As a leading government agency in Singapore, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) plays a vital role in promoting and enhancing the health of residents. With a steadfast commitment to preventive healthcare, HPB actively empowers individuals to take charge of their health so that they can make informed choices to attain healthier lifestyles.

Driven by dedicated individuals, HPB is deeply committed to fostering a culture of healthy living among residents. The HPB Undergraduate Scholarship offers outstanding students the chance to become part of this impactful legacy. Through this scholarship, recipients have the opportunity to pursue their undergraduate studies, either locally or overseas, in healthcare-related fields, nurturing their potential as future leaders in the promotion of public health.

One such individual who has joined the ranks of HPB is Oon Yee Jeng, Joy. Having completed her Master of Arts with Honours in Psychology at the University of Edinburgh, Joy is currently a Senior Manager, Integrated Solutions division at HPB. Her invaluable contributions include designing and implementing outreach efforts, and driving initiatives that bring about positive change to the health of residents.

Your accomplishments in your field are impressive. What sparked your interest in health promotion?

I have always wanted a fulfilling career that is centred on making a positive impact. When I learnt about the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and its Undergraduate Scholarship through the BrightSparks portal, I did more research about HPB’s work in building a healthier nation and found that it was aligned with my values and multi-disciplinary interests.

How did the scholarship support you throughout your academic endeavours?

Besides receiving support for undergraduate tuition fees and monthly maintenance allowance, scholarship recipients could take up a mid-course internship programme. I found the internship so enriching that I requested to return for two summers so that I could experience different areas of work in HPB. Through the programme, I was involved in health outreach efforts to youths and substance abuse policies. The experiences allowed me to glean insights into the considerations and challenges faced in these areas of health promotion.

Oon Yee Jeng, Joy

How has your education remained relevant in your current professional journey?

Across the years I’ve worked in HPB, there have been numerous occasions where my academic knowledge could be directly applied to my work, such as the development of technology-enabled research in mental well-being, and the evaluation of our outreach efforts using statistical methods.

However, I found that the transferrable skills that I’ve learnt at university were equally valuable for my work in HPB – the academic rigour spurred us to analyse issues critically from multiple angles and identify how various topics are connected; the social and cultural exposure helped me respect diverse opinions and be open-minded in the exchange of thoughts and ideas in a team; and even taking up a vastly different elective course in History of Art that involved making presentations at the Scottish National Gallery encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and honed my communication and public speaking skills.

On the topic of work, can you tell us more about your job and what you find most meaningful about it?

Through the various roles and projects that I have taken on in HPB, I find it most meaningful that we place residents at the heart of all our efforts and they can benefit from our initiatives. For example, in the Workplace Health and Outreach division, I’ve worked with landlords and developers to establish Healthy Workplace Ecosystems to bring healthier food options, free exercise sessions, health workshops and health screenings to workplaces to create convenient and conducive environments for workers to achieve healthier lifestyles.

At the Research and Development division, we collaborate with technology industry giants, public agencies and research institutions to pilot technologies and apply learnings to our programmes to provide better delivery and outcomes for participants. Most recently, I was also part of the team that organised the National Steps Challenge ™, a population-level fitness tracker-based physical activity programme. These past experiences have provided useful insights for my current role in the Integrated Solutions division, where we aim to bring healthy living to more diverse population segments and deepen engagement with existing participants, through a more holistic health journey using the Healthy 365 app.

Your job at HPB sounds incredibly fulfilling! Can you tell us more about the work culture?

HPB encourages all staff to gain exposure to different areas of work, with a regular internal circulation of the positions available within HPB where staff can apply for job rotation to another division or department in the organisation. Having experienced work in the areas of outreach, research and development, and programmes not only honed my knowledge and skills but also helped me appreciate the breadth and depth that health promotion work entails.

What are your future career aspirations?

I hope to continue to partake in, develop and lead projects that bring healthier lifestyles closer to diverse population segments and ensure that they stay relevant in the ever-changing landscape. Having met incredible mentors in my career, I hope to also be a positive influence on young aspiring officers.

What advice would you give to encourage individuals who aspire to pursue a career with HPB?

There is a diverse range of work in health promotion, catering to a variety of interests. In HPB, you’ll have the opportunity to learn and hone new skills through internal job rotations to different departments within the organisation – this includes useful transferrable skills like project management, programme design and implementation, data management and evaluation, external stakeholder engagements including private organisations and public agencies, and more.