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If you are late for a flight at a different terminal, would you wait for the Changi Airport Skytrain or make a dash on foot across terminals?
That question was put to the test in the pilot episode of the Changi Airport Group (CAG) video series Our Interns Tried, hosted on YouTube.
It was also one of the highlights for CAG scholar Nicolas Chew, who produced this particular episode during his two-month internship with the corporate and marketing communications team. He did everything from crafting the storyboard to producing the video.
While creating social media content might seem routine, such projects carry deeper significance at Changi Airport, which serves as Singapore’s gateway to the world.
As millions of visitors form their initial impressions of the country here, even light-hearted content like the Our Interns Tried video series plays a part in shaping Singapore’s global reputation. The series has since grown to showcase various airport roles and facilities, reinforcing Changi’s status as a world-class airport.
Like many Singaporeans, Nicolas feels a special affinity with Changi Airport, having grown up visiting the airport not only for trips but also for family meals and study sessions.
During his polytechnic years, he took a part-time job as a customer service officer at aviation solutions company SATS. It opened his eyes to the dynamic nature of the aviation industry and the myriad job opportunities.
Keen to contribute to the world’s most awarded airport that connects millions of passengers each year, he was inspired to apply for the CAG Undergraduate Scholarship to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Human, Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge in Britain.
“Airports are more than just a place to catch flights – they are also places where fond reunions are held and hard goodbyes are said,” he says. “Beyond just having flights arrive and depart on time, many more intangible aspects contribute to the passenger’s experience. I want to help add to that experience so that Changi Airport will always be thought of fondly by people around the world.”
The scholarship Nicolas received fully covered his overseas studies and living expenses. CAG scholars are also given opportunities to attend overseas student exchange programmes, summer programmes and internships. Later, they get to embark on a multifaceted career with the organisation through job rotations, secondments and overseas assignments.
“Airports are more than just a place to catch flights – they are also places where fond reunions are held and hard goodbyes are said… I want to help add to that experience so that Changi Airport will always be thought of fondly by people around the world.”
– Nicolas Chew, recipient of the CAG Undergraduate Scholarship
As a scholar, Nicolas has participated in three internships. In addition to the corporate and marketing communications team, he has also had stints with CAG’s people team (human resource division), where he used digital tools to help automate processes, as well as the cargo business division, where he helped to gather insights into waste management at the Changi Airfreight Centre.
Through these diverse experiences, Nicolas says he has a newfound appreciation for the wide range of work that goes on behind the scenes at the airport.
“We were always working towards something that had a very long-term horizon and will have an impact in the future,” adds the 26-year-old.
For example, as part of the waste management study he did at the cargo business division, Nicolas also had the opportunity to analyse the findings and suggest preliminary solutions to guide future recycling and sustainability efforts across Changi Airport.
Being entrusted with projects that have a far-reaching impact for the company has also helped Nicolas grow as a person. The self-professed introvert says that the support he received from his superiors made him feel like a valued member of the team and greatly boosted his self-confidence.
Backed by CAG, Nicolas is currently pursuing his postgraduate degree in Digital Media: Critical Studies at University College London.
He says his studies have taught him to critically weigh the benefits and challenges of pursuing new technologies such as artificial intelligence and their impact on the passenger experience. These critical thinking skills will be relevant as CAG embarks on the construction of Changi Airport Terminal 5, the airport’s largest expansion project to date.
For aspiring scholars, Nicolas says that the opportunity to be a part of this landmark project will be one of the main incentives to apply for the CAG scholarship. However, he believes that it is CAG’s people-first ethos – not just towards passengers but also its employees – that will convince them to make the long-term commitment.
“It is one thing to be able to contribute to an industry that is dynamic and interesting, but to do so in a company that truly cares about you as a person and your professional development – that is an unbeatable combination,” he says.
