The Graduate Industry Traineeships programme launched last October has shown early results, but the government’s review found that three months of training was too short. The Ministry of Manpower is considering a new, more targeted apprenticeship scheme with a longer training period to help young people enter the workforce.
Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau told Lianhe Zaobao and The Straits Times in an interview that about 250 graduates had completed training under the Graduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) programme since its launch, with 60% of them having found jobs.
She said the overall employment situation for fresh graduates remained healthy and the public need not be unduly concerned. Previously, about 19 in every 20 fresh graduates received job offers within six months, compared with about 18 this year. The proportion receiving permanent or long-term job offers within a month of graduation also dipped from 52% last year to 50%. The situation was not severe, she said.
Lau stressed that no graduate’s anxiety should be overlooked. “We want to make sure that all of them graduate with confidence that there's something in place for them.”
Short-term training gives fresh graduates opportunities to learn and acquire practical workplace skills. But one important lesson the authorities have drawn is that a three-month training period is too short for both companies and participating graduates.
She noted that an overly short training period prevents graduates from acquiring the skills companies need, while giving employers little incentive to commit resources. To address this, the Ministry of Manpower is considering an apprenticeship scheme with a longer training period.
The government is offering up to 800 places under GRIT for fresh graduates to undertake traineeships of three to six months with companies or government agencies. Trainees receive a monthly allowance of $1,800 to $2,400. The government funds 70% of the allowance, with participating companies or agencies paying the rest.
As artificial intelligence increasingly takes over basic workplace tasks, young employees may lose opportunities to learn and gain experience early in their careers — an issue that has drawn widespread concern. Lau said that beyond the concern that the first rung is starting to feel weak, companies must also clearly set out the skills and qualities employees need to progress, and design training programmes accordingly.
She said the government was willing to support companies and fresh graduates through training programmes, but companies must work closely with the authorities, commit resources to training and provide mentors for young employees. “We also need the companies to tell us there is a job at the end of the traineeship or the apprenticeship.”
As retrenchments affect more workers in their 30s, authorities consider adjusting support eligibility to help sandwich generation
Turning to mid-career workers who had been retrenched or whose contracts had not been renewed, Lau said the authorities had observed that they were taking longer to find new jobs. Those affected were also getting younger, with more people in their 30s losing their jobs to corporate restructuring, for example. She said many existing support schemes remained effective, but their age criteria might need adjusting.
Lau noted that many middle-income white-collar workers were also part of the sandwich generation, shouldering the burden of supporting their families and paying their mortgages. To enable them to focus fully on finding work and acquiring new skills, some of their family burdens must be eased.
She said: “Otherwise, you can't blame them for saying I'll just take the first job that comes along, or I will do private hire car driving for a while because at least that pays the bills.”
