Ngee Ann Polytechnic graduate Lee Jia Hui is perfectly at ease dressed in an engineer's overalls and black sturdy boots while working as one of the few women in a male-dominated shipyard.

Ms Lee, 22, graduated with a Diploma in Marine and Offshore Technology last year and is now an assistant engineer in Singapore Technologies (ST) Marine's mechanical department. "I like what I'm doing because it's something specialised and maths-related," she said, adding that what she learnt in school is still applicable in her job.

Mr Muhammad Noor Solihim Zainudin, 25, currently leads a team of 10 at the docking department.

As someone more comfortable with the technical aspects of engineering than leadership, one of the challenges he faces is having to allocate manpower and resources.

However, instead of gaining organisational skills, he hopes to "sharpen his (technical) tools" in the Earn and Learn programme, since he feels that he needs to focus on this aspect as well.

Teamwork is also an essential part of the job in order to increase productivity and minimise risks at work, said Mr Muhammad Saifullah Mohd Sultan, 25, who is also in the Earn and Learn programme.

He said: "Our working environment is slightly risky so teamwork is very important because when we work together, this can help prevent accidents."

The assistant engineer at the piping department added that "every project in ST Marine has a tight schedule so if... we can work together and deliver the project beforehand... (and) increase productivity and customer satisfaction, then why not (do it)?" ST Marine is a subsidiary of ST Engineering.

Yvonne Lek