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Thank you for inviting me to celebrate with you your hard-earned success. This is a very special occasion.
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| 2. |
On your part it is an act of courage to commit yourself to take up a 120 credit-units degree programme, fully aware that you have work and family commitments to juggle with. And it takes a lot of effort and sheer perseverance to see your programme through. Today is a "red letter day" for you, your families, friends and supporters, who have cheered you on and given you their support in the past four to five years. Let us not forget to thank them on this day.
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| 3. |
Graduates, you have earned a degree amidst the most interesting of times. All over Asia, political changes are unfolding in dramatic manner. The Asia we know today is transforming itself into a new Asia whose shape and form no one can quite predict. At the same time, economies are beginning to restructure to meet new challenges that "come not single spies, but in battalions". What does this mean for you, and how are you prepared for all of this?
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| 4. |
Much has been said about the new economy and the many issues related to it. How will this new economy affect us? The knowledge-based economy requires people with diverse and lateral thinking skills so that ideas will cross-fertilise. Knowledge, creativity and innovation will be the key determinants of a country's long-term competitiveness. This new economy is dynamic, competitive and fast-moving, requiring an entirely new mindset altogether. The development of a highly educated and flexible workforce is therefore important. Singapore too will have to meet the new challenges of the knowledge age. Indeed, as a country, for which the main resource is people, innovation and the skilful employment of intellectual capital will be our major tools for success.
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| 5. |
Globalisation diminishes the concept of international boundaries. Information has made our world smaller where ideas are transmitted at a speed seemingly faster than light. This brings forth a whole new way of understanding how the economy functions, and closer to home, how we make business decisions. The future is both exciting, yet frighteningly uncertain, if we are unprepared. The economy will continue to move at a pace faster than what we have ever imagined. Those who are forward-looking and enthusiastic about the acquisition of new knowledge will eventually emerge as successful citizens of the new economy. Those who choose to hide like the proverbial ostrich, may find themselves marginalised.
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| 6. |
The concept of the new economy is not merely some abstruse topic for the amusement of politicians, economists, bankers and investors. The impact of this economic revolution will be overwhelming and will influence every worker. It is often too easy to say 'This is all beyond me; there is nothing I can do.' But this resigned response cannot be an acceptable answer. Change is inevitable even in our personal lives. The question is whether we allow ourselves to be carried away by the change, or whether we choose to ride the change in style.
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| 7. |
This economic revolution will also bring with it untold opportunities. At the individual level, we have to decide that we want to be an active player in this unfolding array of opportunities. We will need to take charge of our own destiny. There are no guarantees in life. In the new order there are no longer guarantees of lifelong employment with a single employer or in a single job, not even in Japan. Instead, we must work to ensure that we remain employable for as long as we can. The key to lifelong employability is lifelong learning.
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| 8. |
For the individual, the road of lifelong learning is often not an easy journey. But the alternative is to stagnate and be left behind. The journey of lifelong learning becomes less arduous if we adopt the right mindset. Those who can develop the right mental mould will fit into a learning culture that is characterised by flexibility, creativity and responsiveness. It is an individualised learning system that enables learning to take place at all times and in all places.
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| 9. |
There is no one system that allows us to be educated for life. We need to avail ourselves of the opportunities to continuously receive education and training throughout our lives. We must remember that the accelerating pace of social and technological changes has imposed an "expiry date" on our previous education and training. In reality the shelf-life of our last qualification gets shorter as the pace of economic restructuring accelerates. No worker at any level in the organisation can justify his existence merely by doing the same tasks with the same set of skills year after year.
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| 10. |
Enhancing the quality of the labour force is the priority of the Government. We will have to depend for our living on a competent labour force that is on par with and even ahead of that of other countries. To maintain a creditable position in the world economy, it is vital that we have a working population who is flexible and responsive. This can be achieved only by actively building on the reservoir of human knowledge and skills through the acquisition of new knowledge and skills. On its part, the Government has set up a framework for funding, as well as providing the infrastructure to assist individuals in this lifelong learning process.
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| 11. |
Employers are beginning to realise that employees with a range of interests, who use and develop whatever talent they have, are likely to go the extra mile to fulfill their potential. And in the process, they bring to their job new ideas and new approaches to solve workplace problems, helping companies to fulfill their vision. It is encouraging to see that more companies are helping their employees embark on their journey of lifelong learning. This trend will continue where employers and employees collaborate in partnership in the training and upgrading of knowledge and skills at the workplace. Employers' support undoubtedly acts as an important catalyst in lifelong learning.
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| 12. |
Everyone of us must do his part. We must develop an inquiring mind that will prompt us to question and search and to apply knowledge in an innovative and creative manner. As most of the solutions and products are ultimately the cross fertilisation of many skills and areas of knowledge, the ability to work together as a team takes on an even greater importance. We cannot individually know everything. But working together we know most things.
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| 13. |
Some of the common stumbling blocks in lifelong learning are financial and time constraints, lack of motivation, lack of support by family members and employers and even lack of suitable courses and learning paths. Ideally, each individual should be able to identify new learning needs or, be able to obtain guidance as to how the needs can be identified. In Singapore we have many learning institutions that are well-organised and provide quality continuing education and training. More importantly, our society has a culture that believes that education is an important key to getting ahead in life. The next step is to extend this culture to continuing education and training so that lifelong learning becomes as important as pre-employment training.
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| 14. |
Graduates, you are a good example to the people around you. You have taken another step forward in acquiring new knowledge and skills through the Open University programmes at SIM. The Open University Degree Programme is an effective avenue where our labour force can be upgraded at the tertiary level without taking them away from their work.
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| 15. |
Finally, I wish to suggest three simple things for you to do as you move on in life. First, acquire and cultivate an international outlook. Think global. If you are offered an opportunity to work overseas, take it. Your globalised outlook will be rewarded in both monetary and non-monetary ways. Experience and knowledge gained from working in a foreign environment will enrich you. Remember that our market is not in Singapore alone. The world is our market and the world is where we compete.
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| 16. |
Secondly, keep pace with technology. Pay close attention to the advances in science and technology. It is evident that Information Technology is a key in business today and it is important not just for its operational efficiency but as a strategic competitive advantage. New technologies will spawn new industries and create bountiful opportunities. Technology is a great asset in our survival kit.
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| 17. |
Finally, never stop learning. Learning is a process which does not end. There is always something new to learn. You should not limit yourselves to knowledge and skills related to your own discipline. Broadening the base of your knowledge will enrich you. Cultivate a passion and thirst for knowledge. To stop learning would be to stop adapting to the new and changing environment. That would be the beginning of the road to extinction.
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| 18. |
To all graduands, you have embarked on the road of lifelong learning and I wish you many fulfilling years ahead. Well done! |
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