There are numerous scholarships for aspiring scholars to choose from. These scholarships are rewarded by scholarship providers that belong to various industries, ranging from the aviation, healthcare, engineering, arts, trade and maritime industries to defence.
Regardless of the industry, these scholarship providers are further categorised by either the public or private sector. Both offer their own unique opportunities for scholars to soar and be developed personally and professionally. However, the subtle and overt differences that separate the two sectors do make an impact on an aspiring scholar’s scholarship decision.
Work Environment
Some would argue that the public sector nurtures a less stressful work environment. Given that there are resources aplenty, workers need not scramble to cut costs in projects or worry about working with a tight budget. Furthermore, the public sector encourages a desirable work-life balance. This is evidenced by its incorporation of activities that contribute to enhancing workers’ well-being, as well as its provision of numerous employee benefits such as leave entitlements. These employee benefits extend beyond the office setting – they also include recreational facility memberships and passes to nation-wide events.
On the other hand, the private sector generally fosters a dynamic, fast-paced work environment that driven individuals enthuse over. Individuals who find their footing in the private sector generally delight in new challenges and derive a sense of satisfaction from triumphing over them. Their work scopes are also more fluid, suggesting they stand to gain more learning opportunities from their expanded scope of responsibilities.
Organisation Focus
The various Ministries and its statutory boards each possess a large body of public sector workers who work according to a broad focus – for instance, workers in the Ministry of Transport aim to strengthen Singapore’s transportation connectivity, and workers in its subsidiary statutory boards such as the Land Transport Authority and Public Transport Council strive to operate Singapore’s land transportation systems. Many hands and feet from various organisations make concerted efforts to achieve a single outcome.
In contrast to public sector organisations, private sector organisations pride themselves on having a ‘tighter’ organisational focus. A comparably smaller body of workers can implement a project without having to manage resources – such as people – belonging to another organisation, resulting in less overall time wastage.
Job Mobility
Workers in public sector organisations are given fixed roles and responsibilities to fulfil. These roles and responsibilities cast in stone give workers less control over their learning opportunities. On the other hand, fast-paced private sector companies require their workers to be multi-faceted individuals who possess multiple skillsets to meet the organisation’s changing needs. Private sector companies are, after all, driven by profit and need to ensure that they effectively maximise their resources – including their people.
But in the case for scholars, they are given job rotational opportunities to ensure their roles are not shoe-boxed – regardless of whether they are in the public or private sector. This means that they are able to gain experiences from various other divisions apart from where they started, thus affording them a larger perspective of their organisation.
At the end of the day, your scholarship decision should be based on which organisation you see yourself dedicating your years of life to. It will be wise to talk to people who are already in the organisation, industry or sector to gain a better and more comprehensive understanding.
