In her 12 years with security firm Aetos Holdings, Ms Anitah Thamaras was promoted four times, picked up first aid, counselling and other professional certificates, and even found time to earn a diploma.

Her achievements speak volumes about the kind of work culture she enjoys at Aetos, a leading unified security solutions provider in Singapore. 

Ms Anitah laughs off the misconception that being a front-liner in the security industry limits one’s financial and career advancement. 

“A lot of people think that working at Aetos means we have no life,” says the 36-year-old auxiliary police officer. Rising through the ranks, the former police constable is now a staff sergeant leading a team of more than 30 officers. 

When she first decided to join Aetos, she did not know she would come this far in her professional as well as personal growth. Previously, she was a quality assurance specialist in the manufacturing industry.

“Looking back, I am glad I made this choice,” she says. 

Highly driven, Ms Anitah earned a human resource management diploma in 2021. She continues to set higher goals for herself and will soon be starting a course in business English. 

“As I continue to progress my career with Aetos and take on greater responsibilities, I have plans to further my studies,” she says, of her intentions to obtain a degree in human resource management one day.

Besides offering front-liners – who make up 95 per cent of its 4,800 employees – competitive remuneration packages that are aligned with industry standards, such as the national Progressive Wage Model for security officers, Aetos is also highly protective of their work-life balance. 

It has, for example, implemented a rotational work schedule so that front-liners like Ms Anitah are given adequate rest time and days off. Such thoughtful initiatives are what make Aetos rank among the top 250 employers in Singapore according to global research firm Statista in collaboration with The Straits Times.

“When I joined the company, I told myself that I have to support my family and I have to upgrade myself,” she says. “With the steady income and savings I had set aside, I was able to complete my diploma studies outside working hours.”

A thirst for lifelong learning

According to its vice president of human resources Irene Tan, Aetos supports lifelong learning and continuous development of its people in their employment lifecycle with the organisation – by offering ample training and development opportunities through structured learning and development pathways, as well as study grants. 

Ms Tan adds that Aetos makes training and upskilling more accessible to its employees by leveraging technologies and adopting a blended online and in-person learning approach to avoid disrupting front-liners’ work schedules.

For training that can be conducted online, the company launched more than 60 e-learning modules in May last year on topics ranging from security to incident response, and unmanned aerial vehicle training, as well as first aid and integrated security and facilities visual inspection.

“This is an important step in helping employees future-proof their skills and gain access to opportunities for growth and development,” says Ms Tan.

Seizing the opportunity to broaden her skill sets, Ms Anitah enrolled in a first-aid course in 2021 and is now a certified first responder. She also took a course in 2019 on para-counselling and recently attended leadership development courses to strengthen her capacity as a team leader deployed at a correctional facility.

“Para-counselling and having an outward-looking mindset helped me better understand and manage my team members and difficult inmates while on escort duty,” explains Ms Anitah, referring to the times she and her team were tasked to transport inmates to hospitals for medical check-ups.

Her teams have also been assigned to protect Singapore’s key maritime, aviation and infrastructure facilities from potential threats. Her job has given her a real sense of pride and it still excites her to simply put on the uniform every day. 

“When members of the public see me in my uniform, it gives them the assurance that I am there to maintain law and order while providing security and ensuring their safety. 

“Knowing there are people out there who trust me and count on me to keep them and the community safe gives me great satisfaction,” says Ms Anitah.