Recognition of Qualifications Issued by Private Educational Institutions for Purposes of Employment

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Prime Minister given the long history of the operation of private educational institutions (PEIs) such as MDIS and SIM, why are qualifications directly issued by these PEIs not currently recognised by government agencies as valid qualifications for the purposes of employment.

The Civil Service currently recognises qualifications issued by a range of institutions for the purpose of employment in the Service, including local tertiary institutions, registered private educational institutions (PEIs) and overseas institutions. We do recognise and take into consideration the qualifications issued by private educational institutions such as MDIS and SIM.

Educational qualifications are only one of multiple factors that we use to assess an applicant’s suitability for a job. The Civil Service is also assessing candidates on the competencies required for the different jobs in the Service. For example, to assess applicants' competencies in relation to HR and finance jobs, the Public Service Division (PSD) and Accountant-General's Department have worked with professional institutions such as the Institute for Human Resource Professionals and Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants, respectively, to develop and deploy competency assessment tools.