Students Seeking Assistance from Career Guidance Offices in Polytechnics and ITEs

Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the number of students who have sought assistance from career guidance offices situated in all the polytechnics and ITEs in the last two years; (b) what is the percentage of these students out of the total student population within the same period; and (c) whether there has been an assessment or review of the effectiveness of the enhanced career guidance programmes in these institutions.

All students at our polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education (ITE) undergo 40 to 60 hours of enhanced career guidance (ECG) curriculum, guided by their lecturers and ECG Counsellors. Students are also exposed to career options through learning journeys to companies, workshops with industry representatives and alumni, career fairs and internships. In addition, all students have access to the MySkillsFuture portal, a key resource for education and industry information, with tools to support career development.

In 2016, the Ministry of Education set up ECG centres in every polytechnic and ITE college to serve as touchpoints for all students. All students are introduced to the ECG services and resources offered at these centres, which include ECG workshops and talks, and career and industry-related materials and references. Students who require more targeted ECG support can approach their lecturers for advice, or the ECG Counsellors at the ECG centres for individual or group counselling sessions. In the last two years, about one in 25 students have scheduled one-on-one or group guidance sessions with the ECG Counsellors.

There is awareness of the usefulness of ECG, and the utilisation of the resources will increase with time.