Monday, August 18, 2008

Ravi Veloo believes that the key to solving the problem of talent shortage in Singapore lies in changing the mindset of the people. Do you agree with

I only partly agree with the solution Ravi Veloo presented with regards to the talent shortage in Singapore because I am sure that some people, if they are unhappy with their present jobs will want to venture into other various economic fields of interest. Not acting on this want could be due to other reasons and not solely because they think they do not have the talent to ensure their success.

I partly agree with him because a Singaporean’s definition of talent is rather narrow and not many Singaporeans would then be considered ‘talented’. In today’s world, talent is no longer seen as just an aptitude in some area, like playing the piano superbly etcetera. Looking at the business and entrepreneur sector, all the top rung people are ‘talented’ in the sense that, they are creative and can think out of the box. Furthermore, they are sharp and can exercise critical thinking. These are actually skills that can be honed into people hence by changing people’s mindset they might be more inclined to try harder and think better of themselves. In turn, they will think more creatively and Singapore will become more ‘talented’ as more ideas flourish.

On the other hand, I disagree because not all Singaporeans actually believe that they are not talented. But the given situation at home may not be suitable for them to actually work on their talents.

For example, if an individual wants to change from a teacher and try out interior design as a new profession because he or she is good at art but is held back because of the risks involved. At the age of 43, he or she has financial commitments such as providing for parents who have retired as well as the bringing up of children and if the switch turns out a complete failure, there would be serious implications. Besides financial commitments, there are also parental expectations to meet. An individual may not be in a job that he really wants. For example, he or she has to continue running his father’s business instead of perusing his dream of being a doctor.

As such, I can conclude that the author’s solution would only be successful to a certain extent. It does not affect every individual Singaporean but still, it could be the first step to enlarging Singapore’s talent pool.

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