Helping to develop the workforce

PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

Workforce Development Agency scholarship recipient Gerald Tan finds that the organisation is a perfect fit for his interests and abilitiesMr

by yeo suan futt

AS A student at the Singapore Management University (SMU) majoring in Information Systems Management, Mr Gerald Tan chanced upon a vacancy at the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) on the university’s intern-ship application website.

The 27-year-old recalls: “Being curious about work-ing for the public sector and wanting to experience some-thing different, I opted to do my second internship with WDA.”

This first experience with WDA, the national agen-cy tasked with the holistic development of Singapore’s workforce, proved to be a great learning experience for him. He had interned at the Community and Professional Services division.

“I had the opportunity to understand what WDA does and how it plays a part in Singapore’s manpower devel-opment. The good internship experience that I gained helped me feel comfortable working in WDA,” he says.

At the end of his internship, he was offered a scholar-ship with the WDA, which he gladly accepted. “My family and girlfriend were all supportive and proud of my decision to join WDA.

This was more so as I was graduating right in the middle of a recession! I am luckier than some of my peers who could not find suitable jobs”, he says.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Infor-mation Systems Management magna cum laude last year, he started work at the WDA and is presently a manager.

He says: “I have been working with WDA for about eight months now. I was given the opportunity to work in the Community and Professional Services Division (CPSD) and part of the Early Childhood Care and Educa-tion engagement team.

“My job there is to understand the industry, the dy-namics, stakeholders and ensure that the manpower de-velopment for the sector is catered to. “I get to interact with a wide variety of people includ-ing ministries, employers, employees, training providers and trainees.

So far, every day is like a rollercoaster ride, packed with new twists and turns with new learning op-portunities and chances for me to showcase my abilities. It certainly has been a very fruitful and challenging.

”Working at WDA has helped in his professional and personal development, he explains.

“Work and time management are of utmost impor-tance when working in WDA. Working in such an envi-ronment has allowed me to hone my skills in areas such as planning, conceptualising, industry engagement, project management, customer service, negotiation, problem solving, strategic thinking and even writing!”

The broad range of duties would seem daunting, espe-cially for a recent graduate, if it weren’t for the support of colleagues and the team-oriented work culture at WDA.

Mr Tan says: “Besides learning new things, I am very happy to have CPSD colleagues who are very helpful and supportive. To me, the work environment is very impor-tant. It really makes a great difference to have colleagues who will go all out to advise, help and lend a listening ear when needed.My superiors are role models to me, with their dedication and hard working attitude. Being open minded, they are always willing to try new ideas or ways to solve a problem.”

Knowing that his work has a direct impact on the lives of other Singaporeans is also something that con-tinues to motivate him to excel.

“The impact of my work on the public drives me,” he says.

“Once I was at a job fair for the Early Childhood Care and Education sector, helping to provide advice on training pathways for jobseekers interested to join the sector. With my experience and knowledge of the sector, I was able to advise the job seekers on training options, work environment of the sector and also provide some career guidance.The gratitude on their faces was more than what money can buy. Being able to help them gives me the motivation to work harder.”

For him, what began as mere curiosity has brought him towards a career that gives him many opportunities for personal and professional growth.

“My journey in WDA has only just begun and there is so much more that I can learn and contribute back to helping WDA achieve its mission.

“I do hope to grow together with the organisation over the next few years and hopefully have the opportu-nity to further my education with a master’s degree and lead a team in the future.”