Lifelong learning: 2 electrical workers, 2 diplomas and a family vision
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Power maintenance technical officer Balamurugan Alagarsamy and his father, electrical supervisor Venkatasamy Balamurugan, are taking a Singapore Polytechnic diploma course together.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
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- A father and son are pursuing a second shared diploma in power engineering at Singapore Polytechnic to advance their electrical careers.
- Both hold prior diplomas in electrical engineering from India and aim to achieve higher Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW) grades in Singapore.
- They balance work and study, highlighting the importance of continuous learning for career growth and strengthening their family bond.
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SINGAPORE – Mr Venkatasamy Balamurugan, 54, and his 24-year-old son, Mr Balamurugan Alagarsamy, are taking their second diploma together in a bid to advance in their shared field of electrical work.
Since October 2024, father and son have been attending night classes at Singapore Polytechnic three times a week. Their part-time diploma course in power engineering ends in 2027, after which they both plan to take professional assessments to advance as a Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW).
In Singapore, LEWs, estimated to number around 3,700, are authorised to carry out, supervise or certify electrical work.
They both earned their first diploma in electrical and electronic engineering – decades apart from each other – in India’s Tamil Nadu state, where they used to live. Mr Alagarsamy, a technical officer at SMRT who works in power maintenance, is a Singapore citizen, while his parents are permanent residents here.
Mr Balamurugan is an electrical supervisor at Sengkang General Hospital while his wife, aged 40, works as a cashier at a convenience store. Their younger son, 22, is reading computer science at a university in India.
Education is a “life priority” in their family, says Mr Balamurugan. “I like to study and I need more knowledge,” he adds.
Before he embarked on this diploma, he completed a part-time, two-year Nitec course in electrical engineering at the Institute of Technical Education. He already has the LEW Grade 7 qualification and has his sights on the LEW Grade 8 qualification after graduating from Singapore Polytechnic.
His son is also studiously planning for his future.
Mr Alagarsamy, who is not married and followed in his father’s footsteps in their shared occupation, says: “I want to grow my career.”
After finishing this diploma, he hopes to do an electrical and electronic engineering degree at the Singapore Institute of Technology.
“To sustain yourself in this field, you have to study a lot. If I get an eight-to-five job, with no shift work and a bigger salary, I may feel there is no need to study further,” he says.
Mr Alagarsamy currently works three shifts, including an overnight one. It is challenging juggling work and studies, especially night classes.
But he says: “I feel that studying has no age limits. Studying with my parent has strengthened our relationship. We talk more and share tips as we are in different classrooms.”
