In today’s fast-evolving economy, where change is the only constant, Singapore’s competitive edge lies in its people. Driving this forward is a national workforce strategy powered by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), which champions lifelong learning, and Workforce Singapore (WSG), which supports individuals through career transitions and helps them secure meaningful employment.

SSG-WSG Scholars See Tow Zi Hsien and Jenn Low are bringing this vision to life. As a Manager in the Strategic Planning Division at SSG, Zi Hsien oversees international and inter-agency coordination. Jenn, Manager in WSG’s Data Strategy and Analytics Division, leverages data and AI to shape smarter workforce decisions.

We spoke with them to find out how they’re navigating their own career journeys—while helping others shape theirs.

Jenn, what drew you to this line of work?

My interest in this field was sparked by witnessing my father’s career transition during the pandemic. Despite his 30 years of work experience, he found valuable opportunities through programmes in business and digital transformation funded by SSG/WSG. These programmes enabled him to upskill and gain hands-on project experience.

This firsthand exposure to SSG/WSG’s impactful programmes made me curious about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into planning and implementing these initiatives.

As a student of Data Science and AI, I saw an opportunity to combine my technical skills with meaningful public service work through the SSG-WSG scholarship.

That’s inspiring! How has the scholarship shaped your journey so far?

Jenn: Thanks to the scholarship, I could focus on my studies and embrace university life without much financial concern.

A highlight was my overseas internship at a Sydney startup, where I gained invaluable experience working with diverse teams and cultures, while developing new technical and collaborative skills.

The scholarship also provided me with insightful exposure to WSG through an internship at the Data Strategy and Analytics Division (DSAD). This experience gave me practical insights into WSG’s data and IT initiatives, preparing me well for my current role.

Zi Hsien: The SSG-WSG scholarship covered my tuition and accommodation costs at NUS, enabling me to fully immerse myself in campus life, explore different interests, and forge lasting, cherished friendships.

Furthermore, the scholarship helped to fund an invigorating overseas exchange to Denmark, which broadened my cultural and holistic understanding of a different and unique society.

Beyond campus life, the scholarship provided opportunities to intern in both SSG and WSG, offering more diverse perspectives as well as exposure to the many different workstreams, partners, and (future) colleagues across both agencies.

Zi Hsien, how has your Philosophy, Politics, and Economics degree prepared you for your role?

One benefit of an interdisciplinary education was the exposure to three different approaches, which required quite a bit of adaptive learning and helped provide a wider variety of tools to approach and digest workstreams from different angles.

Could you give us a rundown of your daily work?

Zi Hsien: I’m a part of SSG’s Strategic Planning Division, Policy Office, and our team is responsible for planning national-level policies such as the Jobs-Skills Integrators (JSITs) as well as supporting other related programmes across the broader jobs-skills ecosystem.

A key part of my role is driving cross-agency collaboration and aligning efforts across stakeholders on national platforms such as tripartite committees like the National Wages Council. We work closely with counterparts from the Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Manpower (MOM), and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) to tackle broader economic issues that involve workforce development and skilling in growth areas.

My work also involves international relations, where we make assessments of requests and engage with foreign delegations and dignitaries who are keen on learning about Singapore’s approach to lifelong learning. These engagements also help us gather insights from different national contexts to inform our policies. The work extends to collaborating with other government agencies as a part of Singapore’s broader education and skills agenda at a regional and international level.

Jenn: My work primarily involves supporting and executing the division’s data projects. Currently, I’m working on enhancing an enterprise analytics dashboard used by WSG’s Enterprise Development Group (EDG) to identify enterprises for programme engagement.

On the project management front, I work closely with stakeholders across divisions to gather requirements and ensure alignment. This includes standardising data requirements, conducting quality assessments, and maintaining comprehensive documentation of our processes.

A significant part of my contribution focuses on analytics and machine learning, where I develop algorithms to assess enterprises and implement predictive models to identify engagement potential. I also aid in the development of an interactive application to present insights effectively to EDG users.

What’s something people might find surprising about your work, Jenn?

Beyond our day-to-day projects, we have opportunities to showcase creative solutions at innovation festivals and hackathons. I recently took part in the MOM Family Data Hackathon, which brought together teams from MOM, WSG, and Central Provident Fund to leverage analytics in addressing business challenges.

My cross-agency team achieved first runner-up for our solution addressing senior employment in Singapore. We developed an AI-driven chatbot, designed to help seniors navigate their next career milestones, matching them with encore careers that align with their interests and retirement needs. It was eye-opening to collaborate with colleagues across different agencies!

Zi Hsien, any tips for those thinking about applying for this scholarship?

Take time to reflect on your values, interests, and priorities. It’s good to try different things and explore various interests before fully committing—even though scholarships can feel like a huge, important decision when you’re fresh out of JC or Poly. Try not to rush into it—especially if you’re still unsure about the kind of work that truly suits you. As a mid-term scholar, I found it helpful to try different roles and explore my motivations before committing to SSG-WSG. Job fit matters—it’s what will keep you going. A scholarship isn’t just a financial support for university; it is a commitment to the organisation and the wider public service. So, it’s important to ensure that the organisation genuinely aligns with the contributions you want to make.