Kang Yin Teng grew up with a keen fascination for the built environment, often contemplating how she could play a part to contribute to its transformation and evolution. Driven by this sense of wonder and a desire to enhance Singapore’s living environment, she naturally gravitated towards the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), which champions the development and transformation of Singapore’s built environment sector.

Today, as the Deputy Director of BCA’s Procurement Policies Department, Yin Teng has found her calling – contributing to nation-building and helping shape a liveable, smart built environment for Singapore.

We sat down with her to learn about her remarkable career journey thus far.

What made you apply for the BCA Local Undergraduate Scholarship?

A younger me would often be fascinated with how equations on paper could help translate simple materials into towering structures and intricate underground networks, collectively forming the sprawling metropolis that is Singapore!

We live in an incredible built environment filled with engineering marvels, and I wanted to play a part in shaping our surroundings. The BCA Undergraduate Scholarship was then a natural choice for me, and I was (and still am!) very excited to have the opportunity to contribute to a very tangible aspect of nation-building.

I was fortunate to find a scholarship which not only provided for my tuition and accommodation fees but also provided a monthly allowance. BCA’s scholarship also fully supported a six-month overseas exchange to Sweden during my university years.

How has your academic background contributed to your effectiveness in your current role?

Throughout my career, I have served in policy, operational and strategic roles. In each of these roles, my engineering background has enabled me to understand and empathise with our industry stakeholders with respect to their needs and challenges, allowing us to better support and regulate the industry.

Could you give us a glimpse into what your day-to-day work involves at the Procurement Policies Department?

Most of the time, I work with a team that oversees the registration of contractors in Singapore’s construction industry via the Contractors Registration System (CRS). By regularly reviewing requirements and standards as part of the registration, our role is to ensure our industry remains competitive and can consistently deliver good quality. We constantly evaluate and assess how we can streamline registration processes to make them more efficient and user-friendly for firms.

Being able to contribute to nation building through my work is incredibly rewarding. Moreover, I find great fulfilment in collaborating with various stakeholders to solve complex problems that directly impact the lives and livelihoods of Singaporeans.

That’s inspiring! What would you consider as your proudest professional achievement so far?

Reflecting on my career journey, the period during the COVID-19 pandemic stands out as one of the most memorable milestones.

During this time where the challenges were unprecedented, I witnessed firsthand how our work has a real and immediate impact on the lives of workers within the construction sector. With the pandemic causing disruptions and uncertainties, ensuring the well-being and safety of the workforce was paramount. I am proud to have been part of the BCA team that collaborated with industry stakeholders, other government agencies, and community partners to implement measures to safeguard the health and livelihoods of individuals in the construction sector.

What made this experience truly rewarding was the collective effort and solidarity demonstrated by everyone involved. There was a sense of unity and shared purpose as we worked tirelessly to do our part for Singapore.

What are some challenges you’ve faced in your role and how have you been able to address them?

As with any policy work, there are inevitable trade-offs that we must navigate. It is a balancing act to set up a regulated environment that is sufficiently stringent to uphold high standards, while at the same time conducive to a wide range of business types and sizes. I am fortunate to be able to tap into many experienced minds within BCA and receive guidance from our management that is principled and decisive.

That sounds like quite a journey! What are your goals for the future?

As a newly appointed Deputy Director, my focus is on empowering my team to excel and drive positive change within the construction industry. I have benefited from having great leaders and supervisors who have always patiently guided me, especially when I first started my career at BCA. I hope to be able to do the same for colleagues who are new to public service or BCA.

Finally, do you have any advice for those to aspire to follow a similar career path?

Stay adaptable, embrace challenges, keep learning, and have fun!