By the time he completed his A levels at Hwa Chong Junior College, Mr Chew Chee Keong knew what he wanted from his career.
"Water---whether it involves supply, collection or waste treatment---is a highly sustainable industry in Singapore. I thought if I could pick up and hone my skills in this industry, I wouldn’t have to worry about employment possibilities," said Mr Chew, 27.
And the Public Utilities Board (PUB) seemed the perfect place to start. Apart from supplying fresh water in Singapore, it also operates, among other businesses, sewerage systems for water collection, and the Newater factories.
To Mr Chew, however, the most important advantage of a PUB scholarship was the opportunity to study overseas. The scholarship not only offered a wide choice of subjects---from mass communications to finance---but also allowed scholars to choose the university they wanted to study at.
"I explored different options, but realised an overseas education was most suitable for me," he explained. "I was excited, especially to hear from friends studying in foreign universities, about the well-rounded curriculum and steep learning curve."
So when he was awarded the scholarship in 1999, Mr Chew picked the Imperial College, London (as "it had one of the best curricula in Europe"), to study for a degree in civil and environmental engineering. The four-year course also led to a master’s degree.
It turned out to be a life-changing experience. There, he studied under professors who were notable consultants in the field. Their assignments were also based on problems they encountered in real-life projects.
This emphasis on application was also present in assignments, such as surveying. "It goes beyond forming teams and surveying all over campus in just one day," said Mr Chew. "At Imperial College, a surveying assignment was held in another part of the United Kingdom for one week. We had to construct a map from data, and it would be compared against the actual map for accuracy. This was how far the tutors went to assess our ability to interpret and apply our academic knowledge."
Meanwhile, the holistic environment at Imperial College also gave him the opportunity to interact with an international community. He admitted that it helped fine-tuned his social skills, equipping him with a higher level of self-confidence as well as a broader perspective on issues.
"My classmates were from all over the world, and I enjoyed the exchange of ideas within such a cosmopolitan mix of cultures and characters," he added. "And because they were easily the best engineering brains around, discussions were fruitful and enriching."
Mr Chew also liked the fact that the PUB took a proactive and flexible approach towards developing the potential of its scholars. He spent his first internship at the PUB to "get myself oriented to the organization."
Still, he received a pleasant surprised in 2002, when the organization sponsored his airfare, and provided a subsistence allowance when he scored an internship at an engineering consultancy in Florida.
He currently works as a manager at the PUB’s water supply (plants) department and has been there for more than two years. He enjoys his job, which involves optimising treatment processes to produce good quality water using cost-efficient methods.
"I like putting engineering knowledge to practical application, and being at the treatment plant allows me to do that," he said. "Since I’m in the formative stage of my carer, it’s important for me to pick up as much technical knowledge as I can, such as getting to know the operations processes. It helps give me a clearer picture of the water supply system."