For a young university student fresh out of school and standing on the cusp of the next stage in life, choosing a career that concerns your future can be a monumental task. The Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS) seeks to make this decision-making process easier by providing a unique and holistic scholarship programme that covers a wide spectrum of fields. Being the only multi-industry scholarship in partnership with the Government, SgIS ties up with sponsoring organisations from various key strategic sectors and is the gateway to a world of opportunities.

At the core of SgIS is the SgIS Scholars’ Development and Engagement Programme, where students are offered a broad-based programme that helps them grow beyond grades and education. Under the programme, opportunities are presented through Professional Development, in the form of internships and programmes conducted by sponsoring organisations; Strategic Engagement, where students interact with public and private sector leaders; and Social Connection, by participating in social bonding activities and community involvement projects organised by SgIS Scholars as part of the SgIS Scholars’ Network.

SgIS Scholars Loh Chuan Kui, 24, and Anisah Abdul Rahman Zamawi, 22, are both pursuing their dreams with sponsoring organisations Makino Asia and Singapore Airlines respectively. BrightSparks sits down with them as they share about their SgIS experience.

Anisah Abdul Rahman Zamawi 
SgIS Full-Term Scholar with Singapore Airlines Limited
Double Degree in Business Administration and Economics, Year 4
– National University of Singapore

Can you share how your journey with SgIS has been like so far, Chuan Kui?

Chuan Kui: My journey with SgIS has been a fulfilling and humbling experience. Last year, I was an intern at my sponsoring organisation, Makino. I learned about the roles and responsibilities of an engineer – what is expected of me after I graduate and start to serve my bond. I’m glad I had the opportunity to work closely with the team of R&D engineers on a challenging project, and I’m happy to pick up transferrable skills such as teamwork and communication.

What motivated you to apply for the scholarship, Anisah?

Anisah: Financial motivations aside, I applied for the SgIS because it offers a gateway to many companies that didn’t offer scholarships of their own. The extensive list of companies offering scholarships under SgIS provided me with a good variety of companies to choose from.

How has the SgIS equipped you with the necessary tools to shape Singapore’s future?

Chuan Kui: The holistic education provided by SgIS helps me grow and it encourages me to think critically and to be aware about the challenges faced by Singapore. It has helped me understand how millennials such as myself can contribute and shape Singapore’s future, both as a citizen and an engineer in the future.

Anisah: SgIS exposed me to different people at the start of my university journey. I attended the SgIS Orientation Camp, where I met others who were either under the full or mid-term SgIS schemes. These students all hail from various fields such as law, engineering, and pharmaceutical science, and I feel that meeting them and having a different perspective helped to shape what I wanted from my university life. With SgIS, I get to see a diversity of opinions. I do not risk getting stuck in my immediate discipline and the business environment, which can then become an echo chamber of opinions and thoughts that hinder your growth. I also get to see what industries Singapore is focusing on and be a part of it through the scholarship.

Loh Chuan Kui 
SgIS Mid-Term Scholar with Makino Asia Pte Ltd
Mechanical Engineering, Year 4 – Nanyang Technological University

In your opinion, what makes SgIS different and stand out from other scholarships?

Chuan Kui: Being part of SgIS allows you to participate in various meaningful development activities. Scholars will receive opportunities to participate in the SgIS Scholars’ Development and Engagement Programme, which includes Leaders’ Forums to interact and learn from public and private sector leaders, volunteer work for beneficiaries like the Handicap Welfare Association, and an orientation camp to participate in team-bonding activities. At university level, scholars can take part in cohesion activities to socialise with other scholars from the same university. It is also a great platform for seniors and alumni to share their experience with the juniors.

I had the chance to participate in a Leaders’ Forum organised by SgIS in October 2018, where I got to interact with other scholars. I’m glad I attended it as it brought me closer to current affairs and societal issues which Singapore and the world are facing today. As such, I feel that the Leaders’ Forum is a great way to allow scholars like myself to grow non-academically, because it is not all about results but also how we develop as a person and a leader.

Anisah: The industry you go into does not work in isolation. SgIS organises many meaningful forums under the programme, and I think they provide a good platform for you to be exposed to the different perspectives of leaders from other industries that are different from the one you are entering. Through the interaction at these forums, you also get to see for yourself the synergy tying these industries together and how they relate to each other.

What can someone look forward to when he picks a scholarship under SgIS?

Chuan Kui: SgIS scholars can look forward to a closely-knit partnership with their sponsoring organisation. Being sponsored by an organisation opens up opportunities such as internships (for both school requirements and voluntary) for the scholar to gain valuable work experience. Under SgIS, scholars may enjoy a certain degree of flexibility in their career outlook. Personally, I am able to communicate with Makino my interests in certain types of work within the organisation that suit my skillset.