1 in 2 private institution graduates found full-time work within 6 months: SkillsFuture survey

About half of graduates from Private Education Institutions (PEI) find full-time permanent employment within six months of completing their final examinations, a survey conducted by SkillsFuture Singapore showed. 

The survey’s respondents comprised 45.3 per cent of the 9,400 full-time Bachelor’s level external degree programme graduates across 28 PEIs, said SkillsFuture Singapore in a news release last Thursday (Apr 14). 

Among these respondents, the survey focused on 2,900 economically active PEI fresh graduates who graduated between May 2020 and April 2021 from full-time Bachelor’s level external degree programmes. 

It found that 46.4 per cent of PEI fresh graduates found full-time permanent employment within six months of graduation, a slight dip from last year’s 49.0 per cent. 

However, 85.3 per cent were able to find work in general, including part-time, temporary and freelance jobs. 

Graduates from Autonomous Universities (AU) like National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) were also surveyed. They had a higher overall employment rate and full-time employment rate of 94.4 per cent and 84.0 per cent respectively, compared to the PEI graduates. 

Figures for post-National Service polytechnic graduates were also higher, at 94.2 per cent for overall employment and 63.3 per cent for full-time employment. 

The survey also found that the median gross monthly salary for PEI graduates in full-time employment was $2,989, as compared to the $3,800 for AU fresh graduates and $2,614 for post-National Service polytechnic graduates.

The survey findings aim to help prospective students make informed decisions when deciding on their learning and career options, said SkillsFuture Singapore’s Director-General of Private Education Hui Mei San. 

The detailed survey results can be accessed here.