Industries Where Polytechnic Graduates Face Employment Challenges
Ministry of EducationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Yip Hon Weng's inquiry into industries where polytechnic graduates face employment difficulties and the measures taken to enhance their curriculum and training opportunities. Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing identified arts, design and media, engineering, and information and digital technologies as challenging sectors due to cyclical changes, rather than curriculum gaps. He highlighted that polytechnics provide internships and Work-Study Post-Diploma Programmes to deepen skills, while encouraging graduates to explore roles in adjacent sectors and maintain open career goals. The institutions have also enhanced programmes to include critical soft skills and emerging competencies such as digital and artificial intelligence skills to ensure industry relevance. Finally, the Minister noted that Government agencies are working with employers to better recognize graduates' work experience and performance alongside traditional paper credentials to support long-term employability.
Transcript
6 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has identified specific industries or sectors where polytechnic graduates face greater employment challenges; and (b) if so, how will it be tailoring curriculum enhancements, internship opportunities and Work-Study programmes to address such challenges.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: The Ministry of Education has replied to Parliamentary Questions raised by various members, including Mr Pritam Singh, on the Autonomous University graduate employment outcomes in our combined response at the Sitting on 7 March 2025. [Please refer to "Analysis of Decreased Employment in Permanent Jobs for Fresh Graduates in Past Two Years and Measures to Monitor and Boost Employment", Official Report, 7 March 2025, Vol 95, Issue 160, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
Employment rates are affected by various factors, including labour market conditions, economic cycles and sector-specific trends. Some fluctuations in employment rates year to year are to be expected. Based on the 2024 Graduate Employment Survey conducted by the five polytechnics, arts, design and media, engineering and information and digital technologies graduates face more challenges securing employment six months upon graduation. This might be due to sectoral cyclical changes, such as the slowdown in growth for the tech sector, and may not require curriculum enhancements. In such cases, we encourage graduates to also explore jobs in sectors adjacent to their course of study and to keep an open mind about different roles that could help them reach their long-term career goals.
The polytechnics will also continue to ensure that students are equipped with industry-relevant skills. They work closely with industry partners to regularly update their curriculum and provide internship opportunities for all students. Additionally, polytechnic diploma graduates can enrol in Work-Study Post-Diploma Programmes, where they can be placed into jobs that deepen their skills through a structured training programme that includes on-the-job training, while pursuing careers related to their disciplines of study.
Beyond domain skills, our institutions have also enhanced their programmes to include critical soft skills, such as innovation, communication and collaboration skills; as well as emerging competencies, such as digital and artificial intelligence skills. For polytechnic diploma graduates who have been working for some time, Government agencies have also been working with employers to strengthen the recognition of their skills and competencies, beyond paper credentials, such as work experience, job performance and other modes of skills upgrading.
We will continue to work with the institutions and industry partners to monitor the situation and longer-term trends that may affect the employability of polytechnic diploma graduates.