- The ITE Progression Award (IPA) supports ITE graduates to upskill to a diploma earlier in their careers, to secure more progression prospects in their chosen professions.
- ITE graduates face a growing gap in their starting salaries, compared to graduates from Polytechnics and Autonomous Universities (see Annex A). This gap can be narrowed when ITE graduates upgrade their skills earlier, such as by pursuing a diploma education, to secure more job opportunities over a longer period of time.
- Many ITE graduates want to upskill, but face a longer upgrading pathway as compared to their peers. In addition to the upfront costs of a diploma education, they might need to balance upskilling efforts with work and other commitments.
- The IPA helps with the financial costs of obtaining a diploma and boosts ITE graduates' savings for longer-term goals, such as home ownership or retirement.
- The IPA will benefit all Singaporean ITE graduates aged 30 and below1 who pursue a diploma qualification issued by MOE-funded institutions from 2024. The IPA will automatically be credited into graduates' Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) or CPF Ordinary Account (CPF-OA) upon meeting the respective milestone of diploma enrolment or diploma completion (see Figure A):
Figure A: Disbursement of the IPA
| Enrolment in Diploma* | Completion of Diploma | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ITE | Work-Study Diploma | Course fees are borne by employers | Eligible for $10,000 CPF-OA Top-Up To boost savings for longer-term goals |
| Technical Diploma Technical Engineer Diploma |
Eligible for $5,000 PSEA Top-Up To help with the costs of obtaining a diploma |
||
| Polytechnic | Full-Time Diploma Part-Time Diploma |
||
| NAFA/LASALLE | Full-Time Diploma | ||
* Provided that ITE graduate enrols in the course by age 30.
- As a one-time arrangement, the IPA will also be awarded to the following groups:
- All Singaporean ITE graduates already enrolled in a diploma issued by MOE-funded institutions as of 1 Mar 2024, regardless of their age, will receive a $10,000 top-up to their CPF-OA account upon completion of the diploma; and
- Singaporean ITE graduates aged 312 who enrol in a diploma issued by MOE-funded institutions in 2024, will be awarded the IPA (see Figure A).
- An illustration of the eligibility for the IPA is provided below in Figure B:
Figure B: Eligibility Checker for Singaporean ITE Graduates
Footnotes
- Age of ITE graduate will be calculated by year of birth. For example, those born between 1 January 1994 to 31 December 1994 will be considered 30 years old in 2024. All qualifying Singaporeans will only be eligible for the IPA once.
- Refers to students born between 1 January 1993 to 31 December 1993.