The River Dialogue: Career Navigation while embracing Diversity

11 November 2022 – SCWO’s Women’s Register (WR) collaborated with Temasek Polytechnic in an exciting virtual event to address and discuss how differences in nationality, disability, gender, and age can impact one’s journey, especially in the workplace.

The River Dialogue was attended by more than 600 students from various polytechnics in Singapore. This inter-poly dialogue was part of the students’ Diversity and Inclusion curriculum to encourage students to embrace each other’s differences and be more empathetic towards those with different life experiences.

Two speakers from SCWO member organisations were invited to share how their unique identities as career transitioners and a woman in STEM altered and shaped their lives.

Ms Low Chin Loo from the Financial Women’s Association shared her experience on how younger workers can establish themselves despite their age and how age does not determine one’s ability to perform. Chin Loo showed that even senior workers with years of experience could start afresh and learn new skills to improve themselves. A career transitioner herself, Chin Loo had to pick up the courage and determination to learn to start a new role.  She was listed in Career Navigators Singapore: 40-over-40 women listed in 2021.

Sharing her experience as a female in the highly male-dominated STEM industry was Dr Low Bee Ting, a data scientist at P&G APAC. Despite facing incidents of gender stereotyping at work, her passion and interest in her job kept her going.

Dr Low engaged the students in a mini quiz. This made them aware of their internal biases. An advocate for women in STEM, Dr Low stressed on the current gaps in the fields and the good that women can do for the industry.

Both Chin Loo and Bee Ting were stellar examples of individuals who did not let the stereotypes of age and gender stop them from achieving their best.

Dr Cleta Milagros and Mr Joshua Tseng, the other speakers for the event, presented their experiences on nationality differences and disability.

The insightful and engaging session was an eye-opener for many students who had the chance to understand the perspective of a different nationality, disability, gender, and age.