Data on Enrolment, Graduation, Non-completion and Employment of Students under ITE Work-Study Diploma Programme

Mr David Hoe asked the Minister for Education for each ITE Work-Study Diploma intake since 2018, what are the (i) enrolment and non-completion rates (ii) graduation rates (iii) share in full-time employment breakdown by sectors within 6 and 12 months of completion, median starting pay and 12-month employer retention rates (iv) share who progressed to polytechnic or university and (v) measures to support non-completers to re-enter training or work.

The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Work-Study Diploma programme is an apprenticeship-based upskilling pathway. Trainees receive classroom training from ITE lecturers, but they are hired by the participating companies as full-time employees and also benefit from on-the-job training by the employers. Since the programme started, the number of trainees admitted into ITE's Work-Study Diploma has increased significantly, from 100 in 2018 to around 1,300 in 2024. Completion rates have remained stable and high at around 80%.

The Work-Study Diploma programme's employment outcomes have also been positive. Based on our recent surveys of graduates six months after graduation, full-time employment rates have been consistently high across sectors, with around nine in 10 graduates in full-time employment. Around seven in 10 stayed with the company that hired and trained them. The median monthly salaries of Work-Study Diploma graduates six months post-graduation were comparable to that of full-time Polytechnic diploma graduates, at around $2,900. Taken together, this shows that most Work-Study Diploma graduates stay in the role that they were trained for and enjoy competitive salaries. Around one in 10 progressed directly to our universities' degree and polytechnics' post-diploma programmes.

ITE supports learners who do not complete the Work-Study Diploma with career counselling services and support, including the option to take up other educational pathways, such as the Higher Nitec qualification, where applicable. These learners can also re-apply in subsequent Work-Study intakes to continue their learning, with their earlier completed modules recognised for related courses or work first before continuing their upskilling journey subsequently.