'Welcome to $2.4k starting pay': Netizens debate new govt-funded traineeship scheme
"Why hire a fresh grad at 4-5k when I can just hire one at 2.5k instead?" asked one.
When the Government announced the new GRaduate Industry Traineeships @ Gov Programme, offering fresh graduates a monthly training allowance of $1,800 to $2,400, netizens were split on its merits.
Applications for the traineeships open in October, with up to 800 positions available across various sectors.
The Government will fund 70 per cent of the allowance, while the host organisation cover the rest. Training allowance may vary depending on the scope of each traineeship.
Graduates from tertiary institutions in 2024 or 2025 will be eligible, even if they receive their certification in 2026.
Speaking at the OCBC Grow Your Way festival in Tanjong Pagar on Aug 22, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng added that the public sector itself is also offering about 2,400 immediate vacancies for fresh graduates on the Careers@Gov portal.
Netizens point out loopholes
On subreddit r/nus, user mach8mc posted an infographic of the scheme with the caption: "Fresh Grads, Welcome to 2.4k and below starting pay!".
The post drew more than 600 upvotes and 100 comments, with netizens chiming in on their responses to the programme.
Some felt the programme sidesteps bigger issues. "How to solve the problem of companies wanting five years of experience from a fresh grad?" asked one.
Others worried firms might exploit the scheme.
"Why hire a fresh grad at 4-5k when I can just hire one at 2.5k instead?" one user quipped.
A number lamented that such programmes highlight how university degrees are undervalued, and therefore insufficient to secure full-time employment.
"Imagine having completed a four-year degree course which includes an internship, only to be told to upskill again," one commenter remarked.
'It's meant to keep you afloat': Others remain optimistic
Still, some netizens had a more positive take, defending the initiative as a pragmatic stopgap and pointing out that this is "better than no job".
"At least it's some effort given structural unemployment is hard to fix," one mused.
"I'm thankful for such programmes," said another, adding that taking up a traineeship felt like the right choice, especially when money was tight and the job market bleak.
Some also pointed out that traineeships can lead to full-time employment.
One user said: "To be fair, all of my friends who underwent the traineeship programme back then all got converted into full-time employees with great pay."
Another summed it up: "It's not meant to serve as a full career. Again, it is meant to keep you afloat."