Measures to Ensure Fair Internship Compensation for Polytechnic, ITE and University Students
Ministry of EducationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns measures to ensure fair compensation and meaningful internships for polytechnic, ITE, and university students, as raised by Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan. Minister Desmond Lee responded that Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) provide companies with recommended allowance ranges based on industry norms and collaborate on job scopes to ensure learning relevance. Key terms are mutually agreed upon before internships begin, and students are provided with reporting channels and, for credit-bearing roles, assigned officers to monitor their well-being. Furthermore, IHLs actively monitor student feedback to maintain internship quality and have barred companies that provide poor experiences to students. These measures aim to safeguard student rights and ensure that both credit and non-credit-bearing internships remain valuable and fair learning opportunities.
Transcript
52 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Education (a) what measures are in place to ensure students at polytechnics, Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) and universities are fairly compensated and understand their employment rights for internships that are both credit-bearing and non-credit-bearing; and (b) what measures are in place to encourage employers to offer fair allowances and meaningful internships, given the rise in the number of interns.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) are committed to safeguarding our students' well-being and ensuring meaningful internship experiences for students.
IHLs seek to ensure that internships, regardless of whether they are sourced by IHLs or the student, provide students with learning that is related to the students' course of study. For example, the polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) work closely with companies on the job scope and tasks that student interns will undertake. IHLs also provide companies with a recommended allowance range and encourage companies to offer student interns a fair internship allowance, based on industry norms. The key terms of the internship, including monthly allowance and interns' roles and responsibilities, are mutually agreed upon between the intern and company prior to the start of the internship. Students are informed of the internship terms before the start of their internships and are made aware of channels in their IHLs that they can use to raise any concerns they may have during their internships. In addition, for credit-bearing internships, that form the majority of internships that polytechnic and ITE students undertake, IHLs will assign an officer to monitor the student's learning and well-being during the internship.
IHLs closely monitor student feedback to check on the quality of internships and have barred companies who provide poor internship experiences.