Post-graduation Employment Rates of ITE Graduates with Special Educational Needs
Ministry of EducationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the employment rates and course-relevance of job roles for ITE graduates with special educational needs (SEN). Mr Cai Yinzhou inquired about employment data at six months, one year, and two years post-graduation, to which Minister Desmond Lee noted that approximately eight in ten SEN graduates were employed within six months. This rate is similar to graduates without SEN, with seven in ten of those in full-time permanent employment working in related fields. Minister Desmond Lee highlighted the expansion of the ITE-SG Enable Internship and Employment Support Programme to provide workplace training and job coaching. The Government continues to monitor these outcomes to ensure graduating cohorts receive necessary support during their transition to employment.
Transcript
98 Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Minister for Education (a) for the past five years, what were the post-graduation employment rates of ITE graduates with special educational needs who were employed within (i) six months, (ii) one year and (iii) two years of graduation; and (b) what proportion of these employed graduates are in sectors or job roles directly related to their course of study.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Ministry of Education tracks the ability of graduates to secure employment six months after graduation through the annual Graduate Employment Surveys (GES). Based on the Institute of Technical Education's (ITE's) GES results, the employment rates of fresh ITE graduates have remained broadly stable over the past five years, with some year-to-year fluctuations due to cyclical changes. Apart from 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, about eight in 10 ITE graduates with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in the labour force were employed as at six months after graduation. This was similar to ITE graduates without SEN. About seven in 10 of those in full-time permanent employment reported that their job was related to their course of study, for both graduates with SEN and those without.
To further support students with SEN in their transition to employment, ITE has expanded the ITE-SG Enable Internship and Employment Support Programme to provide more students with SEN with training in workplace skills, suitable job placements and job coaching. The Government will continue to closely monitor the employment outcomes of each graduating cohort and provide further support where needed.