Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC
Question
To ask the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (a) what is the current percentage of full-time ITE students being able to secure internships and part-time jobs to add value to their training throughout their course; (b) how does ITE's Career Services Centre help place ITE students in internships; (c) what measures are in place to expand internship opportunities for ITE students; and (d) how many ITE graduates eventually work in the industries that they have been trained for.
Response
1. Currently, internship modules have been made compulsory in 68 out of 98 courses in ITE. This means more than half of the full-time students now enrolled in ITE would have done an internship by the time they graduate. ITE targets for all full-time Nitec and Higher Nitec courses to include internships by 2020.
2. Given the vocational nature of ITE courses, hands-on training is already an integral part of the curriculum for its students. Students may take up internships to reinforce their learning in the workplace. ITE matches students’ internships to internship places based on factors such as their course of study, interests and where they stay.
3. ITE has a dedicated team that will continue to engage its industry partners and trade associations to expand internship opportunities for its students. It will also raise the quality of internships and make it a meaningful experience for students, by introducing structured mentorships, defining learning outcomes and jointly conducting performance management with the industry.
4. Based on results from the 2016 Graduate Employment Survey, of the ITE graduates in full-time permanent jobs, around 55% reported that they were working in jobs related to their course of study. Beyond training targeted at entry into specific industries or related jobs, ITE graduates are also equipped with skills that are transferrable across industries. This gives them greater adaptability as national manpower needs shift due to technological change and economic restructuring.