first job.

3.            How can you then build these skills when you are still studying in school? These skills can be built through active participation in work-study programmes, which allow students to synergise and apply what you have learnt at school in your work. Working and studying at the same time helps you to better appreciate how concepts taught by your lecturers are further applied to the real world. Such experiential learning is very valuable because it will arm you with industry-relevant skillsets and knowledge that will certainly boost and smoothen your transition to work.

4.            The Government is actively helping students in this area. This year, we launched the SkillsFuture Earn-and-Learn Programme (ELP), which is a place-and-train programme for fresh polytechnic and ITE graduates to gain a head-start in careers related to their field of study. This initiative is part of the SkillsFuture movement that seeks to provide Singaporeans with the opportunities to develop their fullest potential, regardless of their starting points. Companies participating in the SkillsFuture ELP are committed to talent development and are well-placed to support ELP trainees in deepening their skills through structured on-the-job training and mentorship. ELP trainees will concurrently study for an industry-relevant qualification that will help them in their career advancement, while earning industry-competitive starting salaries and gaining valuable work experience.

5.            Other than the SkillsFuture ELP, students can also tap on the SME Talent Programme (STP), which is open to ITE, polytechnic and university students. The STP, administered by SPRING, supports internships, sponsorships as well as training and development opportunities for new hires. This allows students to gain industry exposure and secure career opportunities with high-potential local SMEs. Having a flatter organisational hierarchy also means that SMEs are well-placed to offer students opportunities for more direct guidance and mentorship from the management.

6.            While these programmes and initiatives are made available to you, it is your decision to take charge of your own learning and determine your own career direction. In order to be future ready in this rapidly changing world, we need to embrace lifelong learning – that means learning should not end when you leave school. There are plenty of occasions in every phase of life that will put to test your skillsets – seize every opportunity to relearn, upgrade and expand your skillsets. You can start taking small steps to plan for your future career path today by visiting the many SME exhibits here showcasing various job positions and career opportunities.

How SMEs can benefit from SkillsFuture

7.            I would also like to address the SMEs present here today. I believe many SMEs here would agree that strong human capital development and talent management play pivotal roles for SMEs to build sustainable competitive advantages; highly skilled employees can help companies raise productivity through enhancing operational effectiveness and developing innovative solutions.

8.            In this regard, initiatives like the SkillsFuture ELP and the STP do not only benefit students, they also benefit SMEs. They allow SMEs to attract key talent, develop them and retain human capital. Through these initiatives, the Government will continue to provide funding support and access to HR training for SMEs committed to strengthen their learning and development and talent management capabilities. These programmes would also allow you to gain access to vibrant and energetic young talent who can help drive innovation in your organisations.

9.            Business Connectivity Pte Ltd, a systems consultancy firm with 11 employees, with an annual sales turnover around $0.5 million, is one example. The company participated in the STP and offered its five STP interns a variety of roles, including the opportunity to assist in developing databases and prototyping mobile applications. Under the STP, the firm also hired three fresh hires who were offered 2-year career development plans, and provided various learning and development opportunities such as one-to-one mentorship, on-the-job training and relevant external training throughout the trainees’ bond period.

10.         Business Connectivity also tapped on the ELP to convert two of their STP fresh hires into ELP trainees. As ELP trainees, they work on company-based projects while also studying for a more advanced qualification.

11.         One of Business Connectivity’s converted ELP trainees, Tan Guan Rong, currently focuses on developing mobile and software applications at work. After being converted into an ELP trainee, he was enrolled in Nanyang Polytechnic for a Specialist Diploma in Game Development, which is a qualification that is recognised and valued by the industry. This has allowed him to expand his job scope from mobile and software applications development to include games development. As more and more companies like Business Connectivity are seeing value in attracting and nurturing talents like Guan Rong, I would like to encourage all SMEs to continue investing to develop your people and harness their full potential.

Importance of collaboration between Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs)

12.         Lastly, I would like to highlight the importance of collaborative efforts among our Institutes of Higher Learnings and Trade Associations and Chambers to reach out to companies and students, and facilitate Education and Career Guidance (ECG) through career fairs, industry sessions and company learning journeys. This will help expose students to various potential career opportunities, including those in SMEs. As employers and schools continue to work closely together, we will be able to strengthen school-industry linkages which will result in win-win-win outcomes for employers, schools, and also our students. Today’s event is a good example of such collaborations.

13.         I look forward to interacting with some of you during the dialogue session later, and wish that you will all have fruitful encounters at today’s Forum. Thank you.​