Only at SAESL will you be able to work with an exclusive range of Rolls Royce aircraft engines. And with BrightMinds, you might just land the job.

By Cheryl Lim

Imagine you are in a fully air-conditioned, spacious workshop with music playing softly in the background. The cool air and clear lighting create a comfortable environment for you to do your job maintaining and repairing aircraft engines for highly reputed commercial airlines.

This is a day in the life of 26-year-old Ng Yong Hua, a Trainee Inspector at Singapore Aero Engine Services Pte Ltd (SAESL).

“I studied aviation in school,” says the Mechanical Engineering graduate from Nanyang Technological University. “I preferred a more hands-on type of job, which only a few companies offered. SAESL was one of them.”

Job-hunting made easy
After graduating in mid-2008, Yong Hua went through several avenues in search of his dream job. Two months later, he clinched the traineeship programme with SAESL through BrightMinds, an online career fair focusing on campus recruitment.

The notion of flight has enticed mankind for centuries. One SIA pilot reveals how his profession complements his interest for travel and aviation.

By Nabilah Husna A. Rahman

What is usually every young boy’s first fantasy is very much a reality for Captain Tay Lim Tiang, a pilot with Singapore Airlines (SIA). Having long harboured an interest in flight technology, Lim Tiang now has control over the “metal birds” and travels to different cities all over the globe for a living.

He chose to study Electronics and Communication Engineering at Singapore Polytechnic (SP) in order to chase his dream of flying to success, literally. “I was very intrigued with the job of a pilot during my youth. I was fascinated by the machines that are able to take flight in the sky,” the SIA pilot reveals.

With regard to his engineering background, Lim Tiang explains, “Modern aircraft incorporates many applications of technology, and as such, pursuing an engineering diploma is a logical extension of my interest in aviation.”

So you are an aspiring engineer whose interests extend beyond the field of engineering? ST Engineering's extensive global network of over 100 subsidiaries and associated companies in 24 countries and 42 cities ensures that there will always be something for you.

By Eugene Lim

Algorithms for Success
When Joel Chan's parents first brought a computer home, little did they know that it would have such a profound impact on their young son. “I was about five years old at that time and was very intrigued by the computer. I was especially fascinated by Microsoft BASIC and MS-DOS. Later on, when the computer died, I had the opportunity to dismantle it and look inside. It was all very interesting and exciting to me,” he reminisces.

What started off as the innocuous tinkering and dissecting of computer parts eventually transpired into an inexorable zest in the field of computer science. Although he was sure of his passion for engineering when he was scouring for scholarships after the 'A' levels, Joel was also aware that this passion could wane or even change as he grows older and becomes exposed to new experiences. With this in mind, he applied for the ST Engineering scholarship.

“ST Engineering is a very large company. Not only are there many fields of engineering that I can go into, there are also many opportunities available outside engineering like business, accounting and management,” explains Joel.

SP scholar Elysia Low has continually proven her mettle as a Management Associate in the organisation.

By Cheryl Lim

It’s unusual to find a female as inclined to engineering as 24-year-old Elysia Low.

Her interest in the subject was sown in her primary school years when she used to be a habitué at her uncle’s mechanic workshop, before the word “physics” made any sense to her.

“I started going to his shop when I was in primary school because it was near my house, and since both my parents were working,” Elysia shares. “Although it was just a car repair shop, there were many interesting gadgets to play with which I couldn’t find at home. And I didn’t have to worry about anything getting spoilt because there were always people who would repair them later!”

Years down the road, her experience of working on research projects as a student at Hwa Chong Institution further strengthened her inclinations towards the engineering field.

Brandon is an engineer from LTA who understands the sheer scale of the Circle Line MRT project. He speaks of how his work inspires him to learn continually.

By John Yip

“One location that inspires me, and that I’ve actually been to, is Machu Pichu in Peru,” says Brandon Li, a Land Transport Authority (LTA) scholar. “It’s an ancient Inca city in the middle of nowhere, high on top a mountain. In ancient days, you had to hike four days to get there. Right away, you realise that the Incas were part of a very magnificent civilisation.”

As a Civil Engineering graduate, Brandon has a keen interest in structures, especially monumental structures such as Angkor Wat, Stonehenge, and the mysterious monoliths on Easter Island.

However, he cannot imagine anyone building structures such as Machu Pichu today. “I think you would first need to be ruled by kings!” laughs Brandon. “They make decisions that have no obvious benefit other than glorifying themselves!”

