Proportion of ITE Work-Study Diploma Programme Participants Who Have Stayed On With Host Employers

Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Education in each year from 2018 to 2024 (a) how many individuals have successfully applied for the ITE Work-Study Diploma programme; (b) how many individuals have been terminated by their employers; (c) what recourse is available for individuals who have been terminated by their employers midway through the apprenticeship programme; and (d) how many individuals have been allowed to continue the programme with a different employer.

The number of individuals who successfully applied for the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Work-Study Diploma (WSDip) has grown from around 100 in 2018 to around 1,300 in 2024. Under the programme, trainees are hired by the participating companies as full-time employees and receive classroom training from ITE lecturers and on-the-job training delivered by the employers.

The proportion of WSDip trainees who are terminated by their employers has remained low, averaging around 5% of each intake cohort. Reasons for termination include misconduct or poor performance. WSDip trainees who feel that they have been dismissed without just or sufficient cause can file a wrongful dismissal claim at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management.

Before termination, ITE will mediate between the WSDip employer and trainee, encouraging the employer to provide feedback and opportunities for the trainee to improve. Should the company decide to proceed with termination, ITE will assist the trainee to seek employment with another participating company to continue their training. Among those who have been terminated by their employers, around three in 10 were able to find employment with another participating company. Those who are unable to find alternative employment will have to withdraw from the programme.