The Change Agent Competition aims to transform graduates’ perceptions of working for SMEs by highlighting the exciting opportunities they offer.
With the bulk of fresh graduates making a beeline for jobs at brand-name multinational companies, SMEs face an uphill battle to bring in the young talent needed to grow their businesses.
Recognising this challenge, SPRING Singapore organised The Change Agent competition in partnership with the Business Leaders Alumni Club (BLAC), with the objective of exposing local university undergraduates to the opportunities of an
SME work environment.
The competition involved teams of students carrying out tasks assigned to them by three SMEs – Scanteak, HSL Constructor Pte Ltd and Mr Bean. Staff from the three SMEs also acted as coaches and mentors for the students. Projects included designing a social media campaign, conducting a customer survey, and reviewing the company’s operational strategy. The final challenge saw the teams face off in creating a business proposal for Winson Press Pte Ltd’s customised self-publishing platform, myplog.co.
Mr Tan Jit Khoon, Chief Executive Officer, Winson Press Pte Ltd with BLAC’s chairman Ms Susan Chong
According to BLAC’s chairman, Ms Susan Chong, the objective of the competition is to show that SMEs are good employers who can offer fresh graduates exciting career and learning opportunities.
“The companies that were chosen as judges and mentors for the competition are household names, because we want to convey the message that there are many outstanding SMEs that can offer graduates a bright and dynamic future,” says Ms Chong.
Better development opportunities
Mr Tan Jit Khoon, Chief Executive Officer of Winson Press Pte Ltd, believes that clearly defined development opportunities can attract graduates who are deciding between working for an SME or MNC.
“MNCs, being multilayered in most cases, present a very focused environment for newly minted professionals. This results in graduates getting a narrow perspective on the career options they might have. What an SME can offer is a holistic view of the career development options that are available to them,” says Mr Tan, who was also a judge for the competition.
He adds: “Most importantly, given the dynamic nature of SMEs, every member of the team plays a crucial role and is empowered to make things happen.” In fact, one team had the opportunity to execute their business plan right after the competition. Movement12, a concept developed by Nanyang Technological University undergraduates Zhou Mi and Elvin Zhang, was adopted by Winson Press Pte Ltd to launch myplog.co in December 2012. The campaign aims to encourage Singaporeans to live their life with passion and to share what is important to them on social media platforms.
“Nothing feels better than getting acknowledged for your efforts. I believe that the best things an SME can do for graduates is to provide support to bring their ideas to life,” says Mr Tan.
Benefits to SMEs
While the focus of the competition was on the benefits and opportunities that graduates can gain by working for an SME, it is also important for SMEs to understand the value of bringing in fresh talent. By doing so, they get access to a trained workforce that can quickly help them to meet the demands of a rapidly changing business environment.
“Young graduates are a source of inspiration for SMEs. They also help businesses to stay up to date with their perspectives on technological developments and their spirit to challenge the status quo and drive change,” explains Mr Tan.
BLAC hopes to extend The Change Agent competition to polytechnic students. It also plans to offer scholarships and internship opportunities to develop future business leaders.
“We will organise this competition again because it is in line with BLAC’s mission to develop future business leaders. We believe it is a good way for SMEs to build up a talent pipeline,” says Ms Chong.
Reproduced with permission from SPRINGnews February 2013 Issue. Published by SPRING Singapore.