Mr Peter Lam, CEO, Temasek Polytechnic
Principals/CEOs of the Polytechnics
Mr Tan Kok Yam, Chief Executive, SkillsFuture Singapore
Industry Partners
Students
Ladies and Gentlemen
1. Good morning. I am pleased to join you at the SkillsFuture Work-Study Fair, held in conjunction with the SkillsFuture Festival 2022. I had also attended last year's event, where I gave a speech virtually – so it is really good to be here today to see everyone in person.
2. The SkillsFuture Festival this year has seen very encouraging responses. Since it was launched on 5 July, the festival is on track to attract more than 200,000 individual and enterprise participants over 130 learning events held islandwide. I am glad to see many fellow Singaporeans curious to learn more about upskilling opportunities, a reflection of the momentum that the SkillsFuture Movement has gathered over the years.
3. The SkillsFuture Work-Study Fair is a key event of the SkillsFuture Festival. We are here to celebrate the good progress of SkillsFuture Work-Study Programmes made by the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and partner companies.
4. Let me take this opportunity to share with you the 4 'C's that contributed to this progress.
Scaling Up Capacity of Work-Study Programmes
5. The first 'C' is Capacity.
6. Our Work-Study Programmes are designed to intersperse classroom learning and on-the-job training, to allow students to deepen their skills and knowledge as they continuously apply what they have learnt in school to the workplace. This draws inspiration from Germany's apprenticeship-based system that combines vocational training in school with apprenticeships in a company. Through this pathway, students can earn a salary or receive tuition-fee sponsorship from companies and at the same time, acquire working experience while studying.
7. First launched in 2015 and rebranded in 2019 as SkillsFuture Work-Study Programmes, we have ramped up programme Capacity significantly.
- IHLs have rolled out Work-Study Programmes across various levels, from Work-Study Diploma to Work-Study Post-Diploma, and Work-Study Degree programmes.
- We started out with 15 programmes across 12 sectors in 2015, and we now have a good range of more than 190 programmes across 35 sectors in 2021.
- About 9,000 students have benefitted from the Work-Study Programmes thus far, and more than 1,900 companies have come on board as partners.
8. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our efforts. Given the uncertain business outlook, employers were more cautious in hiring fresh graduates. With the post-COVID recovery underway, and as IHLs pressed on with efforts to grow work-study opportunities, we have seen a dramatic increase in take-up and placement rates.
9. In just the first six months of this year, about 1,200 students have been offered placements with companies, compared to 1,400 students in the whole of 2021!
10. I hope that we will continue to see strong demand for students and companies, which will support our ambition to make Work-Study Programmes a mainstream pathway in our education and training system.
11. In 2023, students can look forward to new Work-Study Programme offerings that are introduced to meet industry manpower demands.
- ITE will also be launching three new work-study diplomas in Customer Experience Management, Agriculture and Aquaculture Technology, and Facilities Management.
- Starting in April 2023, Singapore Polytechnic will offer new Work-Study Certificates that lead to a Part-Time Diploma in Aerospace Engineering. This is targeted at fresh graduates and in-service employees in the aerospace sector, including those from the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Upon completion, they may receive advanced standing if they continue to pursue the Bachelor of Engineering Aerospace Systems at Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Enhancing Careers Through Skillsfuture Work-Study Programmes
12. The second 'C' is Careers.
13. The success of our SkillsFuture Work-Study Programmes is ultimately defined by how students continue to seize opportunities and progress in their careers.
14. We regularly track the effectiveness and relevance of the work-study programmes. More than 95% of graduates were employed six months after completion of the programmes, and based on our latest survey findings, median salaries had also increased compared to what they received at the start of the programme.
15. Beyond these topline figures, let me share with you the stories of two individuals who have benefitted from the Work-Study Programmes.
16. Mr. Joshua Chen enrolled in Republic Polytechnic's SkillsFuture Work-Study Specialist Diploma in Supply Chain Management with global logistic supplier Leschaco after graduation.
- During the programme, he was given the opportunity to take on various projects at the workplace as part of on-the-job training. These allowed him to directly apply the knowledge that he learnt in the classroom in a real-world environment, which enhanced his learning .
