Engineering and Technology Careers are Not Valued - Singapore is "High Cost Low Tech" - Salary.sg Forums
Salary.sg Forums  

Go Back   Salary.sg Forums > The Salary.sg Discussion Forums: > Education and Personal Growth

Education and Personal Growth Schools, further studies, getting ready for employment, and motivation stuff




Engineering and Technology Careers are Not Valued - Singapore is "High Cost Low Tech"

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 24-05-2008, 12:23 PM
Salary.sg
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Engineering and Technology Careers are Not Valued - Singapore is "High Cost Low Tech"

Among news like a monk and an infidel GP doctor making six-figure income, there's an interesting piece in ST two days ago - ex-top civil servant Ngiam Tong Dow worries that Singapore is becoming "high cost, low tech".
Quote:
"The United States has overtaken Britain because while some of their best went to Wall Street, their best still go into engineering."
His concern is valid.

In Singapore, the best JC students are attracted by glitzy ads and employment survey reports (see example) glamorizing the banking and finance industry and repeatedly highlighting that top dollars are made there.

For engineers and techies, they only get to hear things like "with a basic degree, you get to wash test tubes".

Or that engineering and tech talent are a dime a dozen from China and India.

It is no wonder that students die to get into the in-demand courses like business, finance and accounting, while engineering and technology-related courses are dumping grounds.

See my previous posts on getting out of engineering and dead end career.

We all know that techies are undervalued in sunny Singapore. You're a techie, you make 5k and be happy. Stay happy. Else get out and go to countries like USA, Japan, or even China and Taiwan where tech talent are much more highly valued than over here. Or, get into banking or do a sales job.

So Mr Ngiam worries about the lack of local high-tech talent.

There's always a simple solution (right?): Start paying top dollars for engineers.

Start with tech-related ministries and agencies like Mindef and MDA. Then, move to tech-related GLCs like Singapore Technologies and JTC.

Pay millions for, say, the Chief Innovator in DSTA and ask the media to cover this ad nauseum (much like the way life sciences were glamorized in the not too distant past).

Hopefully we get to confuse the students again.

http://www.salary.sg/2008/engineerin...cost-low-tech/

Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 24-05-2008, 12:52 PM
Howcome---
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default 1729

Ya meh? The techies I know & work with are paid quite a lot leh. 10k+ is quite common. Our juniors are earning like 7k already... not including bonuses.

Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old 24-05-2008, 01:13 PM
Where---
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default 1731

@Howcome, which tech companies pay 7k for freshies?

Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old 24-05-2008, 01:22 PM
Howcome---
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default 1732

Sorry, by juniors I mean those with about 5-7 yrs lah. Not fresh grads. I'm not that young
And to be fair, let me qualify it further: techies in foreign banks. The highest fresh grad *techie* pay I heard in the banks circle is 5.5k.
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old 24-05-2008, 05:18 PM
Ex-engineer---
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default 1733

Yes techies in banks. But if you are a non-techie in bank you probably earn twice to thrice as much.
Personally,I used to be an engineer, and for the same reasons of low pay I left for the finance sector. Now I earn 4-5x more than I used too as an engineer. It's just a very tough and unrewarding life to be an engineer unless you discover some groundbreaking technology.. for a finance guy, you just do simple maths, charge high commissions and rake in the $$.
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old 24-05-2008, 06:37 PM
Where---
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default 1734

@Howcome, ah... so it's still the banking & finance industry. duh.
Reply With Quote

  #7 (permalink)  
Old 24-05-2008, 06:51 PM
Howcome---
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default 1735

But it's *techies* of banking and finance industry, see. The topic is that techies in singapore are unappreciated and underrewarded, right? And that like Ex-engineer, they are leaving engineering in droves to the NON-TECHNICAL part of banking and finance industry. There's a difference like Ex-engineer said!
My point is that it's still possible to be a techie and not happy with just 5k/month but much more.
Reply With Quote
  #8 (permalink)  
Old 24-05-2008, 06:55 PM
Howcome---
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default 1736

@Ex-engineer, if you don't mind--what do you do exactly? Was it tough to switch? 4-5x more--does it mean you've broken the 200k pa mark? I suspect I'm probably near the glass ceiling for techies. Gotta plan for the next 5 years or so...


