Necessary Evils

Fixing the lack of engineering talent in Singapore

A while back, I wrote about how the lack of home grown computer engineering talent is harming the progress of Singapore’s startup scene. I believe that there are two possible remedies to the talent problem.

Import

Singapore’s Economic Development Board, and Infocomm Development Authority, should continue to make a concerted push to encourage top tech companies to start engineering centers in Singapore. But with a twist — they should heavily promote the fact that Singapore can draw from the wealth of talent that Southeast Asia has to offer.

The Singaporean talent pool can’t sustain engineering centers. I’ve had the privilege of working with very talented engineers from countries like Vietnam and Indonesia. Bootstrapping these centers with talent from the region can be a great selling point.

Talent follows challenge and money. These engineers should be valued as they would in other hubs like Silicon Valley or New York City, and get paid similarly (after cost of living adjustments). This will make Singapore even more attractive as the place to be as an engineer in the region.

As these centers gain momentum and release products we use in our daily lives, more Singaporeans will realize that engineering can be a meaningful career option. Having engineers on the ground in Singapore also allow these companies to evangelize and engage students on a deeper technical level. Eventually, the talent pool would grow, and more Singaporeans will staff up the centers.

Singapore already has a history of importing “foreign talent”, and this would be no different. In fact, some of the more interesting engineering-heavy companies and startups are already mostly filled with non-Singaporeans.

Unfortunately, this remedy is rather unrealistic. Even though its for the ultimate benefit of Singaporeans, the very reliance of foreigners to kickstart engineering centers would be a hard sell, policy-wise.

Export

Are you an aspiring engineer? Then you should leave Singapore. Spend your time leveling up at other engineering hubs such as Silicon Valley, New York or Israel, before returning to Singapore to impart your knowledge and experience.

Engineers want to work on problems that are challenging and meaningful. There aren’t enough companies in Singapore provide such challenges, and even fewer that truly value engineers.

By heading abroad, you would immerse yourself in a culture driven by engineering. You could work with other engineers with incredible backgrounds and experience. You could solve problems at scales you’d be hard pressed to find in Singapore. And you could learn more in a year than you would in five had you stayed back home.

The same goes for startups. If you aren’t ready to startup a company just yet, go cut your teeth at a startup abroad. Head to where there’s an established infrastructure of expertise, advice and experience. You would get to learn from people who have truly “been there and done that”. It’s no coincidence that the successful startups in Singapore all have experienced hands at the top.

As I mentioned previously, it is easy for Singaporeans to attain work visas abroad, such as the H-1B1 visa for the US. You can get a H-1B1 visa in as short as three weeks. And with a talent shortage in even Silicon Valley, you would be a very attractive candidate. Companies like Facebook and Google have started to realize this, and are hiring fresh local graduates to their headquarters.

While encouraging brain drain is never a solution, this is the next best alternative and a necessary evil. I’d much rather see talented engineers challenge themselves overseas than to stay back in Singapore and leave the field of engineering, for a lack of attractive opportunities.

I do admit that there’s a high chance that those who leave wouldn’t return. But in the end, it’s a numbers game. All you need is a couple of Singaporeans returning every year — perhaps to start companies — to slowly build the scene up.

The Real Solution

These are just temporary solutions. Singapore’s best bet is to tackle the talent problem from within. When you consider that the real solution has to be both scalable and sustainable — we’re talking 5 to 10 year timeframes — it gets exceptionally tricky. As bleak as the long term situation may be, I still hang on to a glimmer of hope that a solution is still possible.

Hence, I hope to kickstart a public conversation of possible grassroots solutions to Singapore’s lack of engineering talent.

And while we’re at it, I’d like to expand the conversation to include the lack of design talent as well. If you thought the engineering problem was bad, try looking for interaction or visual designers. It’s way worse.

This is the first step. Let’s start brainstorming.

Thoughts? Catch me on Twitter here.