See Chun Shan sat with his arms clasped between his thighs. He did not make much eye contact and paused to collect his thoughts before every sentence said.
Chun Shan has autism. But he is also an engineer.
Navigating life is not easy for him due to his condition.
For months after graduating with an electrical engineering degree from the National University of Singapore in July 2022, Chun Shan just browsed job openings without applying for a single position.
“After graduating, I was happy and was looking forward to a nice break. I was not thinking about looking for a job,” explained Chun Shan.
It turned out that Chun Shan was procrastinating.
He was afraid of the job interview process, as he worried about not saying the correct things or being unable to answer questions.
But Chun Shan is in no way incompetent. He just needed a helping hand.
When he met Cheok Xue Ting at his school career fair in November 2022, things took a positive turn.
A Springboard to His Career
Xue Ting is the chief operating officer of Trampolene, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping individuals with autism and special needs through a guided career pathway and development.
Xue Ting said: “Once you look at his resume, you might wonder why is it hard for him to look for a job? We start to realise that looking for a job is very daunting for him.
“These steps are very ambiguous, and that creates a lot of anxiety for Chun Shan. With this anxiety, he procrastinated these processes.”
Xue Ting helped Chun Shan prepare for interviews and conducted autism awareness talks with potential employers.
When Chun Shan landed an engineering job with ST Engineering in March 2023, Xue Ting continued to coach him.
ST Engineering also implemented a mentorship system to ease Chun Shan into his first job.
When he first joined ST Engineering, Bob Ho, Chun Shan’s first mentor, said the company treated him like any employee.
“Chun Shan is the first one [person with special needs] to work as an engineer in our department. We do not want him to feel inferior. By treating like a normal person, we can gauge which areas we need to hold his hand tighter,” Bob said.
Bob added that despite Chun Shan’s special needs, he is a fast learner, and he can keep pace with his colleagues. He does not see anything lacking in Chun Shan.
Chun Shan said that his colleagues are aware of his condition and are more understanding and patient when interacting with him.
Given a Chance
Chun Shan is thankful for the chance to work at ST Engineering.
Much of his work involves examining aircraft manuals and making wire connections.
His work also includes generating drawings based on schematic and wiring diagrams.
Bob, who has been with ST Engineering for 24 years, encourages other companies to consider people with special needs.
He added: “They [people with special needs] are actually very good, and only if you give them a chance.”
NTUC is looking to help secure better jobs for every worker, including those with special needs.
On 23 September 2024, NTUC signed an agreement with Trampolene.
The agreement marks NTUC’s second social partnership with Trampolene to support tertiary-educated persons with special needs through meaningful job placement.
Under the agreement, NTUC’s electronics, marine and engineering cluster of unions will also work with Trampolene to promote the Company Training Committee initiative in the sectors.
The first partnership, in April 2024, saw NTUC working with Trampolene, NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), and Nanyang Polytechnic to enhance career pathways within the engineering field and collaborate on inclusive employment opportunities.
Hoping to Be a Better Worker
To this day, Chun Shan still meets Xue Ting once a week to catch up on his progress.
His supervisors provide him with time off from work to meet Xue Ting.
Chun Shan is glad for the help he has received.
He said: “I like working in this job because it’s very challenging. When I manage to find a solution to a problem, I feel very satisfied.
“In the future, I hope to be more independent and complete more challenging jobs.”
Chun Shan also hopes that more people with special needs will be given a chance in the workplace.
“I think some companies might have a prejudice against people with disabilities. But actually, they can be equally competent as neurotypical people,” he added.