Speech at Republic Polytechnic Graduation Ceremony

Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Acting Minister for Manpower , Senior Minister of State, The Republic Cultural Centre

1. A very good morning and congratulations to all the graduands here today!
2. I know that it has been very hard work getting here, and it may have been somewhat frenetic as well, in terms of the time spent and effort in the many years leading up to this point. As you all get ready for your life ahead of you, it may be useful, if you have not already done so, to take some time to pause and reflect on what really matters to you. A lot of us are looking ahead with optimism and hope, but at the same time it is important to think about these things. I would suggest looking ahead in time, many years down the road, at your parents’ age or your grandparents’ age, how you would look back on your life. When we think about the things that really matter, sometimes it is not about looking forward, but imagining what things would look like when looking back.
   
   Meeting Aspirations of Young Singaporeans
3. Often, at this stage, we will worry about the type of jobs we are going to do. For some, what else to study, and where to study. All these are important concerns but if you think about it, they are all a means to an end. We do not live to work; I think we work to live. It is part of a process - work is not an end in itself. If I were to ask all of us here now, what is your purpose in life? What would give you a deep sense of fulfilment? A sense of happiness? I wonder how many of us here would be able to answer very clearly that we know exactly what really matters to us. Being clear about what we want out of life would help us think about the type of jobs we want to do; and you will be surprised – there are possibly many more things that could be open to you. We all go forward with perceptions of what we want to be, what kind of jobs may be interesting, but sometimes the range of possibilities before us could be a lot more considerable. More importantly, being clear about what we want out of life will also allow us to think about how we want to work at it. Our values and mindsets are critical because it could well determine whether we could attain that sense of fulfilment and meaning in what we do – in essence, could we be happy? Ultimately, that is what it is all about. To be able to find that space in life so we can find that satisfaction and that sense of achievement. A job should not just exist for its own sake. We spend much time at work so we should try to make sure that the work is meaningful. We spend many hours a day at work, or thinking about work. It will be very painful if we do not enjoy our work! So it is important to not just find something you think will be meaningful, but to be able to make the job meaningful for yourself. We do not always find that everything unfolds ideally for us, but that is life. What we can have control of is how we make it work for us, in terms of the way we approach it and also in the way we approach the people whom we work with. And that is important – not just the job, but also the people whom you interact with.
4. What we can do on our part in the Government is to provide you with useful options. Generating employment is very important, and it is not something we take for granted, and we want to make sure that all of you have good opportunities. But these opportunities only come about because the economy is doing well and good companies are here, whether they are local or foreign. If the economy does poorly or is unattractive, would our companies remain here? Would companies choose to base themselves somewhere else? When that happens, the jobs will also go. So this is something that we will continue to work at so that the range of options is available for our people.
5. Singapore currently enjoys one of the lowest youth unemployment rates in the world, at 6.7%. Various tertiary institutions have shared with us how their young graduates continue to receive quality job offers, some landing jobs faster than others, but most within a reasonable time frame of six months. Many of your counterparts in Europe suffer from very serious youth unemployment. For example, if you were Greek today, over 60% of you will be unemployed upon graduation. That means that out of every ten of you, six of you will not find jobs for many months. If you were in Taiwan, youth unemployment is of course a lot better than Greece, but it still stands at 13%, almost double that of what we have here. So this is a good situation that we are in, and we hope to maintain it that way, keeping the labour market tight to make sure that it continues to be sufficiently attractive and grows in a sustainable way, and also continues to generate good opportunities for our people.
6. We will also ensure that we provide you with the best possible education and training that you are able to manage. Our Polytechnics are well regarded. Many people from overseas who visit our polytechnics and ITEs are very impressed by the facilities and courses that are provided. The polytechnics have also injected a practical slant into your curriculum. Today, unlike in my time, for example, we find many students who have done well, opting to go to polytechnics, because they provide a very practical education. But how you apply your skills and education will depend on your outlook towards work and your value system.
7. The world will continue to change. Many of you in the technical line know this. Technology will continue to evolve in leaps and bounds and what we study will become outdated fairly soon. What will not be irrelevant will be the problem solving skills, the logic that we bring to bear in issues and most importantly, our values and work ethic.
8. One of the graduands today, Mr Tang Chee Heng, from the Diploma in Renewable Energy Engineering, experienced an extended internship with the prestigious Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore, or SERIS for short. During the internship, Chee Heng worked very closely with the SERIS researchers to analyse data collected from solar farms. SERIS was impressed with Chee Heng’s contribution and in their paper for the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference commended that he “made a positive impact as a collaborator”.
9. Another graduand who had her internship extended is Ms Rina Chia Jia Ying, who will be receiving her Diploma in Supply Chain Management today. Rina travelled over 2,600 kilometres from Singapore to intern with Charles and Keith International in Dongguan, China. Besides infusing herself into learning more about shoe-making, Rina was also exposed to the logistics and supply chain management process in China. She impressed her supervisors with her quick adaptability to the new environment and in learning her job responsibilities.
10. To me, these examples are not about how smart Chee Heng and Rina are. I am sure they are, but it is not about that. It is about the way they approach their work and the responsibilities presented, the way they took to continuing their learning even as they serve their internship, and the way they worked hard. It is about attitude. It is about basic values that we need to hold on to.
    
