Quality Internship Opportunities for Students of Vocational Institutions

5 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) what measures are in place to ensure quality internship opportunities are available to all students at vocational institutions.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: Internships are an important aspect of applied education in the Polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education (ITE). They provide students with critical hands-on training and meaningful learning experiences in a real-world context to better prepare them for work in the industry.

The Polytechnics and ITE work closely with partners, such as companies, trade associations and Government agencies, to design internship programmes, including identifying key competencies that the intern should acquire and other desired learning outcomes. These are shared with companies to ensure that both sides have a common understanding of the roles and responsibilities. In addition, our lecturers routinely conduct site visits to meet with students and their company supervisors, in order to seek feedback and monitor the progress of the internship. Students are also required to submit reports of their learning, both during and after their internship, to ensure that learning outcomes are met.