Record 180 Students Awarded Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS)

1. 180 students received the Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS)¹ at the 2023 SgIS Award Ceremony today, the highest since the scholarship was established in 2012. Second Minister for Education, Dr Maliki Osman, was the Guest-of-Honor at the ceremony.

2. The SgIS aims to nurture a core of Singaporean industry leaders to steer the development of the country's key strategic industries. To date, it is the only scholarship offered in partnership between the Government and local industries. Into its 12th year, SgIS has established itself as one of the choice scholarships in Singapore. Since its inception, the SgIS has awarded more than 1400 scholarships to Singaporean students.

3. Starting with 28 Sponsoring Organisations (SOs) in 2012, the number of SOs for SgIS have increased steadily over the years, bringing the total number of SOs² to 119 this year. The 119 SOs come from 15 key sectors, including biomedical and pharmaceuticals, electronics, engineering, lifestyle and food, and social services.

4. The growing number of SOs and their strong support for SgIS provide good career opportunities for our students and will develop a Singaporean core to support strategic sectors. It also highlights the importance Government and local industries place on developing a pipeline of local talent, which is essential for Singapore's economy and businesses in the long run.

5. Mr Ong Eng Hui, Human Resource Director of Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Company (SSMC), said: "The SgIS brings students from diversified areas of studies into our industry. Beyond our traditional source on Electrical and Electronic Engineering students, we can now tap on a broader talent pool which allows young talents with diverse skills and academic knowledge to contribute to our industry. SgIS awardees bring fresh bursts of ideas, new perspectives, diverse skills and capabilities, and are highly motivated individuals that can uplift the performance in the teams they work with. They form an important talent pipeline in the company's future leadership and succession planning."

6. Mr Lim Jit Chek, ST Engineering's Group Chief Human Resources Officer said: "ST Engineering's partnership with SgIS began in 2012 as part of our vision to cultivate a strong Singaporean core and nurture future industry leaders in technology, defence and engineering industries. We have awarded 128 scholarships in total so far and are committed to awarding at least 10 scholarships per year, with efforts to deploy our scholars globally and developing their careers with us. We are dedicated to moulding the future generation of engineers and tech talent by leveraging ST Engineering's strong engineering and technology background. We will provide a conducive environment to cultivate their enthusiasm, inquisitiveness and eagerness, and place them in experienced teams who are developing solutions to improve lives and solve real-world problems. We believe we are well positioned to nurture future leaders, in partnership with SgIS."

7. Beyond offering aspiring local talent the chance to contribute to Singapore's key sectors, all SgIS scholars will have exposure to industry-relevant experiences and development opportunities to hone their leadership skills, as part of the SgIS Scholars' Development and Engagement Programme. The programme includes:

• Internships and mentorships conducted by SOs to enable undergraduate scholars to have a head start in acquiring industry knowledge;
• Forums with thought leaders from the public and private sectors to expose the scholars to broader issues concerning Singapore and its key industries; and
• Social activities for scholars to develop their leadership and soft skills, as well as contribute back to the SgIS community and the wider society through the SgIS Scholars' Network Executive Committee (EXCO)³.

8. By end-2023, about 900 SgIS scholars would have graduated from university. They will be part of a sustainable pipeline of industry leaders who can drive Singapore's industrial growth.

Footnotes

1. More information on SgIS can be found at https://www.moe.gov.sg/sgis/about-sgis

2. The list of SOs can be found at https://www.moe.gov.sg/sgis/sponsoring-organisations/industries

3. The SgIS Scholars’ Network EXCO consists of SgIS scholars who are passionate about contributing back to the SgIS community. They plan and organise bonding, learning and community involvement activities for their fellow scholars.