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Proposals to improve prospects for poly and ITE graduates announced

SINGAPORE - The Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE) Committee announced its recommendations for plans to improve job prospects and academic progression of polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates today (25 Aug), all of which were accepted by the Government.

An aerial view of Republic Polytechnic. Photo: Channel NewsAsia

An aerial view of Republic Polytechnic. Photo: Channel NewsAsia

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SINGAPORE - The Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE) Committee announced its recommendations for plans to improve job prospects and academic progression of polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates today (25 Aug), all of which were accepted by the Government.

Speaking at the press conference today, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said that underpinning the recommendations are three significant shifts in the thinking about learning and jobs.

He noted that Singapore needs to have a stronger emphasis on skills and applied learning, that learning must be continual and lifelong and that authorities need to encourage multiple pathways for development, in study and at work.

“We must break the boundary between learning in the classrooms and learning at work. The workplace must become a great learning place,” he added.

One of the 10 recommendations involves helping students make better-informed education and career guidance (ECG) choices by strengthening education and career guidance efforts in schools, polytechnics and ITE.

This includes coordinating ECG efforts as part of an integrated national ECG framework across schools, polytechnics, ITEs and the network of career centres run by WDA. The committee also proposed placing more trained ECG officers - between 3 to 5 in each polytechnic and ITE college - to provide face-to-face advice, counseling sessions and activities.

The other recommendations are also focused on helping polytechnic and ITE students deepen skills upon graduation.

They include launching new programmes that integrate work and study – such as place-and-train programmes which are similar to the apprenticeship models in Switzerland and Germany – to provide more options for both polytechnic and ITE graduates to upgrade their skills.

Under the place-and-train programme, to be piloted in selected sectors from 2016, the committee recommended that companies employ these graduates and pay them monthly salaries. They will have structured on-the-job training in the workplace on top of classes at the polytechnics or ITE.

The committee also recommended more Post-diploma Continuing Education and Training (CET) opportunities at polytechnics to refresh and deepen the skills of the graduates. Subsidies for the post-diploma CET options will also be increased from the current 85 per cent to 90 per cent for those taking the first post-diploma certificate in selected courses.

To help polytechnic and ITE graduates progress in their careers, the committee also recommended that sector-specific skills frameworks and career progression pathways are developed with industry players. These will clearly specify the skills needed to advance and be benchmarks for hiring and progression practices within the industry.

New modular courses, built around these skills frameworks, will be introduced, allowing them to develop specific skills for progressio

First announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last November, the committee – led by Senior Minister of State (Education) Indranee Rajah – has reached out to about 12,000 polytechnic students, 5,000 ITE students, 3,000 parents and alumni and close to 400 polytechnic and ITE staff through dialogue sessions, focus group discussions, among others.

The committee also visited Germany, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand to study their applied education models.

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