Sponsored Content
This ICA officer almost gave up on her calling, but pulled through with the support of mentors & colleagues. Here's how.
Her resilience paid off.
Her father once wanted her to be a doctor.
She once wanted to work in marine engineering.
But life is often full of surprises.
For Nurul Liyana Syafiqah, 21, she finally found her calling with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) when she enrolled in the ITE Work-Study Diploma (WSDip) in Security Operations in 2024.
Liyana learned that being in an entirely new line of work is no walk in the park, but she’s in it for the long haul.
Fulfilling work
With aspirations to work in a frontline role, Liyana’s decision to enrol in the programme is rooted in familial encouragement.
This was in spite of her contrasting engineering background, and her father’s hope for her to be a doctor.
Her transition into a completely different field was also marked by a strong resolve to avoid changing jobs frequently and to find a field of interest.
Photo by ICA.
The trainee officer, who has recently completed her on-job training (OJT) at Woodlands Checkpoint, shared that she finds the most satisfaction in keeping the borders safe.
She highlighted an incident during her stint with ICA’s cargo clearance team where she had successfully detected an attempt at smuggling contrabands into Singapore.
"It brings me a certain satisfaction to be able to detect cases like this," Liyana said.
Liyana in class with her peers. Photo by ICA.
Like Liyana, trainees under the programme can gain valuable real-world experiences in the security industry and in-land enforcement through various training and courses in areas such as leadership, service delivery and criminal psychology.
Such modules aim to equip trainees with the skills and knowledge necessary in managing incidents and emergencies effectively.
They will also be attached to checkpoints and be exposed to on-site experience through OJT to carry out border and law enforcement tasks, such as processing immigration clearance and performing security checks.
Photo by ICA.
On being a woman in the field, Liyana enthused: “You shouldn't doubt yourself and just be confident in whatever you want to do. You should take critique as a challenge and just better yourself to prove to everyone that a female can do this job.”
For Liyana, she finds genuine joy in assisting travellers at immigration as many still face challenges navigating new technologies and complex processes.
A significant moment of fulfilment comes when she sees the less tech-savvy, particularly the elderly, successfully adapt to innovations like the recent QR code implementation for immigration clearance.
This emotional connection to her work also enhances her job satisfaction, making it more than just a task but rather a meaningful contribution to the community.
Photo by ICA.
Her role also exposes her to unique skills and knowledge that she would not otherwise have.
"The best thing (I’ve picked up) from the programme is (the ability of) detecting forged passports. It’s interesting to learn about all these things," she mused, adding that trainees are also subject to tests after training.
A supportive environment
Under the programme, Liyana juggles multiple projects, reports and exams.
But Liyana’s biggest challenge was the mandatory five-day firearms course for trainees, where she recalled crying and almost giving up due to exhaustion and physical pain.
Her trigger hand, which had a weaker grip, caused her to doubt herself during the rigorous training.
"Why is my hand so painful? And can I still do it?" Liyana had thought to herself, adding that the situation was "pressurising".
Liyana with her peers and mentor. Photo by ICA.
But she was also standing on the shoulders of giants.
Her trainers provided additional encouragement and guided her in the right positions to aid in her shooting.
Her resilience, coupled with motivation from peers and mentors, bore fruit as she attained marksmanship at the end of the course.
Career stability
Inspiring times aside, there’s definitely more to the programme than meets the eye.
The WSDip apprenticeship, launched in 2023, offers ITE Nitec or Higher Nitec graduates a chance to work and earn a monthly salary while pursuing a diploma concurrently.
Trainees can expect competitive remuneration, with full employment benefits.
Those who have signed on to the programme will also receive sign-on bonuses of S$30,000 from ICA and incentives of up to S$15,000 from SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and the Central Provident Fund (CPF).
Milestone payments of S$5,000 will also be issued with every four years in service.
When asked about her future career plans with ICA, Liyana said that she intends to be in the role for “a long time” and work her way to the top.
"I feel like this is what I’m really interested in, and I should just continue all the way," she explained.
A traveller showing Liyana a QR code for immigration clearance. Photo by ICA.
She advised future trainees to have an open mind, highlighting that there are many different deployments and responsibilities within ICA.
For instance, graduates of the programme who are successfully emplaced as Sergeant 2 will have the opportunity to undertake different job roles, such as the Assessment and Investigation Officer, Radiographic Image Analyst, First Response Team Officer and more.
Applications for the April 2025 intake are now open. Apply here.
Curious about a career with ICA? Learn more here.
This sponsored article by ICA gave this writer a newfound respect for ICA officers.
Cover photo courtesy of Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA)
