Debated in Parliament on 6 May 2026.
Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry tracks the proportion of graduates employed in roles aligned to their field of study; (b) what were the findings of the pilot conducted with polytechnics to survey graduates five years after graduation; (c) whether this pilot has been extended to autonomous universities and ITE as previously indicated; and (d) if not, why not.
The Graduate Employment Survey (GES) tracks the proportion of graduates employed in jobs related to their field of study. From 2017 to 2024, this proportion has gradually increased and remained high, with about eight in 10 graduates in full-time permanent employment reporting they were in jobs related to their field of study.
The pilot conducted by the polytechnics in 2019 polled graduates from the polytechnic class of 2014. The results suggest that they were doing well in the labour market, with more than nine in 10 of those in the labour force being employed. Sixty-four percent of graduates in full-time permanent employment were in jobs related to their course of study. Among those in full-time permanent jobs unrelated to their original course of study, 14 percentage points had completed further studies in a different field. Furthermore, the median salaries of those in full-time permanent employment had risen from $2,100 in 2014 to $3,300 five years after graduation.
Similar tracer surveys have been extended to the autonomous universities and the Institute of Technical Education.
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