NEA-Industry Scholarship Awards Ceremony - SMS Koh Poh Koon

1. Good morning. A very warm welcome to our partners from the Industry, Trade Associations, Schools, Scholars, Parents, and distinguished guests. I am pleased to join you today to witness the presentation of awards for the fourth cycle of the NEA-Industry Scholarship

2. Let me begin by extending my heartiest congratulations to the scholars for taking on this opportunity to contribute and make a difference to Singapore’s Environmental Services (ES) industry! This is an important milestone, and the culmination of your hard work with support from your family, friends and teachers. Please join me in applauding everyone who has supported our scholars in their journeys.

The Environmental Services Industry as a Guardian of Public Health

3. The ES Industry is an indispensable player in providing essential environmental and public hygiene services to our nation. We have come a long way from the early days of Singapore’s independence; from the use of simple tools such as brooms and buckets in the 1960s, to the prevalence of robots and automated equipment, such as the META-SCRUB robot that does automated floor scrubbing and cleaning. The ES Industry is the guardian of Singapore’s public health. The clean and livable environment we enjoy today is the result of strong dedication and hard work of over 78,000 workers from 2,500 companies performing essential services in Cleaning, Waste Management and Pest Management.

4. The global economy and world order is changing sharply, and being reliant on external markets, Singapore is navigating the corners as best as we can. Local businesses have already felt the effects from international markets – some companies would have found growth opportunities, while others are continuously exploring ways to manage rising costs. Amidst these challenges, the ES industry is thriving as demand for environmental services remains high. In 2023, the National Environment Agency (NEA) launched the ES Industry Transformation Map (ITM) 2025 plans to accelerate efforts to strengthen innovation, improve productivity and create quality jobs in the ES industry. The ES ITM will continue to support companies in staying competitive and to create good jobs for Singaporeans. No longer just a natural job but a tech-driven one.

NEA-Industry Scholarship as a key Talent Attraction Programme

5. A cornerstone of the ES ITM 2025 is the NEA-Industry Scholarship, which aims to attract young talents to join the ES Industry. Launched in 2020, this programme has completed 4 successful cycles and awarded 26 scholarships in total. To date, 5 of our scholars have graduated from school and have joined their sponsoring organisations, taking on roles as Admin Executives, Facilities Technicians, Laboratory Technicians, Management Associates, and Team Leaders. Some of these scholars are here with us, and I look forward to their continued contributions to help shape the future of the ES Industry.

6. Joining the ranks of these scholars are 6 exceptional students who will be receiving the NEA-Industry Scholarship award this round. They come from diverse backgrounds, each having their own aspirations in pursuing a career in the ES industry. Some of you are already advocates for the environment and are passionate about environmental sustainability, and others hold deep appreciation of the industry’s nature of work. And a common thread that ties all of you are the interesting ideas that you have on data and technology solutions to improve the mode of operations within the ES industry.

7. One of the Scholars, Ms Cecilia Chan, chose a career in the ES Industry to align both her passion for the environment with her profession. She believes in the transformative power of data in enabling better business decisions and has acquired experience in data analytics through volunteering experiences, where she monitored web traffic data and generated actionable insights for the company. She recognises that there is more to the ES Industry than what most people see. Cecilia will be employed as a Robotics Research Analyst with Metabots Pte Ltd, where she will get to analyse large volumes of data generated by the company’s cleaning robots, utilise data science techniques to enhance robot performance, and optimise algorithms to improve decision-making.

8. Another scholar, Mr Song Hao Yan, will join Chye Thiam Maintenance Pte Ltd as an Environmental Services Specialist. An environmentalist at heart, Hao Yan is passionate about reducing carbon footprint at the corporate-level. He was drawn to a career in the ES Industry because of its applications in the everyday context, and because it resonates with his beliefs in shaping a sustainable environment. He is excited by the prospect of being part of an industry that tries to strive for a cleaner and greener future. When he joins the company, Hao Yan will have opportunities to operate and maintain ES machinery and equipment and recommend ways to improve environmental sustainability.

Future leaders of the industry

9. To our new scholars, I hope that you are raring and ready to embark on this new and meaningful journey. Before you graduate, you will have ample opportunities to gain industry exposure through internship stints with your respective sponsoring companies. After graduation, you will have the opportunity to learn and build knowledge and competencies through on-the-job training that will empower you to excel in your work. I hope that you will be able to tap on all these experiences to address issues and challenges and bring fresh ideas and innovative solutions to safeguard Singapore’s clean and green environment. You are the future leaders of the ES industry, and you will play a significant role in this ongoing industry transformation journey. Ultimately, for transformation to succeed, it will need leaders like yourselves to drive it.

10. Once again, heartiest congratulations to all of you on this important milestone. I look forward to all your valuable contributions to the ES industry and wish you every success in your careers.  

Thank you.