I am proud that Singapore is rebounding strongly as a country and as a people from setbacks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the problem of not having enough local talent or the right skill sets to meet the needs of firms continues to plague the country (S'pore's financial sector on hiring spree, with a third of over 9,400 new jobs in tech: MAS chief, May 19).

I am sure in the minds of all Singaporeans, both young and old, there is a burning question of when will we ever be good enough? Or is there something really wrong with us?

Could this prevailing reiterative culture be a result of the constant fear of losing our so-called competitiveness? The reactive responses from the authorities, which trickle down to the people, can become a vicious circle.

Perhaps we need to overhaul the mindsets of all stakeholders in academia, policymaking and society.

Maybe we all just need a bit more time and hard work to diligently build and constantly re-tool ourselves from the ground up to get the job done.

We would be ready in due course and there is no shortcut by always relying on imported talent. We may not be first in all aspects but we are not too far behind either.

This mindset change would also allow us to be bold in developing diverse talents and resources that would let us compete better to attain a global edge.

Let's interpret and apply rather than just follow labour trends, so that we can carve out different talents who are uniquely Singaporean. We can effectively nurture talents who will be game changers and disruptors.

Christopher Lim Sim Cheng