Search
Close this search box.

SCHOLARS'

EXPERIENCE

A holistic journey to a better future

When Mr Ong Wei Sheng sent out scholarship applications four years ago, his main goal was to receive financial support to further his studies.

When the 24-year-old was awarded the Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS) Full-Term to pursue Industrial and Systems Engineering at the National University of Singapore in 2016, he realised that it actually goes beyond offering monetary supplementation to provide him with a holistic development.

Mr Ong, who majors in Industrial and Systems Engineering, had secured an internship opportunity with ST Logistics and attended many networking events for scholars. For him, this was a crucial part of shaping a clearer perspective on the future of the supply chain management industry in Singapore.

He appreciates the fact that such an experience is not readily available to anyone and values the insights that he has gained into this industry. After all, Singapore’s role as a logistics and supply chain management hub is integral to the nation’s development.

Valuable experiences
Being an active participant of the Scholars’ Development and Engagement Programme means that Mr Ong gets to meet other scholars at special events two to three times a year.

The events are useful as it enables him to expand his network with other likeminded individuals, and engage notable industry figures to learn about their areas of expertise and views on current affairs.

This has helped to broaden his perspective, view his  internship opportunity with a greater sense of purpose, and see learning as an important lifelong process.

“I was determined to learn as much as I can from experienced supervisors in this industry so that I will be well prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation,” says Mr Ong, who has also gained better understanding of the importance of the logistics sector to Singapore’s development.

Other memorable activities include the grand opening of Toll City, the new logistics hub located at Tuas, in 2018. It was the first major corporate event that he was involved in to set up the showcase of the company’s latest technologies, such as the SMART Cabinet powered by radio-frequency identification technology for secured real-time visibility of high-value inventory kept in cabinets. He looks forward to more of such eye-opening experiences when he joins ST Logistics as a full-time employee after graduation this year.

Looking back as a scholarship applicant who was successfully awarded only on his second application, Mr Ong knows how daunting the process can be. Even then, he would advise potential applicants to take time to slowly review each scholarship.

“You are making a decision that will impact four years of your studies and career; taking time to make an informed choice will be worth it,” he says.