- Given his good performance, he was appointed as a Freight Forwarding Team Leader, supervising a small team.
17. Another example is Mr Bryan Tee, who graduated from ITE with a Higher Nitec in Electronic Engineering.
- He had wanted to pursue a diploma after national service but decided to join the Work-Study Diploma in Data Centre Infrastructure offered by ITE. He was placed in a job role with global data leader Equinix.
- As a work-study trainee, he underwent on-the-job training and took on projects to learn how to monitor and maintain data infrastructures.
- The work-study pathway at Equinix allowed him to apply his knowledge in an actual work environment and pick up the skills required at the workplace. Upon graduation from the work-study programme, he was employed as a customer operations engineer.
- The Work-Study Diploma had not just helped him kickstart his career after graduation, it had also allowed him to transit seamlessly into the workplace, gain work experience while studying, and earn a salary at the same time.
18. These are powerful stories to encourage fresh graduates. I hope they will inspire you to achieve your aspirations.
Continue to Build Workplace Learning Capabilities and Strong Partnerships with Industry
19. The third 'C' is Companies. Close partnership with Companies is key to the success of Work-Study Programmes.
- Companies provide on-the-job training (OJT), a key component of Work-Study Programmes, to allow students to learn by doing.
- Employers work closely with IHLs to co-design, deliver and assess the OJT curriculum. While this takes commitment from the employers, they can in turn, benefit from the programmes to build their talent pipeline and meet manpower and skills needs.
20. The last 'C' is Capabilities. To support companies in these efforts, we have been working with companies to strengthen their workplace training Capabilities.
- We have expanded the National Centre of Excellence for Workplace Learning (NACE) across the IHLs, to help companies to build their workplace learning capabilities, implement structured training programmes and develop a strong learning culture.
- These are key ingredients to ensuring a quality workplace learning experience, not just for our students undergoing the Work-Study Programmes, but also for their workforce at large.
21. Today, we will be giving out 12 appreciation awards to companies to recognise their strong support and contribution to the Work-Study Programmes.
22. One of the award recipients is Accenture, a company that has been very supportive in promoting the work-study culture.
- Since joining the programme in 2017, Accenture has trained close to 200 students across the five polytechnics.
- It conducts structured on-the-job training to hone students' technical skills during the first year.
- As they progress, participants are also assigned career managers and mentors, who will guide and support them in the varied job roles that they have been assigned.
23. Another example is Nebulas Tree, a local cybersecurity company that had supported the Work-Study Programme since its launch.
- They have been hiring trainees from the Work-Study Specialist Diploma in Information System Development, and many of them have continued to work for the company for two or more years after graduation.
- It also provides on-the-job training to help the Work-Study Post-Diploma trainees gain the skills and knowledge needed for this industry and assigns trainees to different clients and projects to help them gain work experience and industry exposure.
- Apart from nurturing talent, Nebulas Tree has actively provided feedback on the curriculum to ensure that the training remains relevant to the latest industry needs and trends.
Conclusion – We Continue to Learn at Every Opportunity
24. I would like to thank our IHLs for their continual efforts in expanding the Capacity of SkillsFuture Work-Study Programmes and ensuring that they improve the Career prospects of students. I would also like to thank Companies for your support, and for building Capability to train students in the workplace. Without your efforts, we would not be able to provide this pathway for learners who prefer a more skills-based model of learning.
25. To students who are exploring the suitability of work-study programmes, I strongly encourage all of you to attend the webinar sessions and consider whether the work-study pathway can help you achieve your aspirations.
26. I would also like to encourage everyone to visit the learning activities at the SkillsFuture Festival before it ends. SSG had planned over 100 activities for this year's Festival, with a few more coming up such as the SkillsFuture Festival X Smart Nation 2022, SkillsFuture Festival X Starbucks Learning Bar, and SkillsFuture Festival X Early Childhood Career & Learning Fair.
27. I wish everyone a rewarding experience at this year's SkillsFuture Work-Study Fair and SkillsFuture Festival.
28. Thank you.