Conversations From The Heart
By Tan Poon Kian, Career Development, Manager and Janice Chian, Career Development Executive
The students posed for a picture with Mr Tan Chuan-Jin after the session.
The SIM Career Development Office welcomed Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Speaker of Parliament and former Minister for Social and Family Development for a dialogue session with SIM GE students on 13 July 2018.
Themed ‘HEARTWARE & HARDWARE – the new human capital’, the dialogue focused on how employers are now looking beyond degree qualifications as they go in search of talents who also possess soft skills. Activities such as community service and volunteerism which formed the ‘HEARTWARE’, were also discussed during the session as traits that will help in building character and nurturing the next generation to have empathy and resilience.
Here’s what Mr Tan had to say about the event in his Facebook post:
During the dialogue, Mr Tan was candid and upfront as he shared about his passion and experiences. Particularly close to his heart is the social sector where he worked with various colleagues and partners in Singapore. Mr Tan also continues to drive SG Cares, a movement that encourages volunteerism. He encouraged our students to step forward and foster a more caring society. He also shared many real life examples of the challenges that the underprivileged in society face.
The dialogue session proved to be a fruitful and inspiring one for the students as there were many questions raised during the question and answer session. “The dialogue with Mr Tan was refreshing and eye-opening as it gave us a glimpse of the thought process behind every policy decision. He was very forthcoming and took as many questions as possible. Moving forward, if more of our youths are given opportunities to mingle with people like Mr Tan and converse on various topics, we can learn from them and be inspired in various ways to contribute to the economy, “ said Gerald Lim, a third year student from SIM- University Of London.
Dr Lee Kwok Cheong, Chief Executive of SIM Holdings Pte Ltd (right), presents a plaque of appreciation to Mr Tan.
Mr Tan (left) pictured with the moderator of the dialogue, Tan Poon Kian (right), during the dialogue session.
Posted online, 08 August 2018