Singapore’s Minister for the Public Service, Chan Chun Sing has held up the case of a mid-career Public Servant to emphasise the need for life-long learning in the bureaucracy.
Mr Chan, who is also Minister for Education, said the officer, Samuel Tan agreed to a posting with e-commerce company Shopee in order to gain a deeper understanding of the technology which would serve him well on his return to the Public Service later this year.
Mr Tan (pictured), a Public Servant for 16 years, said he saw it as a natural progression from his work in the Media Development Authority (IMDA), enabling him to pick up new skill sets.
Speaking at the One Public Service Observance Ceremony during the country’s Public Service Week, Mr Chan said other Public Servants should take the chance to get exposure like Mr Tan, and take charge of their own growth and development.
“With the new skills, insights, and network that Samuel picked up at Shopee, he is much better equipped to drive digitalisation and tech talent development for the nation back at the IMDA,” Mr Chan said.
“Adopting lifelong learning is essential for both individual public officers and the service as a whole to stay relevant so that it is ready to take on the complex challenges of the future.”
He said that beginning this year, each public officer could use up to 40 hours a year to pursue developmental opportunities with private, social, and non-profit organisations.
“Singapore’s Public Service must be agile and collaborative if it is to steer Singapore successfully through the coming period of global political and economic instability and change,” the Minister said.
Singapore, 9 July 2022
