When she was younger, financial difficulties forced Ms Joline Shi to give up studying banking and finance in a polytechnic after a year.
She had to start working soon after, but has never wavered in her quest for further education.
After about 10 years in the finance sector, Ms Shi, 31, decided it was time to pursue a professional diploma in accounting and financial services at Kaplan Higher Education Institute.
The administrative assistant at asset manager Proa Partners applied for the SkillsFuture Study Awards in April, and started her studies in late July.
This was despite the fact that she had a newborn to look after.
She said: "I wanted to study before I got pregnant, but the plan was delayed. Even without the study award, I would have gone ahead because I felt it was a need to upgrade my skills. I've never thought of giving up."
The study awards are part of the national SkillsFuture movement, which helps working adults upgrade their skills.
She gets $5,000, which helps offset most of her diploma fees.
Her role now includes duties such as processing and monitoring trades.
Besides taking care of her 19-month-old son, Ms Shi has to attend classes, which are about four hours each, two or three times a week after work. "The course is intensive but it's going well - I just finished two exams and am waiting for the results."
She added: "It's been tough but I'm still coping because my husband, who is a relationship manager at Citibank, is quite supportive and will help me to look after our kid when I'm studying."
Even though she does feel guilty about reaching home only after her son is asleep, Ms Shi said: "Furthering my studies is something I've to do for my future and my family, so I'll suffer now and enjoy later."
Sharpening and boosting financial employees' skills
There are plans to strengthen employee skills in the financial sector, where technology is evolving and start-ups are rapidly advancing.
The global financial industry is in "the midst of profound change" with low growth and low interest rates, and global regulatory reforms, noted National Development Minister Lawrence Wong at a dinner organised by the Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF) last night.
"Traditional financial institutions now also have to deal with another challenge - from technological advances and a rapidly proliferating class of technological start-ups."
However, these represent opportunities for Singapore, said Mr Wong, which is why the SkillsFuture movement plays such an important role, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is working closely with IBF and the Financial Sector Tripartite Committee.
The aim is to tap institutes of higher learning for talent, sharpen the help finance professionals get for job transitions, and provide more support for people to upgrade themselves.
For instance, MAS and the polytechnics will sign a memorandum of understanding later this month to work on grooming talent.
Mr Wong said: "(We) expect more than 2,500 students to benefit from focused curriculum content, internship opportunities and project work in fintech development."
The committee, together with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, is also launching the professional conversion programme for the finance industry, to support people planning to move into areas such as compliance, where talent is in demand.
IBF, together with the industry, will also offer learning modules on "a set of six core capabilities which will underpin a more digitalised financial sector". Important areas include digital communications, cyber risk and governance.
The plan is to create a better learning environment through online and mobile applications.
The IBF portal will be improved for a customised learning experience, such as allowing users to track their training and assessment records. A new learning tool is also slated for release by next year.
Mr Wong also noted that the MAS recently improved training grant schemes to give more funding support to financial-sector employees older than 40 years old.
More than 70 Singaporeans have received study awards for the sector, he added, including administrative assistant Joline Shi, 31, from asset manager Proa Partners, and Mr Chu Soon Kit, 32, who is pursuing a master's degree in insurance and risk management.
"We encourage more individuals to tap SkillsFuture programmes and support to take charge of their future career development and progression," said Mr Wong.
This article was first published on October 01, 2016.
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