04 May 2017
Private education institutions in Singapore that offer degree and postgraduate programmes have come under the spotlight recently.
For example, a survey conducted by the Committee for Private Education (CPE), which polled 4,200 students who graduated with degrees from nine private institutions in 2014, showed that some 58 per cent of fresh graduates with no prior working experience landed full-time jobs within six months of finishing their studies. Another 21 per cent managed to find part-time or contract work. The median starting salary of those with full-time jobs was S$2,700 a month.
A similar survey conducted by SIM Global Education for its class of 2014 found that 73 per cent of its graduates had landed full-time jobs within six months, with over half of the respondents having two or more job offers.
MDIS also conducted a 2014 survey that showed around 80 per cent its students finding full-time or part-time jobs within six months after they graduate.
The Committee for Private Education has instituted measures designed to better protect students as well as provide them with more information in selecting a school. Among other requirements, private education institutions offering degree programmes will be required to take part in an annual graduate employment survey run by the CPE, and must be able to demonstrate minimum financial standards.