“Staying open and being inclusive has underpinned the Singapore story and our journey thus far… These values will endure as our cardinal points… to navigate the path towards a digital future rich with opportunities and possibilities for our people.”
When the then Minister for Communications and Information, S. Iswaran, mentioned this a few years back, it came alongside the encouragement for Singaporeans to implement lifelong learning, and bettering themselves by enrolling in courses or continuing their studies. This is because Singapore has and will always be working towards becoming a digital hub, full of endless opportunities for those who readily better themselves as well.
Ms Jean Ang (Class of 2020), current General Manager of Chop Hup Chong Food Industries, known for its bak kwa or barbecued meat brand Bee Cheng Hiang, is definitely familiar with this lifelong learning spirit. Having graduated from Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) with not only a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Business, but also a Master of Management, Ms Ang shares her experience in partaking in her own journey of lifelong learning.
Her tenacity through a remarkable 20-year journey in the industry and her willingness to continue learning proved to make a dynamic duo. Additionally, the belief that the use of technology can ease workload and gain more effective outcomes, aided Ms Ang in exercising these values throughout her career.
When asked about her lessons during her Bachelor’s and Masters’ programme and how they have value-added to her life, she explains that they have been useful not only at work but also in personal aspects in her life.
Undertaking a Master of Management allowed her to understand the field which assisted her in working more seamlessly with her team of younger employees. Ms Ang was able to support them by approving marketing funds based on activating content marketing on social media, making their company website more user friendly, using data analytics for promotional planning and the list goes on. Additionally, in the aspect of her personal life, she was able to gain and apply the knowledge she had attained about the current trends and lifestyle to interact and connect more with people having gained a better insight into these topics.
Keeping up with society and trends is imperative as change is the only constant. Ms Ang portrays her eagerness to remain steadfast via new innovations (of recipes) for Bee Cheng Hiang’s products. Sticking close to their mission of believing in “constant improvement and quality”, over the years, we have seen them incorporate interesting and trendy flavours like Mala Bakkwa, Applewood Sliced Pork, Applewood Iberico Sliced Pork, Bakkwa Ice Cream, Bakkwa Swiss Roll, Bakkwa Chiffon Cake and many more.
On the topic of staying relevant, Ms Ang strongly believes that “learning is a journey to keep an individual updated on (trends) in order to keep (up) with the changing world”. Ms Ang understands that change is inevitable in this evolving world. Hence, she adopts the mentality that with the knowledge she has and will keep gaining, she will grow to be a more confident individual. Along with this, she encourages everyone, no matter their age, to embark on their own journey of constantly acquiring new knowledge. “Lifelong learning not only allows individuals to gain new knowledge , but it is also for the better of one’s company and country”.
