11 February 2018
The Ministry of Education will be conducting a study on the factors contributing to polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates’ decisions to undertake employment or further study.
Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary recently told Parliament that there has been a drop in the percentage of polytechnic and ITE graduates who reported they were in full-time permanent employment, based on survey data of the graduates six months after they complete their final examinations. More graduates are opting for freelance, part-time or temporary work.
According to the survey, more students are choosing to do part-time work while they prepare for further studies.
Dr Puthucheary also highlighted that over the last 10 years, the percentage of polytechnic and ITE graduates who chose to go into further studies, instead of working, has gone up by over 10 percentage points. This strong desire to further their studies, he said, is the result of various government efforts to expand education pathways for students.