National Public Health Laboratory Traineeship GRIT@Gov

[What the role is]

The GRaduate Industry Traineeship Programme within the Public Service () aims to provide fresh graduates with opportunities to gain industry-relevant skills and experience that can strengthen their employability to take up full time roles in the sector.

The Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) - National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) traineeship programme is designed to cultivate competent laboratory assistants who can effectively support both public health and clinical laboratory functions. This comprehensive approach combines practical and hands-on experience with essential theoretical foundations to address urgent workforce requirements in the industry, such as diagnostic testing and surveillance operations.

Upon successful completion of the traineeship programme, the trainee will acquire expertise across six core competency areas. These encompass technical laboratory proficiencies, comprehensive safety and regulatory compliance knowledge, quality management protocols and documentation practices, data management systems and technological applications, effective communication and collaborative teamwork abilities, and problem-solving with critical thinking capabilities.

The programme structure ensures that the trainee possesses the multifaceted skill set necessary to contribute meaningfully to laboratory operations while maintaining the high standards required for public health laboratory operations and clinical diagnostic functions.

[What you will be working on]

The trainee will be responsible for the pre-analytical phase of the laboratory total testing cycle and work in a team to ensure effective operation of the laboratory specimen reception station. Your responsibilities include the following:

• Oversee the acceptance and rejection of specimen receipt and ensure there is no non-compliance that compromises specimen integrity, pose safety risks to the scientific officers or fail to meet regulatory requirements

• Identify specimens that are temperature or time sensitive and ensure specimens at sample reception are processed in a timely manner in accordance with laboratory reception protocol

• Data management including the processing of surveillance forms/records and performing data entry into current IT systems such as the laboratory information system (where applicable)

• Staff and upkeep the laboratory specimen reception station, perform and execute inventory management that includes receiving supplies from vendors and packing of laboratory supplies for external stakeholders such as GPs, Polyclinics, medical service providers for dormitories and outbreak investigation

• Other duties include the collection of supplies from TTSH central store, the collection of specimens from TTSH Department of Laboratory Medicine and overseeing the laundry operations to ensure there are adequate clean gowns to support laboratory operations

[What we are looking for]

Job Requirements

• Fresh graduate who has completed studies in Biomedical Science
• Prior internship experience in clinical, diagnostic laboratory setting and familiarity with terminology used in laboratory

Key Competencies Required

• Thinking Clearly & Making Sound Judgements – Strong analytical and critical thinking abilities to support the crafting of sound policy recommendations; ability to grasp timelines, operating context and ground realities.
• Learning & Putting Skills into Action - Possesses the drive and curiosity to learn and apply new skills, knowledge and new ways of working.
• Improving & Innovating – Ability to seek continual improvements, and to innovate and experiment while managing the risks involved.
• Working Effectively with Stakeholders – Ability to mobilise and rally partners and stakeholders towards a collective purpose.