University Students Taking On Multiple Internships Simultaneously

87 Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan asked the Minister for Education in each of the last three years (a) what proportion of students enrolled in autonomous universities have taken on (i) internships and (ii) multiple internships simultaneously; (b) what has been the average number of internships per student who participated in internship programmes; (c) what has been the average internship duration; and (d) what proportion of these internships have been unpaid.

Mr Desmond Lee: Almost all undergraduate courses in our autonomous universities (AUs) require the completion of an internship for graduation. Credit-bearing internships may take between two weeks to 12 months, depending on the institution and course.

Based on the 2024 AU Graduate Employment Survey, about nine in 10 graduates participated in at least one internship during their course of study. This is comparable to that of 2022 and 2023. Among those who participated in internships, the average number of internships completed per graduate has remained roughly stable at around two in the last three years.

The Ministry of Education and the AUs do not track the number of students taking multiple internships simultaneously or unpaid internships. The AUs have provided feedback that such cases are uncommon.