Fresh poly graduates had tougher time getting jobs last year
87.4 per cent found work within six months, a drop from 90.7 per cent in 2019
Fresh polytechnic graduates had a harder time in the job market last year amid a hiring slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The latest graduate employment survey conducted by the five polytechnics in Singapore showed 87.4 per cent of their graduates found permanent, freelance or part-time jobs within six months of graduation last year.
This is a drop from 90.7 per cent in 2019 and 89.5 per cent in 2018.
The median gross monthly salary among graduates in full-time permanent employment remained at $2,400 last year, like in 2019. In 2018, the figure was $2,350.
OPTIMISTIC
The proportion of polytechnic graduates who were unemployed crept up to 12.6 per cent last year, from 9.3 per cent in 2019 and 10.5 per cent in 2018.
But the polytechnics remain optimistic about the economic outlook for their graduates.
In a statement yesterday, Ngee Ann Polytechnic principal Clarence Ti said: "This year's graduates are entering the job market at an unprecedented time. Covid-19 has had a major impact on our economy.
"We are glad that many of our graduates have been resilient and managed to secure a job despite the challenging times. Although the pandemic has been disruptive, there are exciting opportunities in sectors such as healthcare, infocomm technology, cyber security and e-commerce."
Speaking on behalf of the polytechnic graduate employment survey committee, Mr Ti said the institutes will continue to provide career guidance and support to graduates to help them find a job in the area of their training, or pivot to the new job roles being created.
Some 8,946 of 11,909 fresh graduates last year responded to the poll, conducted from Oct 1 to Dec 2 last year.
Also surveyed were 5,461 of 9,619 graduates from 2017, who completed their full-time national service between April 1, 2019 and March 31 last year.
The poll also found that 2.9 per cent of the graduates who responded had either accepted a job offer or were actively starting a business venture.
Of those in the labour force, 52 per cent were in full-time permanent employment, while 31.6 per cent were in part-time or temporary employment.
This includes 5.2 per cent of graduates in the SGUnited Traineeships Programme, set up last year to help fresh graduates boost their employability by the time hiring demand picks up after the pandemic.
As in previous years, about half the polytechnic graduates in part-time or temporary employment indicated that they were concurrently pursuing or preparing to begin further studies.
The polytechnics said yesterday they had stepped up efforts to help graduates amid the Covid-19 pandemic through career guidance and support.
They have also tapped their network of industry partners for job placement and apprenticeship opportunities for graduates.
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