Youth@SIEW explored how the next generation of young energy innovators can seize opportunities to co-create Singapore’s sustainable future. Grace Foo reports
Ms Low Yen Ling, Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Singapore, called on youths to push boundaries in transforming Singapore’s energy future.
“Each of us can learn to become a smart energy user,” said Ms Low, adding that youths can play a direct role in shaping the country’s energy future. She further noted that the energy ecosystem will create new job opportunities in the clean energy sector, including expanded roles in areas such as solar, energy storage systems, smart grids and hydrogen.
Stand up, stand out, stand tall
Dr Mark Lim, CEO of Aliena, shared with the youth participants that the solutions for our future energy system will be found in Singapore’s challenges today—especially the task of elevating promising new technologies into tomorrow’s viable solutions. He encouraged youths to pursue careers in the clean energy sector and aspire towards a sustainable future.
Addressing challenges of today for innovations of tomorrow
A youth dialogue session was held with Ms Low, Dr Lim, and Ms Jen Tan, Head of Integrated Solutions (Singapore & Southeast Asia), Sembcorp Industries.
When asked about the role of youths in advancing the energy transition, Ms Low encouraged students to harness their potential to shape Singapore’s energy future. Echoing Dr Lim’s earlier call for youths to rise up and meet the challenges of their generation, Ms Low said youths can use their imagination and creativity to translate their innovative ideas into reality.
The clean energy sector has grown rapidly in the last few years. Ms Tan of Sembcorp shared that for the Singapore Green Plan to be successful, it is important to not only cultivate the right natural resources, but also the necessary human resources—underscoring the importance of investing in the youth.
During the dialogue, youths also took the opportunity to ask the panellists about the challenges faced in their ongoing energy projects, such as how to maximise data analytics.
Fuelling the passion of the youths to make a difference
Following the panel session, two Energy Ambassadors under the Energy Ambassadors Programme (EAP) shared that the EAP provides opportunities to participate in internships within the clean energy sector.
Tan Kee Yee from the Singapore Institute of Technology shared how his internship at Sembcorp Solar Singapore sparked his passion for clean energy development and motivated him to become an advocate for the sector.
Meanwhile, Zaphia Arisha from the Institute of Technical Education College West expressed her appreciation for the importance of energy in powering daily lives—and shared the reasons behind her motivation to pursue a career in Singapore’s energy sector.
Youth@SIEW ended with an award ceremony featuring the Energy-Industry Scholarship recipients, capping off a week of robust energy discussions at SIEW 2021.
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