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Network engineer Yang Long Kai once dropped out of polytechnic. At 29, he graduated with a degree from SIT without leaving his job and applied what he learnt in class to real client projects along the way. As one of the first to complete SIT’s CSM pathway, his story is also the story of a new way to learn.
At 29, Yang Long Kai is a freshly minted graduate with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Applied Computing from the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).
For someone who once dropped out of polytechnic, earning a degree while working full-time seemed like a long shot.
Yet, his journey to graduation is more than a story of perseverance. As one of the first graduates of SIT's Applied Computing degree through the Competency-based Stackable Micro-credential (CSM) pathway, Long Kai is among a new generation of working professionals pursuing higher education without putting their careers on hold.
Finding His Way into IT
After his National Service, Long Kai initially pursued aerospace engineering, completing a Specialist Diploma in Aerospace Engineering at the Air Transport Training College in 2020. But as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the industry, finding a job in aerospace proved difficult.
He dabbled in other roles, working as a semiconductor technician and a construction engineer, as well as a stint in sales for a family business. He also completed a Diploma in Information Technology at PSB Academy in 2022 as he began exploring a different career direction.
The turning point came when a friend working in information technology (IT) encouraged him to consider the industry, knowing that he had an interest in computers and coding.
Long Kai decided to take the plunge and joined NCS as a network engineer in 2023.
“I was actively looking for companies which offered an opportunity to study while working,” he recalls. He found a good fit in NCS whose Fusion Programme offered a work-study degree programme that would allow him to gain professional experience while pursuing additional qualifications.
A Degree That Works Alongside His Career
With NCS’ sponsorship, Long Kai enrolled in SIT’s Applied Computing degree programme via the CSM pathway, becoming part of its pioneer cohort.
Unlike a conventional degree structure, the CSM pathway allows working professionals to complete individual micro-credentials progressively and stack them towards a full degree. For Long Kai, this meant being able to build new competencies while continuing in his full-time role at NCS.
The programme’s modular structure and hybrid learning format suited the realities of working life. His responsibilities in IT infrastructure often involved overtime and weekend duties, making it difficult to follow a fixed study schedule.
“The reason I chose SIT was because its remote learning gave me the flexibility to plan my modules around work commitments. Another reason was the relevance of its course content – I could directly apply what I learnt to what I did at work.”
Putting Lessons to Work
For Long Kai, the value of the programme became clear quickly. Even before completing his degree, he found himself applying knowledge from individual micro-credentials to his day-to-day responsibilities. Modules in Cloud and Networking strengthened his technical understanding of network infrastructure, broadened his exposure to cloud technologies and gave him greater confidence when troubleshooting issues, discussing solutions with clients and contributing to projects.
That connection between classroom and workplace came into sharp focus during a client’s technology refresh project. His team needed to explain a complex network architecture. Drawing on concepts learnt at SIT, Long Kai helped break down the technical details into simpler terms. This enabled the client to better understand the proposed design and helped the project move forward without unnecessary delays.
His Capstone Project offered another opportunity to translate learning into practice.
Recognising that engineers often relied on multiple platforms to communicate, share information and manage work, he developed a one-stop service portal for his company.
The portal brought together functions such as incident and service request management, knowledge sharing, document management and reminders, centralising these functions, the project aimed to improve collaboration, reduce miscommunication and help engineers track issues more effectively.
His direct supervisor, Senior Delivery Manager, Edwin Chew has seen that growth translate into Long Kai’s work at NCS.
“SIT’s Applied Computing CSM programme has strengthened Long Kai’s technical foundation, problem-solving skills, and confidence in engineering tasks. This has enabled him to contribute more effectively to project delivery at NCS, reflecting the value of NCS’ Fusion work-study approach in nurturing technical growth through the combination of academic learning and practical experience.”
Moving Forward, One Step at a Time
Juggling a full-time career while pursuing a degree is not without its challenges.
During particularly demanding periods at work or around examinations, Long Kai sometimes sacrificed sleep to keep up with his responsibilities.
Support made a difference. His girlfriend, family, colleagues and supervisors at NCS encouraged him to persevere, while SIT’s Success Coaches helped him navigate his academic journey. Fellow colleagues in the Fusion Programme also understood the challenges of balancing professional and personal commitments.
At SIT, his Success Coach, Julian Jeffrey Matius, provided guidance when the demands of work and study became difficult to manage.
“There was a period when I felt quite burnt out from juggling my full-time job and studies, especially when my workload at NCS was heavy and I had several assignments and deadlines to meet,” Long Kai recalls.
“Julian encouraged me to manage my time more realistically, prioritise my commitments and plan my studies around work rather than trying to do everything at once. His advice reminded me to take care of myself while working towards my degree.
More importantly, knowing that someone understood my challenges and was willing to listen gave me the encouragement and motivation to keep going during the tougher periods of my SIT journey.”
Looking ahead, he hopes to progress towards roles such as Network Team Lead or Network Solution Architect, taking on greater responsibilities in designing solutions and guiding others. He also plans to deepen his expertise in cloud computing, advanced networking and cybersecurity through further professional certifications.
The long way round, it turns out, has left Long Kai well-placed for what comes next.
