Civil Service's Criteria in Evaluating Older Applicants with GCE "O" and "A" Level Results for Vocational and Skills-based Jobs

4 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Prime Minister how and to what extent are GCE "O" and "A" level results considered in evaluating applications from older applicants for vocational and skills-based jobs in the Civil Service.

Mr Teo Chee Hean (for the Prime Minister): The Civil Service recruits based on whether the applicant has the skills required for the job. Educational qualifications are useful as a proxy for skills when assessing applicants with no prior work experience. For mid-career and older applicants, relevant work experience and demonstrated skills are used to determine their suitability for the job, more so than their academic qualifications.