Deep excavation
Modern-day construction projects, in contrast, are much more rational affairs. They involve many groups of people coming together to make decisions based on economics and public interest.

JTC – Where possibilities abound.

By Roland Tan and Tan Yan Shuo

“I’ve always been fascinated by bridges and buildings,” muses Tay Hwee Bin, a Principal Analyst at JTC Corporation. This is true in the figurative sense too – in her never-ending endeavours to bridge the gap between her dreams and reality, which is immeasurably aided by the JTC scholarship.

As Singapore’s leading provider of industrial space solutions, JTC offers a wide range of industrial and business facilities for all types of manufacturing and related operations. To date, it has developed more than 6,000 hectares of industrial land and 4.4 million square metres of ready-built facilities for more than 7,000 local and multinational companies. It provides the perfect platform for Hwee Bin to hone her talents.

Engineering solutions
“My current portfolio is in corporate planning, where I focus on JTC’s long-term strategic business directions,” she shares. “For instance, I was recently involved in the restructuring exercise of our business, re-aligning our business groups into industry clusters to better focus on the economy needs.”

The DSTA Scholarship allows talents like Lin Hui and Wei Wei to carve out shining careers in defence technology by creating opportunities for them to grow their passion and expertise through continuous learning.

By Ruth Wong

“When you are nineteen, you might not have figured out the area of work which suits you. The DSTA Scholarship offers scholars like me the flexibility of making a choice from a wide range of job opportunities just before graduation. This flexibility has given me time to discover my area of passion and that, to me, was one of the key reasons why I chose the DSTA Scholarship,” says Koh Lin Hui, 25, a DSTA scholar, who graduated last year from the Imperial College London with a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

The DSTA Scholarship
Reputed to be one of Singapore’s most prestigious scholarships in science and technology, the DSTA Scholarship grooms its budding engineers and scientists by putting them through a top-notch education in a wide array of disciplines at world-renowned universities.

Wishing upon a star won’t always give you what you desire. But at A*STAR, a love for science will ensure that your dreams can take flight!

By Charlene Tan

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is reputed for sending its scholars to top local and overseas universities to train with the brightest. Meet two individuals who had this opportunity – Dr Adrian Matthew Mak and Sim Jingwei. Though they are one decade apart, their hearts are set on the same goal – to contribute to the R&D sector in Singapore.

Brilliant minds
With 22 research institutes, consortia, and centres in the biomedical, science, and engineering sectors, A*STAR spearheads R&D and scientific inquiry in Singapore, driving the nation forward in a knowledge-based economy. Within its walls is a generation of scientists who dare to challenge the boundaries of modern science in areas such as biomedical sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and infocomm technologies.

“Research is about learning what’s unknown to mankind, to go through the physically and mentally tough challenge to develop something, and yet emerge surviving. I just love the challenge anytime!” Adrian quips.

The notion of flight has enticed mankind for centuries. One SIA pilot reveals how his profession complements his interest for travel and aviation.

By Nabilah Husna A. Rahman

What is usually every young boy’s first fantasy is very much a reality for Captain Tay Lim Tiang, a pilot with Singapore Airlines (SIA). Having long harboured an interest in flight technology, Lim Tiang now has control over the “metal birds” and travels to different cities all over the globe for a living.

He chose to study Electronics and Communication Engineering at Singapore Polytechnic (SP) in order to chase his dream of flying to success, literally. “I was very intrigued with the job of a pilot during my youth. I was fascinated by the machines that are able to take flight in the sky,” the SIA pilot reveals.

With regard to his engineering background, Lim Tiang explains, “Modern aircraft incorporates many applications of technology, and as such, pursuing an engineering diploma is a logical extension of my interest in aviation.”

At MTU Asia, work is nothing short of enjoyable. Three employees with different backgrounds are proud testaments to this truth.

By Nabilah Husna A. Rahman

A wide range of opportunities are available to staff at MTU Asia, a leading and global manufacturer of diesel engines and complete drive systems. As the Asian arm of MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, the brand boasts strength in both people and power, as well as a service-oriented culture.

Grooming leaders
Despite its focus on engineering, MTU Asia is continually on the lookout for qualified staff from various disciplines – a need which is met by the company’s graduate trainee programme.

Fresh graduates from Engineering, Business and Information Technology courses can apply for the programme, which caters to a wide variety of sectors within the company.

For Mechanical Engineering graduate Chong Chao Wei, a trainee in the Engineering Sales & Application Engineering-Marine Department, the 18-month-long programme’s attraction lies in its streamlined structure and prospects for growth.