State of Employment for Graduates from COVID-19 Pandemic Cohorts

Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the state of employment for graduates from the COVID-19 pandemic cohorts; (b) what percentage of these graduates have secured full-time employment; (c) how many graduates are unable to secure full-time employment after attending the SGUnited Traineeship Programme; and (d) what are the job prospects for the upcoming graduating cohorts.

The overall employment rate of the Class of 2020 graduates from our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) was comparable to those from the Class of 2019. Based on the Graduate Employment Survey, about nine in 10 Class of 2020 graduates from the Autonomous Universities (AUs) and eight in 10 graduates from the Polytechnics and ITE were employed within six months of graduation.

However, full-time permanent employment rates were slightly lower than before the pandemic. Seven in 10 Class of 2020 graduates from the AUs and five in 10 from the Polytechnics and ITE secured full-time permanent employment, compared to eight in 10 from the AUs and six in 10 from the Polytechnics and ITE from the Class of 2019.

The employment outcomes of the Class of 2020 were bolstered by the support provided by the Government and IHLs to help them secure jobs and training opportunities during the pandemic. This included the SGUnited Traineeships Programme, which provide fresh graduates with the opportunity to pick up industry-relevant experience. As of end-November 2021, over 11,500 graduates have benefited from these traineeship opportunities. As at end-August 2021, 7,200 trainees have exited or completed their traineeships, of whom about 5,800 (81%) are employed.

Graduate employment outcomes for the Class of 2021 will be released later this year. The Government will continue to closely monitor the employment outcomes of each graduating cohort and provide further support where needed.