Opening Address by MOS Tan Kiat How at the iBuildSG Scholarship and Sponsorship Ceremony

Monday, 25 January 2021

Good afternoon. I am happy to join you at this virtual iBuildSG Scholarship and Sponsorship Ceremony today.

Let me start by congratulating our 472 recipients of the iBuildSG-industry scholarships and sponsorships. You have done yourselves and your parents proud. I would like to commend and congratulate you on your dedication, hard work and success.

Industry Transformation

Your scholarship or sponsorship award marks the beginning of your career in the Built Environment sector. The first-class infrastructure that you see in Singapore today is the result of the hard work of generations of professionals that have come before you. We are not done building Singapore, and I look forward to your contributions in building on this foundation and making your mark on our cityscape. 

We are constantly re-imagining and transforming our urban landscape to meet the nation’s changing needs. However, it is not just our infrastructure that is evolving. In tandem with technological advancements, we are also transforming the way we build, such as using more digital tools.

Designers used to produce 2D drawings for building plans, oftentimes by hand, which often led to coordination issues and abortive work downstream. Now, designers are producing building plans digitally. This allows us to bring together the entire building lifecycle and its various parties, covering design, construction and facilities management from end-to-end through a digital spine, which enhances coordination and improves productivity. 

We are also transforming our building process. We are moving away from the traditional in-situ, brick-and-mortar on-site construction. Increasingly, we are producing building components in off-site automated prefabrication facilities before assembling them on-site. All these make our construction work quicker, quieter, less labour intensive, and oftentimes safer.  

Good Jobs for BE Professionals

We need a competent workforce to complement these shifts in the way we build. Our transformational areas of Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DfMA) and Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD) have created highly-skilled job roles for professionals in the BE sector.  

This is where you will come in. The course of study that you have chosen will equip you with the skills needed to leverage new technologies in transforming the way we build.

For example, Ming Xuan, one of our undergraduate scholarship recipients this year, was first introduced to DfMA and IDD, and had gained hands-on experience while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). He decided to spend his 8-month internship at Kimly Construction Pte Ltd after learning that the construction firm makes use of innovative technologies such as advanced robotics and automation in its projects. During the internship, Ming Xuan was rotated between three departments, where he was exposed to the different stages in construction projects. He was also given the opportunity to be involved in a project that used Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC). After the internship, Ming Xuan accepted a scholarship and a full-time job as a Planning Engineer with Kimly. He started working with the company full-time last year.

Let me next share the experience of Teck Hong, who started his journey as a Structural Engineer in Meinhardt (Singapore) Pte Ltd, after he graduated from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) back in 2011. During his time there, Teck Hong gained valuable experience in planning, design, supervision and construction from working in a wide range of projects, such as the Marina Bay Financial Centre, the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, the Centre for Healthcare Innovation Singapore, and the iconic Singapore Management University Connexion building. He went on to pursue a master’s degree in Civil Engineering, sponsored by Meinhardt. He also obtained his Professional Engineer qualification in 2016. He was promoted three times in eight years, assuming a Technical Director position last year.

Ming Xuan’s and Teck Hong’s experiences are not unique, and we want to nurture many more talents like them. For those of you who aspire towards leadership positions, you can also refer to the Skills Framework for the Built Environment, which we launched last year.

It provides a comprehensive overview of the key job roles available in the sector and a structured framework to help you upgrade your skills, and to progress to the next level in your careers.

The Skills Framework is also a useful reference for our BE firms to develop and retain talent. On this front, we have been working with stakeholders in the sector to adopt this framework, particularly to incorporate best practices in HR such as employment benefits and performance management.   

Appreciation for BE Firms

I would like to thank the 100 firms that have sponsored the students who are receiving their scholarships and sponsorships today. 2020 had been a difficult year for all of us, as our sector has been hard hit by COVID-19. Despite these challenges, you remain committed to grooming our young BE professionals. I am truly heartened and would like to thank you for your support.

Conclusion

Let me conclude by congratulating our scholarship and sponsorship recipients and your proud parents once again. The Built Environment is an exciting sector that is still riding the wave of transformation. We will continue to support the aspirations of our professionals in the sector, and I encourage you to seize the many opportunities ahead of you.

I wish you all the best as you embark on your studies and career in the BE sector.