    Learning beyond Graduation
11. This adaptive nature and eagerness in you to learn and thrive should never stop. The door to learning is always open and is easily accessible in Singapore. There are many opportunities for continuing education and training – both formal and informal. For example, RP’s very own Academy for Continuing Education offers a wide range of certificate and diploma programmes specially designed to help working adults upgrade their work skills or prepare for career transitions. I understand the first batch of Specialist Diploma in Applied Learning and Teaching will be graduating this year. This programme will definitely help to raise the standards of our private education institutions by enhancing the trainers’ capabilities.
12. At the same time, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) has also put in place an extensive network of Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) frameworks, which focus on providing vocational training to help you upgrade and improve skills after entering the workforce. There is also the Skills Training for Excellence Programme (STEP), an umbrella programme to help PMEs update their skills, knowledge and expertise to remain competitive and employable. This is, I believe, our competitive advantage in Singapore, where we continue to provide access to good quality training and education, even after we leave school. I think it is important for us to tap on them. So keep these resources in mind, and in due time, you will find opportunities to continue your education.
    
    Conclusion
13. In closing, let me share some personal thoughts with you. What determines success, as related to the earlier question I asked all of us here about what really matters to you, is not just how much money you make or how high on the corporate ladder you climb. It will often really boil down to a couple of things. It will be the difference that you make to the people around you. The way that you treat people. For many of you in the future, the way you build your family and the manner in which you love and raise your children, how you continue to love and care for your parents and siblings. From the service learning you have taken part in, through the many hours you have spent in reaching out to the community, I hope we do not look at it simply as a project that was interesting or meaningful through how much money you raised, but to focus on the spirit of giving. It is in giving that makes us human, in reaching out and caring that makes us who we are. And that is how really through contributing back to the society, we make a difference, not just to ourselves but in building up the whole of Singapore. 
14. We must realise that our work is important in the practical aspect of things – we need to earn money, we need to be able to provide for our families. It allows us to do many things. But some of the most important things in life do not cost us anything. 
15. Consider this. Many people have made a difference to you in your time as you grew up, and in your time here in school. Your parents, for example, many of whom are here, have sacrificed much over the years. Your teachers and lecturers, not just in RP, but over the years, who have been there guiding, and hopefully inspiring, you. And your friends who have stood by you.
16. So perhaps if I could ask all the graduating students to just stand up and as we are all here to congratulate you, let us take this opportunity as well to applaud all your loved ones for the difference that they have made to your lives.
17. With that, as with everyone here, we wish you all the very best as you embark on your next phase of life. Certainly, there is an exciting future ahead of you, but it is something that is well within your means to make a difference not just to yourself but to all the people around you and society at large.
18. Thank you very much and congratulations once again.