Embarking on a mission to shape Singapore’s workforce and ignite a passion for lifelong learning, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) are driving forces behind economic growth and the cultivation of a highly skilled and adaptable workforce.

At the heart of this transformative endeavour are individuals such as SSG-WSG Joint Undergraduate Scholars Ang Tian Tian and Wu Jiankai, who are keen to push the boundaries of innovation and pioneer ground-breaking initiatives. Their unwavering dedication serves as a beacon of hope, empowering individuals to navigate the ever-changing landscape of industries and unlock their fullest potential.

Jiankai is currently a Manager with the Strategy, Resource and Policy Division at WSG, while Tian Tian holds the position of Manager in the Strategic Planning Division at SSG.

We delved into their work, unveiling their motivations to pursue their respective career paths.

What sparked your passion for this field?

Jiankai: Growing up, I saw my parents move from one job to another and repeatedly acquire new skills to gain new employment. Those were very trying times, but I remember how important it was that they got it right – not just to be able to continue putting food on the table, but also for themselves as real people with real hopes, wants and needs. In 2016, I remembered reading about the scholarship and what the recently reconstituted SSG and WSG were trying to achieve. It just intuitively made a lot of sense to me.

Tian Tian: I am keen to pursue a career in the field of human capital development because I am passionate about empowering people to realise their growth and potential in the job market. I was particularly inspired by the jobs-skills challenges that my parents faced.

Furthermore, while I was working at Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) as a journalist after graduating from polytechnic, I witnessed the round of retrenchments that occurred at SPH following the digital disruption of the news industry, which made me realise the importance of constantly upskilling for workers to stay relevant. During my journalism stint, I also had the opportunity to report on SSG-WSG programmes, which motivated me to want to go beyond writing stories on these programmes to contribute to their development and empower more lowskill and low-wage workers.

Can you tell us more about the SSG-WSG Joint Undergraduate Scholarship? Why did you apply for it?

Jiankai: I believe very strongly in the ethos of SSG and WSG. I applied for the scholarship because I hope to help shape a Singapore where individuals can live with dignity, and where families can afford to be present at each other’s most important moments without being bogged down by career woes.

Tian Tian: The challenges posed by rapid job transformation and the emergent skills gap are something that I have witnessed first-hand from my parents. In 2017, my dad was retrenched from his factory job, but through SSG and WSG’s programmes, he was able to undergo a security course to reskill, become a security personnel and enter a new industry. Likewise, my mum’s current administrative job is in the midst of being automated and will eventually be obsolete.

I applied because I want to help Singaporeans stay agile, competitive, and relevant amid rapid industrial changes. I hope that more Singaporeans, especially low-wage, low-skilled workers like my parents, will be able to experience empowerment through skills upgrading and develop the confidence to pursue career switches into new industries.

That’s very commendable. Would you say the scholarship has been beneficial in helping you achieve your goals?

Jiankai: Besides supporting my tuition fees and mandatory hostel accommodation costs, the SSG-WSG Joint Undergraduate Scholarship helped with my overseas studies throughout college where I was privileged to attend Summer School at the London School of Economics (LSE) and Winter School at Yonsei University.

During my studies, I also attended the Yale-NUS Global Strategy and Leadership Programme and the Applied Econometrics and Big Data online summer programme conducted by the LSE.

These experiences have been invaluable in enriching my learning, broadening my worldview, and sharpening the skills that I hope to contribute back to WSG in a greater capacity.

Beyond monetary aid, I believe the best part of the scholarship is how it provides an additional platform for you to meet new people who are passionate and driven and who carry with them a rich history of experience and perspective. With internships in two different divisions at SSG-WSG, I was given extra opportunities to learn from and engage different people very early on.

Tian Tian: The scholarship benefited me in that I was able to concentrate fully on my academics and co-curricular activities through the financial stability provided. Thus, I could take up as many modules as my interests led me to and experience the joy of learning.

I was also able to participate in multiple SSG-WSG internships, which allowed me to actively operationalise what I learnt in school into problem-solving of real-world job-skills challenges.

Could you tell us more about your respective roles and responsibilities?

Jiankai: Working in the corporate planning team of WSG’s Strategy, Resource and Policy Division, our team handles a spectrum of requests from external agencies and our parent ministry (Ministry of Manpower) from preparing inputs to parliamentary questions to coordinating efforts for national-level initiatives. We are also responsible for WSG’s corporate functions such as tracking our corporate performance indicators and coordinating intra- and inter-agency meetings involving key stakeholders to push WSG’s mission. In addition, I regularly assist another team working on the Workfare Skills Support Scheme by managing their data processing and analytics work to help optimise its administration.

Tian Tian: I work in the Strategic Planning Division, where my core responsibilities are to support the SSG Leadership Group in reviewing and formulating SSG’s short- and medium-term strategic directions and corporate plans. This includes liaising with SSG Divisions to compile and analyse policy measures and programme data to key stakeholders such as SSG Management, SSG Board, and the Ministry of Education with the aim of enhancing the outcome and impact of SSG programmes; facilitating the articulation of SSG’s corporate goals and strategies within theorganisation; providing input to parliamentary queries on SSG-related policies.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with aspiring students interested in joining SSG-WSG?

Jiankai: This scholarship programme seeks to develop individuals to help shape the future of lifelong learning and build the future workforce. Throughout the course of the programme, scholars can experience internships in both organisations. Upon graduation, scholars will benefit from cross-divisional work, mentorship opportunities and rotational work.

Tian Tian: People joining SSG-WSG can look forward to learning and professional development opportunities. The agencies actively encourage and support employees in pursuing courses for professional development such as acquiring data analytics and stakeholder management skills. There are also mentorship programmes where employees are partnered with senior management members for guidance and mutual learning.