IMDA SG:D Scholarship (Postgraduate) recipient Kenneth Leung dabbled in programming in his spare time and enjoyed it so much, he decided to switch lines and go into the data field. PHOTO: MAX CHAN

BY MARIANNE TAN

When former healthcare data analyst Kenneth Leung completed his Master of Science in Business Analytics at the National University of Singapore in September last year, the Covid-19 pandemic had disrupted much of normal life in Singapore and around the world, and sent the economy into a tailspin.

In spite of the uncertainties, Mr Leung, a recipient of the Singapore Digital (SG:D) Scholarship offered by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), remains excited about the possibilities afforded by his course of study. In fact, he is currently considering a few data scientist job offers.

He explains: “After I completed my master’s programme, the scholarship enabled me to pursue numerous data-related courses and certifications, including Tableau and AWS certifications. This helps to prepare scholarship holders like myself to meet the demands of Infocomm Media (ICM) roles through the acquiring of sought-after practical industry skills.” 

Once the pandemic eases, he is looking forward to becoming more involved in the data scene in Singapore through physical networking opportunities with practitioners across industries.

Making a bold switch 

As a fresh graduate in 2013, Mr Leung had worked as a pharmacist, and dabbled in programming in his spare time. When he found himself enjoying his foray into data science and programming, he decided to switch paths to become a healthcare data analyst, where he used scripting and business intelligence tools to analyse clinical and operational data to generate insights that could improve patient care in the institution and community.

In August 2019, he embarked on his postgraduate studies under the IMDA SG:D Scholarship (Postgraduate), which allows scholarship holders to serve their bond in an ICM-related job role in any organisation. 

Mr Leung, who deems himself as someone passionate about creating active change through digital innovations, says switching to the data field is very much in line with his goal of expanding his horizons and seeking out new experiences to learn and grow.

Personal growth 

While he mulls over various job offers, Mr Leung is also focused on his own personal development as a data practitioner. 

“For 2021, I am looking to improve on the soft skills required of a data practitioner, which include aspects like stakeholder engagement, communication of insights to business users, and translation of business problems into data science solutions.” 

“Having made the switch from drugs to data, I am even more excited than ever before to be exposed to a wider range of macro-level business problems, especially since the field of artificial intelligence and data science is evolving so rapidly,” he says.

Visit go.gov.sg/SGDscholarships for more information.