Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Bukit Panjang SMC
Question
To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the state of employment for graduates from the COVID-19 pandemic cohorts; (b) what percentage of these graduates have secured full-time employment; (c) how many graduates are unable to secure full-time employment after attending the SGUnited Traineeship Programme; and (d) what are the job prospects for the upcoming graduating cohorts.
Response
1. The overall employment rate of the Class of 2020 graduates from our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) was comparable to those from the Class of 2019. Based on the Graduate Employment Survey, about 9 in 10 Class of 2020 graduates from the Autonomous Universities (AUs) and 8 in 10 graduates from the polytechnics and ITE were employed within six months of graduation.
2. However, full-time permanent employment rates were slightly lower than before the pandemic. 7 in 10 Class of 2020 graduates from the AUs and 5 in 10 from the polytechnics and ITE secured full-time permanent employment, compared to 8 in 10 from the AUs and 6 in 10 from the polytechnics and ITE from the Class of 2019.
3. The employment outcomes of the Class of 2020 were bolstered by the support provided by the government and IHLs to help them secure jobs and training opportunities during the pandemic. This included the SGUnited Traineeships Programme, which provide fresh graduates with the opportunity to pick up industry-relevant experience. As of end-November 2021, over 11,500 graduates have benefitted from these traineeship opportunities. As at end-Aug 2021, 7,200 trainees have exited or completed their traineeships, of whom about 5,800 (81%) are employed.
4. Graduate employment outcomes for the Class of 2021 will be released later this year. The government will continue to closely monitor the employment outcomes of each graduating cohort, and provide further support where needed.