Speech at 2013 National HR Scholarship and Book Prize Award Ceremony

Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mandarin Orchard Hotel

1. Good evening. It is my pleasure to join you for this year’s National Human Resources Scholarship and Book Prize Award Ceremony, where we celebrate the achievements of our 11 scholarship recipients and award winners.
2. Today’s ceremony marks the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) commitment to nurture a pool of Human Resource (HR) leaders in Singapore, and to elevate the profile of the HR profession among local undergraduates. Through partnerships with established companies, the scholarship and book prizes offer exciting learning and development opportunities, as well as career prospects in the HR profession.
3. Academic accomplishments may be perceived as a gauge of one’s abilities, but I am heartened to know that the winners present today also possess other admirable qualities such as concern for the less fortunate and perseverance in overcoming adversity. You may not have the opportunity to catch the news this evening. Therefore, I would like to share Education Minister’s latest statement on the Singapore education system. He shared that he wants to develop students holistically and not just based on academic results. We hope to work with more partners, corporations, community leaders and parents in order to maximise students’ learning opportunities.
4. For example, Ling Yu, a third-year student at the Singapore Management University (SMU), is one such outstanding individual. Besides working on her studies and helping out at her father’s hawker stall every weekend, Ling Yu also volunteers her time to help the less fortunate. Her desire to help the needy prompted her to serve as the events director for SMU’s largest community service, “starringSMU”. One project she initiated was a youth concert to raise funds to help the needy. The collaboration with the People’s Association raised more than $20,000, which went towards helping to uplift the lives of 800 beneficiaries in the community. This is commendable.
5. Tan Yong Hwa is another inspiring example. In 2005, then a first-year Junior College student, Yong Hwa was diagnosed with Wilson’s Disease, a recessive genetic disorder that left him wheelchair bound for the next two years. Despite his circumstances, he remained optimistic and persevered to excel in his studies. He was one of 10 distinguished polytechnic students to receive the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship to Encourage Upgrading (LKY-STEP Award) in 2012. Congratulations Yong Hwa.
   
   HR Professionals - The Bridge to Better Human Capital Management
6. Two weeks ago, delegates at the Singapore Human Capital Summit discussed people strategies, and ways to future-proof organisations. In his opening address, Acting Minister for Manpower, Mr Tan Chuan-Jin highlighted an MOM study which found that it pays to invest in talent management and development. People will always remain at the heart of all businesses; whether they are your employees or customers. Aspiring HR professionals such as those present here will remain integral in businesses and organisations.
7. The role of HR professionals goes beyond merely performing administrative HR functions. They serve as an important link between the company and its employees. They will need to keep abreast of their company’s development plans, and also need to be keenly aware of employees’ career aspirations, as well as regularly motivate and develop them through continuous education and training. All these can sound daunting. So, I hope this will not discourage our young HR practitioners. However, this only goes to show the integral role of HR professional in driving better management of human capital.
   
   Good Human Resource Management for Long Term Growth
8. More companies have come to realise the key benefit of investing in HR, and have even prioritised HR as the key business strategy for long term growth. Some of these companies like Fagerdala Singapore, Jumbo Group, Luxasia, JP Pepperdine, Makino Asia and YCH Group have now partnered MOM to offer the National HR Scholarship, in recognising the critical role that HR plays and to help realise the potential of Singapore’s future HR leaders. I thank these companies who have joined us in this journey to nurture and develop capable HR professionals in Singapore.
   
   Conclusion
9. In closing, let me share with you an excerpt from the book “What Matters Now” by Professor Gary Hamel, a world renowned thought leader on innovation and management, which encourages organisations to think about innovation through human capabilities:  
   
   “Innovation gets stymied when a company defines itself by what it does rather than by what it knows or owns — when its self conception is built around products and technologies rather than around core competencies and strategic assets. To innovate, you need to see your organisation and the world around it as a portfolio of skills and assets that can be endlessly recombined into new products and businesses.”
10. Hence, I urge each and every one of you to be creative and innovative in what you do to have a meaningful career. In HR management, creative solutions may just be the right way to deal with complex people issues and for HR to greatly impact business strategies. I had the chance to have a chat with some of our young HR professionals and students, and all of them recognise that HR is a critical aspect of companies’ operation. In order to retain talents, employers need to be sensitive to the needs of their employees in order for them to embark on a meaningful and long-term career in that particular organisation.
11. I would also like to congratulate all our scholars and book prize winners. I wish all of you a fulfilling career ahead.
12. Thank you.