Skills upgrading saw this former storehand receiving 11 promotions, plus a PhD School for Richard was a struggle. He has dyslexia, a learning disability which was not well understood during his time. Some called him “stupid”. The young boy was hurt, but that comment also motivated him to prove to others that he could succeed.

He persevered, completed his secondary education and found a job as an apprentice in an engineering company. He wanted formal engineering qualifications and signed up for a five-year part-time Diploma course in Mechanical Engineering as well as the City and Guilds (C&G) Full Certificate programme.

Not everyone was supportive, as some of his peers felt that on-the-job training was sufficient. He met with another challenge when he was called up for National Service (NS) in the midst of his part-time course. He had to undergo NS training in the day and burn midnight oil, relying just on books without attending formal lessons. But he came out tops in both his C&G Certificate and Diploma.

Richard went on to pursue a degree, masters and finally a PhD. For him, the best part of his learning was that it equipped him with the skills and knowledge to take on bigger roles and challenges. He has been promoted 11 times in 27 years to his current position as Senior Vice President at ST Kinetics. He is also sharing his expertise as an Adjunct Professor with three universities.