This is what you can do during the circuit breaker period

In 10 days, the Chinese built a make- shift hospital in Wuhan to treat patients infected with the coronavirus. Take a look at this video, and the size of building! It's amazing how people can put together this massive hospital in such a short period of time.


Back home, Razer (isn't it a company that specializes in games) created a fully automated production line in Singapore within 24 days, which can produce 5 million masks per month, to contribute to the fight against COVID-19.

Back at your home, what would you create?

The capabilities of humans are enormous.

The human mind is amazing, but more amazing is the actions of humans. Put to good use, we can create wonders benefiting ourselves and others.

Your capabilities can be enormous too defined by your thinking and actions.

Have a great weekend.

Stay home, stay healthy, stay safe.

Why I am using my SkillsFuture Credit for LEISURE This Time Round

I was reading this article on TodayOnline talking about using SkillsFuture Credits for work training, but those on 'leisure' courses will not be judged. After using the credits previously for work-related training, I am so sure that I won't use them for any work- related ones. I will use them for LEISURE. And this is why.

Skills Upgrading on Work-Related Stuff

Beyond Bachelor Degree

For me, as an engineer, something that is considered work-related is related to what I am doing now which include hydraulics analysis, risk assessments, and so on. If I want to upgrade myself in engineering using the credits, most likely I'll need to go for a Masters or PhD. In my field of work, whether you have a Bachelor, or Masters, beyond your first job, there is no difference. And, if you have a PhD, the boss with the Bachelor or Masters will be wondering why are you here.

Upgrading Engineering Skills

The best way to upgrade is to visit e-bookstores to read books and journals/ magazines (since they are more up- to- date). Meet up with people from the same industry and talk about what's happening at work.



Codes and standards change from time to time. Courses take time to be created. And you may be better- off learning to read the codes and standards yourself, and interpreting them. Don't really understand, then Google is THE teacher. The forums are a great way to read up (though may have some errors since everyone is new right).

Staying to date with technology

In terms of staying up- to- date with techonlogy, as a consultant in engineering, I use a lot of software. My company laptop is filled with different Apps so that I can run a calculation to do some estimations. For the upcoming relevant trends in technology applicable to my field of work, I at most need to know what there are out there (and if they are going to replace me), NOT how to use. There are many software to do one thing that I'm doing. Give an example, I do hydraulics calculation (in layman's term, what this means is to ensure what ever you need to move through the pipe has enough energy to reach its end point). I can do the calculation using pen and paper (will take a long time for complicated stuff), or excel (take as long a time to set up all the equations for complicated scenarios), or with software. When I type in Hydraulics software, I have so so so many on the web. Is it useful for me to get to know more than the software my company is using --- NO! Honestly,with so many softwares, my company change one of another almost every year. What I need is the flexibility to use the new software. This involves sitting down to read the manual and fiddling with it. As I'm a user of technology, what's needed is to know what's available in the industry and what they do.

Upgrading softskills?

How about soft skills for my job? Well, there are people in my company who are doing courses such as MBAs. And the irony is that most people in the managerial roles (and those up- and- coming), do not have an MBA. Those taking MBA or have MBA are those in non- managerial roles (well for now). Well, for me, I get loads of client interaction (both locally and overseas). And you know what? If I need practice on soft skill such as negotiation, just volunteer to meet the more difficult clients and try it out. Read up from books if I need different strategies. Free course.

Other work related areas?

Engineering consultancy is a department in my company. It's not the core. My engineering services are rendered as part of a full package. So, I had previously done an Advanced Diploma related to the core of my company's business. If I want to do the "core", having the certs are definitely sufficient to get me a job in the "core area" in other company. But, I will be considered a newbie, and hence draw a salary of about $3-4 k per month. That's my starting pay more than a decade ago, do I really want to go back there? It's the same as now you get to use mobile phone instead of relying on the telephone for communication. Do you want to go back to the time of using telephone? If there's something about me, it's the refusal to take a step back.



So based on all the factors above, using my Skillsfuture credit for work related training will not bring me get me a fatter paycheck, produce more job opportunities that I want, or make me less susceptible to being retrenched. And if that's the case, why should I use my SkillsFuture Credits for Work Related Training.


More importantly, going for courses is not the only way to to upgrade skills. A lot of skills upgrading can be done by self- learning, or self- doing, and Partnering with Google.


This time round, SkillsFuture Credit will be all about 'leisure'.

Go,  Judge Me! =p

Free Courses and SkillsFuture Related Thoughts

I was looking through Budget 2020. One of the items was a top-up to Skills Future credit. As a Singaporean aged above 25, I get a $500 top- up of Skills Future credit, which can be used to offset the course of approved courses. As I am less than 40 years old, I don't get the additional special $500 credit. For more details, read up Budget 2020 here.


I was looking at the skillsfuture website, and do you know that there are some FREE online courses available? These include:

Source: My SkillsFuture

Of course, you could get these topics free at youtube too, but this will require one to "prepare" your own curriculum to learn the subject. So, if you are interested in these topics, why not sign up for these since they literally put all the material on that topic together. All you  need is to consume the content!

I really like the Skills Future credit, as I always have something to use it for. Previously, I used it to offset part of my Advanced Diploma. Honestly, though I finished my advanced diploma in 2015, I had literally NOT used the skills at all to advance my career. What a waste of time and effort. This time around, I intend to use the credits for something that I can reap benefits immediately (either monetary or enjoyment).

How about those of you who are eligible for the credits? What do you intend to use the additional Skills Future credit for?