Mother of Four Rebuilds Her Confidence After Long Career Break

Berita Harian, Ibu empat anak bina semula keyakinan diri selepas lama tidak kerja

(Translated summary)

Ms Sarah Ahmad, a mother of four, stepped away from work for several years to focus on raising her children, even though she had previously run an IT-related business with her husband. Over time, she began to lose confidence about returning to the workforce and felt left behind as her peers continued to build their careers.

Her engagement with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) began in March 2024, when she joined a research project through a collaboration with Grab and GrabAcademy as part of an International Women’s Day initiative. Led by SUTD’s Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC), the project aimed to help women drivers and caregivers diversify income sources, strengthen career resilience, and explore alternative work opportunities in a digital economy.

Through the programme, Ms Sarah gained a clearer understanding of her transferable skills and was introduced to AI-enabled tools to explore career pathways. By mid-2024, she began taking on short-term gigs such as Excel training and data analysis, rebuilding her confidence and portfolio. When the opportunity arose to work as an autonomous vehicle safety operator, she embraced it with renewed confidence and clarity.