Career guidance for Polytechnic and ITE students

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Rahayu Mahzam, Jurong GRC

Question

To ask 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.

Response

1. All students at our polytechnics and ITE undergo forty to sixty hours of 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.

2. In 2016, MOE 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 1 in 25 students have scheduled one-on-one or group guidance sessions with the ECG Counsellors.

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