Latest news with #SkillsFutureSG
Independent Singapore
5 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Unemployed graduates rose 130% in 3 years, says Redditor citing government data
SINGAPORE: After a local Reddit user did the math related to recent graduates finding jobs, they wrote that there was a 130 per cent increase in unemployed public university graduates from 2021 to 2024. After SkillsFuture Singapore published the data from the latest Private Education Institution Graduate Employment Survey on May 26, u/ PretentiousnPretty wrote that they decided to look up the graduate employment surveys from the past years to see if they could find any trends. ' With reference to the graduate employment survey in the article above, and this article , I've extracted the following employment statistics for autonomous (public) universities. Proportion of graduates in the labour force who were unemployed: 2021-5.6%, 2022-6.2%, 2023-10.4%, 2024-12.9%.' The post author focused on the significant increase in this number from 2021 to 2024, adding, 'Why then, is it, that some people are still in denial about this phenomenon, why do they refuse to look at the causes, consequences and solutions?' they asked, inviting fellow users on the platform to weigh in with answers. See also After a year of rain Indorse is ready to enjoy the sunshine A commenter who said they help young people as they start out with their careers replied by citing the proportion of graduates in the labour force who were unemployed previous to 2020, which tells another story. While in 2020 the figure had been 6.4%, from 2016 to 2019, it ranged from 9.3% to 11.1 per cent. ' Okay, so it seems like 2024's figure isn't that much higher than the pre-Covid years? I'm not saying that fresh graduates aren't facing many challenges today. But the situation isn't as dire as your tone seems to be suggesting,' the commenter wrote, adding that the figures the post author had cited had been 'significantly distorted' by the pandemic. 'This was a time when the share of non-Singaporeans working in Singapore was overwhelmingly low. People wanted to go home to their country of origin, and there just weren't enough workers to go around,' they added. As for the reasons why new graduates are having a hard time landing jobs today, the commenter listed three things that contribute to this: technological advancements, with AI taking over many tasks; earlier mass layoffs, especially in the tech sector; and the imposition of tariffs, which is likely to have caused companies to put a pause on expansion. See also Understanding Online Community Members 'I can assure you that we have graduates who are very, very hungry. But we also have students and graduates who can be over-ambitious. I've spoken with students who want a $10K a month role straight out of graduation, but do not even know the requirements or skills they need to bring to the table to command those salaries straight out of the gate,' they added. /TISG Read related: Weaker hiring demand meant fewer private uni grads found full-time jobs in 2024
Independent Singapore
7 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Weaker hiring demand meant fewer private uni grads found full-time jobs in 2024
SINGAPORE: This year's Graduate Employment Survey ( GES ), published on Monday (May 26) by SkillsFuture Singapore, showed the effects of slower economic growth and lower hiring demand on the newest members of the workforce. Within six months of having graduated from bachelor's degree programmes in private education institutions between May 2023 and April 2024, nearly three-fourths (74.8%) of the 2,300 respondents who had participated in the survey had found work. In comparison, among those who graduated the year before, 83.2% had gotten employed within six months. Among the fresh graduates who had found jobs, 46.4% were hired full-time, compared to 58.7% the year before. Notably, while 18.9% found part-time or temporary employment in 2023, this number went up to 24.2% last year. As for freelance jobs, while 5.7% of respondents landed this type of employment in 2023, last year, 4.2% ended up in the gig economy. 'This reflects the weaker overall hiring demand as compared to previous years,' the statement from SkillsFuture Singapore noted. Interestingly, the salary of fresh graduates from private universities in full-time jobs has gone up from S$3,400 to S$3,500. Those who studied Engineering, Sciences, and Business courses had the highest percentages of graduates in full-time permanent employment. In contrast, graduates from the Information and Digital Technologies course cluster had the highest median gross monthly salary last year. The numbers are slightly different for students who graduated last year from Autonomous Universities (AU), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). Among fresh graduates from AUs, 79.5% found full-time employment, and they had a median gross monthly salary of S$4,500 in 2024. For post-National Service polytechnic graduates, meanwhile, 65.2% found full-time jobs and received a median gross monthly salary of S$3,000. 'The PEI GES provides prospective students with valuable insights, enabling them to make informed decisions about their education and career paths. This latest survey takes place amidst global economic uncertainties and lower hiring demand. However, there are numerous resources and learning opportunities available through SkillsFuture for Singaporeans today to support their career aspirations, so that they are able to make informed choices based on skills demanded by industries and employers,' said Ms Angela Tan, Director-General (Private Education) of SSG, in the statement. /TISG Read also: Private uni grad struggles to land a job, gets only 2 replies after countless applications
CNA
26-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Fewer private university graduates employed, though salaries inch higher: Survey
Fewer graduates from private education institutions got jobs within six months of graduating, marking a decline for the second straight year. Among those who were employed, less than half secured permanent employment, even though median salaries have increased to S$3,500 from S$3,400. This is according to a survey conducted by SkillsFuture Singapore among 3,500 fresh graduates from the cohort of 2024. Able Cheong, Head of Corporation at the Singapore Human Resources Institute, talks about whether employers view degrees from private educational institutions as inferior. He also discusses if employers are more keen to hire those who have completed stackable courses, rather than a private degree.
CNA
23-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Major mindset shift needed to strengthen lifelong learning: PM Wong
Raising AI proficiency across the workforce and getting more employers to invest in upskilling - these are among key priorities for Skillsfuture Singapore as it enters its next chapter, launched by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. He added that more can be done to maximise the programme's impact and called for a major mindset shift. Tan Kok Yam, Chief Executive of SkillsFuture Singapore, talks about how his office will ensure the courses are industry-relevant and sector-specific. He also discusses some challenges that companies may face when taking a skills-first approach and how to bridge this gap.
