Development
Moulding Tomorrow’s Leaders
PSC scholarship holders are involved in a series of milestone programmes and other developmental opportunities during their studies, to develop a diverse set of experiences and contribute better to Singapore.
2022 Preparatory Course
The annual Preparatory Course aims to prepare newly awarded PSC scholarship holders for their studies and set the expectations on their roles as ambassadors of the Singapore Public Service. The 2022 Preparatory Course, conducted as an in-person programme from 20 to 30 June 2022, brought back key elements which fostered cohort-building such as the 3-day Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) course.
As part of the Preparatory Course, all scholarship holders take part in the Youth Corp Leaders Programme (YCLP), which allows them to identify, plan and execute projects that address issues in the community and support a meaningful cause. The YCLP projects that were completed by PSC scholarship holders in 2022 include “Community Oriented Developers & Engineers (Project CODE)”, “Talk Here, It’s Safe (THIS4Youth)” and “Project Homerun”. Brief descriptions of these projects are in the following paragraphs.
Project CODE
Project CODE focused on introducing programming concepts and improving exposure to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education beyond a typical school curriculum to underprivileged children. Working with Young Hearts, Red Cross Singapore, the team conducted hands-on workshops that introduced basic programming and robotics concepts to their 10 participants.
This4Youth
THIS4Youth comprised two components – an online peer support group programme and a Telegram channel. Working with the Singapore Association of Mental Health, the project focused on improving awareness on mental health challenges amongst university students and fostering a space to educate and empower youths to have conversations on mental health.
Project Homerun
Project Homerun worked with Habitat for Humanity Singapore, which aims to improve the quality of life and living conditions of low-income and disadvantaged Singaporeans. In conjunction with their Project Homeworks initiative, the team coordinated efforts to recruit volunteers, raise funds and engage youths on such social issues, and was able to meaningfully contribute to 32 households.
2022 PSC Scholarship Holders’ Mid-Course Programme (PSMP)
The PSMP, held midway through a scholarship holder’s undergraduate studies, builds on the foundations laid in the Preparatory Course and the scholarship holders’ undergraduate experiences. The programme provides greater context on the realities of governance and highlights developments that have taken place since the scholarship holders commenced their studies. The PSMP also consists of a six-to-eight-week internship component with a government agency, where scholarship holders gain first-hand experience in the Public Service. 34 scholarship holders attended the 2022 PSMP held from 1 to 8 July. Organised together with the PSMP, Singapore Seminar, a forum which brings together scholarship holders from various Public Agencies, was held on 27 July 2022, with the theme, “Strengthening Our Social Compact: Enabling Vulnerable Groups in Singapore”. The seminar saw rich insights, perspectives, and discussion.
Diverse Experiences Through Academic Programmes, Internships and the Gap Year Programme
Scholarship holders are encouraged to actively seek out diverse experiences, particularly in areas of strategic interest to the Public Service, to complement their formal education and provide them with a wider worldview.
As travel restrictions eased, scholarship holders were able to take part in academic programmes at multiple destinations such as Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Spain and Sweden, to widen their horizons. Some of these experiences constituted unique offerings for example studying the application of thermodynamics in Iceland through first-hand applications at geothermal plants and aluminium smelters, and understanding the geopolitical context of the Middle East through a summer term in Tel Aviv University.
Beyond academic programmes, scholarship holders also take part in internships outside of the Public Service. In 2022, these included stints with Allogene Therapeutics, Carro, The World Bank Singapore, United Nations Secretariat and Worthix.
Scholarship holders also have the option of taking up a Gap Year programme – a year-long attachment locally or overseas with International Organisations, reputable Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) or private companies. The experiences from these stints help to inject diversity into the talent pipeline and build up networks useful for the Public Service. In 2022, scholarship holders proceeded for their Gap Year programmes with the following organisations: Grab Holdings Inc. (Singapore); Interpol, Singapore; and UNESCO (France).