A leadership role was the last thing new engineering graduate Nicklaus Yu expected when he joined technology giant Dyson straight out of university, but the promotions were not long in coming.
Within five years Mr Yu was a team leader - a move that underscores an Economic Develop-ment Board (EDB) strategy to help local go-getters get into higher-value roles.
As leader of Dyson Singapore's acoustic team, Mr Yu not only tackles technical issues, but also considers business operations, in addition to managing a team.
It is an opportunity the 31-year-old acoustics and vibration engineer never saw coming at first: "I thought I would just be testing a problem from a project in a corner somewhere," he said.
Helping Singaporeans take on leadership roles is one of the EDB's goals, managing director Chng Kai Fong said at the agency's year-in-review briefing yesterday.
Mr Chng pointed to the Skills-Future Leadership Development Initiative that was launched last year as an example of what is being done. The scheme aims to groom 800 potential leaders over three years.
Singapore is expected to attract $8 billion to $10 billion in investments this year, with about 16,000 to 18,000 jobs being created.
The EDB is looking in particular at creating three kinds of positions: Higher-value jobs, those with a regional orientation and ones involving digital capabilities.
At Dyson Singapore, for instance, simulation computers allow engineers to test virtually the noise created by its products.
Boosting Singapore's digital capabilities is a crucial part of EDB's push for advanced manufacturing, which includes using data and sensors to control and improve output.
Evonik Methionine quality control and lab manager Thayanithi Ganesh has seen work processes become more efficient since she joined the firm in 2015.
The company is the Singapore arm of Germany's Evonik Industries, the world's largest speciality chemicals company.
Previously, lab researchers had to enter experimental results manually into the computer system.
The firm has gradually introduced digitalisation so that some data is now automatically transferred from the lab to the plant management side. "We now have a more streamlined workflow," she said.
Evonik Methionine's investment here is growing, with a second plant set to open next year, creating about 100 additional jobs, including junior roles for graduates and workers with around five years of experience.
