Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS)
Feature | SgIS

Building Diverse Leaders

Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS)
Find out what Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS), a robust and joint government-industry partnership to boost talent development, can offer you.

The Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS) is a diverse and broad-based scholarship, spanning across industries ranging from engineering, aviation, power, maritime, healthcare, arts and social services. The SgIS offers students not only sponsorship for university education, but also exciting opportunities for a holistic development through the SgIS Scholars’ Development and Engagement Programme. The Programme focuses on three key areas: Professional Development, through internships and other programmes conducted by the sponsoring organisations; Strategic Engagement, through interactions with public and private sector leaders; Social Connection, through the SgIS Scholars’ Network where activities are organised by SgIS scholars.

Two current SgIS scholars, Lydia Heng and Raymond Tan, take time to share how the SgIS has enhanced their personal and professional journeys thus far.

Building A Bright Future

Lydia, 21, is currently in her second year of studies towards a Bachelor of Science (Information Systems) degree at Singapore Management University. Being a SgIS scholar of Infineon Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, a world leader in semiconductor solutions, she is exposed to many opportunities. She looks forward to her current internship stint as she will be working on a system integration project which will impact her future job function, the Corporate Supply Chain. She is thrilled to apply the knowledge and lessons learnt in university to a real case during her internship. At the same time, throughout her journey at Infineon, she is receiving guidance from senior leaders in the department who will help her to understand her future role in the company. Other than the job scope and guidance, she also mentioned that the friendly culture and people she meets are reasons why she looks forward to the internship.

Being given the chance to work in a multi-national company and having a head start to her career with a better understanding of the company’s culture and structure, are precisely the reasons why she chose SgIS. She is also particularly excited for her upcoming overseas trip to Germany, which is where her next internship will be for four to six months.

Raymond Tan

Raymond Tan 
SgIS Full-Term Scholar with PSA Corporation Ltd
Bachelor of Science (Maritime Studies)
Nanyang Technological University

“Attached as an intern now to one of the leading maritime organisations in the region, PSA Singapore, I believe I will glean tremendous knowledge about this dynamic industry.”

Raymond, 25, concurs with this sentiment. As a year 3 undergraduate, he is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Studies at Nanyang Technological University. Attached as an intern now to one of the leading maritime organisations in the region, PSA Singapore, he believes he will glean tremendous knowledge about this dynamic industry during his time there, which will be valuable when he joins them full-time in 2019.

He cites the invaluable contributions of the maritime industry towards Singapore’s economy and reputation as the main reasons for his interest in the sector. In his last internship, he was with one of PSA’s customers, Maersk, where he received a deep-dive into their logistical operations. In another internship, Raymond was in Norway, a leader in the global maritime field, which provided him with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to learn about the dynamism and direction of the industry from an international perspective.

Benefits of the SgIS

Lydia feels that the partnerships with industry leaders that SgIS offers its scholars put her a step ahead of her peers. Through internships and other Professional Development and Strategic Engagement initiatives, such as SgIS Dialogue Series, SgIS Leaders’ Forum, and sharing sessions by Industry Experts at Orientation Camps, she has received advice, guidance, and lessons from senior leaders.

The Senior-Junior sharing events organised is yet another part of SgIS that she is grateful for. Lydia had the chance to learn from past scholars who are already working. She feels this experience taught her how to engage with different individuals from diverse walks of life which has helped to broaden her horizons.

Lydia Heng

Lydia Heng 
SgIS Full-Term Scholar with Infineon Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
Bachelor of Science (Information Systems)
Singapore Management University

“SgIS’ partnerships with industry leaders, through internships and other Professional Development and Strategic Engagement initiatives, put me a step ahead of my peers.”

Raymond agrees, elaborating that SgIS scholars do not restrict themselves to ideas and views of only the industries they belong to. He considers himself lucky to get this rare chance to talk to CEOs and public sector leaders. For instance, in one event, the Minister of Education was among the leaders present at the closed-door event. He values how exposure to top leaders has expanded his critical thinking and allowed him to have a global perspective on issues.

The SgIS Scholars’ Network Executive Committee, made up of scholars who are keen to lead the future of the SgIS Scholars’ Network, organise activities that enhance social relations of their fellow scholars. Activities organised include social bonding activities and community involvement projects (CIP). Raymond has participated in some CIP and he shares that they were extremely meaningful experiences which contributed to his personal development.

Be Inspired, Be Bold

As parting words, Lydia advises, “Be brave. It is not just your grades that matter in the application. There are your co-curricular activities at school as well as personality that differentiates you and makes you stand out.”

As for Raymond, he encourages, “Strive and live for passion – it is the perfect way to select a career that makes a difference. It is about how one achieves that passion, which shapes the individual for the road ahead. With the world getting more competitive, one should work on their mindset and skillset for work, instead of solely focusing on getting good grades.”