Youth in Tech: What young Singaporeans should know when building a career in a fast-growing industry

With a rising middle class and a proliferation of tech startups in recent years, Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem is seeing unprecedented levels of growth. In fact, many say that Southeast Asia sits where China did a decade ago. With a population of 650 million and with most of them being young and tech-savvy, Southeast Asia is also predicted to become the fourth-largest economy in the world by 2020.

This sentiment was echoed by Nick Nash, former group president of internet company Sea, at the Tech in Asia Conference earlier this month. According to him, the region’s current zone of per capita income sits between China and India, where discretionary income grows six-fold, creating opportunities for businesses looking to scale. By studying the Chinese playbook, Nash predicts that 20 more unicorns will emerge from Southeast Asia by 2030.

At present, the region’s pioneer batch of unicorns have a combined market value of US$34 billion, putting it just behind China and India. Grab, Gojek, and Traveloka are also responsible for nearly 40 mergers and acquisitions with smaller startups in the region.

These insights present exciting opportunities and a thriving ecosystem not just for incumbent players to leverage on, but especially so for the next generation of budding talent and entrepreneurs, who are essential in sustaining the region’s growth beyond the next decade.

The youth can capitalize on these opportunities

Today’s youth need to be prepared for the jobs of the future. But standing out requires more than just textbook knowledge, which is no longer sufficient in the current digital and global economy.

Soft skills such as leadership, project management, communication skills, and cultural understanding are also necessary for those working in regional companies.

Take the example of Singapore-based logistics firm Ninja Van.

Launched in 2014, Ninja Van started operations in Singapore and has become one of the region’s fastest growing last-mile logistics company, powering businesses with its innovative logistics solutions. When Ninja Van’s three co-founders embarked on their regional expansion plans in the startup’s early days, one of the hardest challenges they faced was navigating each country’s cultural differences. As they set about building teams, they realized they had to employ and adjust to different working styles – what worked in Singapore did not have the same effect in other countries.

Ninja Van’s adaptability has helped propel it to become the regional player that it is today, with a network spanning six countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

In an interview with Channel NewsAsia, Ninja Van CEO Lai Chang Wen urged the youth to pick up skills such as people management and problem-solving. Joining a startup is a good way to do so, as that’s where “you get enough responsibilities and roles thrown at you,” says Lai.

Incidentally, jobs and the future of work are among the top concerns of youth in Singapore. These themes are currently being explored under the SG Youth Action Plan, an initiative that sees youth partner the government on projects and policies to build a Singapore they want to see in 2025.

Learn how youths can stay ahead of the curve

This November 19, join Ninja Van, Tech in Asia, and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) in an important and candid conversation on how the youth – or anyone exploring a career in tech – can stay employable in the thriving tech and startup ecosystem.

Our panellists include Sim Ann (Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Communications and Information), Lai Chang Wen (co-founder and CEO of Ninja Van), and Willis Wee (founder and CEO of Tech in Asia).

They will discuss:

• Opportunities and challenges today’s youth face when entering the workforce
• Key skills that employers look out for
• How youths can keep up with the fast-paced and ever-changing tech industry
• Importance of looking outward into Southeast Asia for career opportunities
• How the SG Youth Action Plan assists Singapore’s youth with their career aspirations; and more.

Event Details

Date: November 19, Tuesday
Time: 7 p.m. – 8.30 p.m.
Venue: JustCo Marina Square (JustCo is the venue partner for this event)

Click on the button below to RSVP. This event is complimentary to attend and by invitation-only. Shortlisted participants will be informed via email within 3-5 working days.

About our panellists

1) Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Communications and Information

Sim Ann is currently a Senior Minister of State, and a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

Sim Ann was educated at Hwa Chong Junior College from 1992 to 1993. In 1997, she obtained a B.A. (Honors) from Oxford University. She was awarded an M.A. from Stanford University in 2009. Sim Ann also has a Post Graduate Diploma from Nanyang Technological University. Sim Ann started her career in 1998 as an Assistant Director for Finance Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Health. From 2000 to 2003, she worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs as an Assistant Director for Implementation Planning, before moving to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, where she was Deputy Director for Trade until 2006. Between 2007 and 2009, she was the Regional Director (East China) for IE Singapore and in 2009, she became the Director for the National Population Secretariat until she left the Civil Service in 2011.

Sim Ann first stepped into the political arena in the 2011 General Elections when she contested in the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

2) Lai Chang Wen, Co-founder and CEO of Ninja Van

Chang Wen is CEO and Co-Founder of Ninja Van – Southeast Asia’s leading technology-enabled logistics company. The company was started in 2014 by him and his two other Co-Founders Boxian and Shaun when they realized the market potential of catering to the logistics needs of the ecommerce industry.

With a focus on taking the hassle out of the parcel for customers, Chang Wen and his team are dedicated to ensuring that logistics is a simple and seamless affair for Ninja Van’s business partners and consumers.

Specializing in ecommerce deliveries, Ninja Van believes in powering businesses with innovative logistics solutions. The company believes in offering a consistent hassle-free delivery experience for merchants across Southeast Asia and providing clients with a singular access point into the region.

With plans to continue expanding and serving in the current markets the company operates in, Chang Wen’s vision is for Ninja Van to open Southeast Asia to a world of possibilities, one delightful delivery at a time.

Chang Wen graduated with a Bachelor of Finance from Singapore Management University and worked as a derivatives trader at Barclays before setting up men’s custom fashion retailer Marcella. His experience with the online retail business made him realise there could be a more efficient way of delivering and tracking packages, resulting in the creation of Ninja Van.

A natural-born entrepreneur, Chang Wen conceived his first business venture when he was a student, having discovered that putting together second-hand bicycle parts and selling the finished product could land him a neat profit. He is passionate about harnessing technology to improve lives and enjoys adapting classical mathematical models to provide real-world solutions.

3) Willis Wee, Founder and CEO of Tech in Asia

Willis is the founder of Tech in Asia and spends his time driving the company closer to its mission of building and serving Asia’s tech and startup ecosystem. Day-to-day, he thinks deeply about the content and products the company pushes out to its users. He also spends significant time talking to users, founders, and his colleagues to get feedback and gain new perspectives.

Willis has been fortunate to count East Ventures, Fenox Venture, Hanwha, Softbank, Walden International, Y Combinator, and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin among Tech in Asia’s list of investors and partners.

Before Tech in Asia, Willis founded an education center, taught math to kids, did door-to-door sales selling vacuum cleaners, and sold grasshoppers to his classmates in school to make ends meet.

In his spare time, Willis enjoys spending time with his family and playing tennis.