I really appreciate how Er. Dr Tan charts the developmental plans for each of us based on our experience level, so we have a clear direction for our personal and professional growth.
Finding opportunities for personal development
He adds that the opportunity to speak about his passion at ICPS6 was a major milestone in his young career — and one made possible by the technical mentorship of his co-author, Er. Dr Tan Swee Hong, Head (Blast Engineering), PSS CoE.
In addition to guiding Hwee Kiat through his research and in refining his ICPS6 presentation, Er. Dr Tan also shared his views on how Hwee Kiat can upgrade his skills progressively towards achieving formal accreditation as a Professional Engineer.
In 2022, Hwee Kiat sat for the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination (FEE) for Mechanical Engineering (ME) and passed on his first attempt. He is now preparing for the next milestone, which is the Practice of Professional Engineering Examination (PPE). Passing both registration examinations is required as part of the multi-year assessment framework before any candidate with sufficient work experience can apply to sit for the final interview by the Professional Engineers Board.
Gratefully, Hwee Kiat exclaims: “I really appreciate how Er. Dr Tan charts the developmental plans for each of us based on our experience level, so we have a clear direction for our personal and professional growth. All these developmental opportunities would also not have been possible without Director (PSS CoE)’s and HTX management’s fullest support, especially so for my recent work trip to present at ICPS6!”
Ng Shu Herng, the Director of PSS CoE explains: “Here in HTX, we place a great deal of emphasis on training and development of our officers. This is particularly pertinent for very niche technical disciplines such as blast engineering, which are not typically taught in Universities at undergraduate levels. HTX identifies suitable candidates like Hwee Kiat, and then groom them through a structured developmental programme comprising a combination of on-the-job training, mentorship, and post-graduate courses. This is how we build up in-house capabilities that enables us to fulfil our mission as the Home Team’s force multiplier.”
Building both community and career
That said, a culture of support and emphasis on development is something Hwee Kiat has grown used to in his time at HTX.
“The HTX management doesn’t view us as just engineers or work horses to carry out tasks on a day-to-day basis. They care about our personal development,” he explains.
In 2022, for example, the company hosted the HTX DeepRacer Challenge, an event in which HTX partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Singapore to explore Machine Learning in a fun and interactive way. This was done through autonomous miniature race cars fitted with individually trained Reinforcement Learning models. More than 300 Xponents from technical and non-technical backgrounds participated in the event, which included workshops and immersion visits to AWS.
As a member of the HTX House Challenge (HTXHC) organising committee that planned the event, Hwee Kiat had the added advantage of gaining valuable experience in planning, procurement, logistics and more. Perhaps more importantly, he connected with people from different departments and forged friendships that he cherishes today.
This is why it is with confidence that he says: “I recommend those with a passion for science and technology and who wish to do meaningful work that directly contributes to Singapore’s security to consider the HTX S&T Associate Programme.” After all, it has given him more than just a career. Through it, he has also found a community in which he can grow and thrive.