Primary School English Grammar and Vocabulary Drills
Primary School English Grammar and Vocabulary Drills


SG Bus Timing App
SG Bus Timing App - the best bus app - available on iOS and Android


Bursa Stocks Android App - check share prices
Bursa Stocks [Android] App - check latest share prices on the go


SGX Stocks Android App - check share prices
SGX Stocks [Android] App - check latest share prices on the go


SGX Stocks for iPad - check latest Singapore share prices
SGX Stocks [iPad] app
| SGX Stocks [iPhone] app
Reply With Quote
  #9 (permalink)  
Old 24-05-2008, 09:25 PM
wait and wait---
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default 1737

There are many qualified Filipino engineers and Indian IT programmers working in Singapore. Their pay is average $3k to $6k. They are very happy. Because they work 10 years can go home buy land, build house and live happily ever after. Companies don't need to increase pay to $10k. Because when pay is only $5k many foreigners happily snap up already. Blame the government if you want. Ha.
Reply With Quote
  #10 (permalink)  
Old 25-05-2008, 12:28 AM
Ex-engineer---
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default 1739

I would think it's tough to change considering most of my peers tried but didn't manage to do so. I was one of the lucky ones.. but if you try hard enough I am sure it's possible. I was an engineer for only 2 years though.. so that might have made it easier. I trade for a living nowadays.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Tags
banking, engineering, finance, technology

« Previous Thread | Next Thread »
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Beware of People who claim to have "Doctorates" Salary.sg Education and Personal Growth 23 11-07-2012 12:43 PM
Singaporeans "positive" about retirement Salary.sg Investments and Net Worth 4 08-09-2009 09:37 PM
Beware of Singtel's unfair offer "forced" upon you via SMS Salary.sg Investments and Net Worth 18 23-06-2009 11:32 AM
Next downturn "severe" Salary.sg Investments and Net Worth 1 18-07-2007 10:32 PM
Salary hikes "sustainable" Salary.sg Income and Jobs 0 17-07-2007 01:50 PM

» 30 Recent Threads
IMDA (under MCI) ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
1,255 Replies, 605,433 Views
Lawyer Salary ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
20,970 Replies, 10,282,406 Views
MINDEF DXO (All FAQ on it) ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
5,806 Replies, 4,626,739 Views
Civil Svc/ Statboard - Typical... ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
6,103 Replies, 3,714,401 Views
Civil Service Performance Bonus ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
5,292 Replies, 4,704,374 Views
MAS for Mid Career Professionals ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
1,775 Replies, 1,030,530 Views
Q: Big4 - Yearly salary increment ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
15,049 Replies, 4,938,130 Views
HTX (Home Team Science and... ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
685 Replies, 342,894 Views
Career as Teacher ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
10,570 Replies, 6,553,690 Views
Local bank BO pay
2 Replies, 116 Views
ST Electronics ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
3,734 Replies, 1,528,316 Views
UOB Management Associate Program ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
1,388 Replies, 769,112 Views
GovTech ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
5,065 Replies, 2,135,710 Views
Roles in accenture singapore ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
7,263 Replies, 2,292,087 Views
NUS (National University of... ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
315 Replies, 315,146 Views
ITE Polytechnic Scheme ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
302 Replies, 362,376 Views
Aon Centre for Innovation and...
9 Replies, 6,052 Views
CSA (Cyber Security Agency) ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
904 Replies, 500,361 Views
Compare civil service salary ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
16,314 Replies, 12,397,957 Views
Standard Chartered International... ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
476 Replies, 262,774 Views
DSTA (under Mindef) ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
1,435 Replies, 1,363,012 Views
Ex-MOE Teachers ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
403 Replies, 485,921 Views
Engineer Pay ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
664 Replies, 454,381 Views
Cybersecurity/Info security career ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
501 Replies, 264,320 Views
LTA (Land Transport Authority) ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
651 Replies, 377,010 Views
OCBC Graduate Talent Programme... ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
1,165 Replies, 640,986 Views
DBS ACE Programme ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
119 Replies, 76,970 Views
How is life as a doctor in... ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
7,233 Replies, 3,376,491 Views
Work culture in IHiS ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
717 Replies, 535,576 Views
SIA AO grades ( 1 2 3... Last Page)
127 Replies, 101,741 Views
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.2



All times are GMT +8. The time now is 05:25 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.3.2