SINGAPORE: Polytechnic graduates from 2019 saw better employment prospects and higher median salaries than the previous cohort, according to the annual Graduate Employment Survey released on Tuesday (Jan 14).
Of the 7,724 respondents who entered the labour force in 2019, 90.7 per cent were employed six months after graduation, up from 89.5 per cent in 2018.
Table 1: Employment outcomes for fresh polytechnic graduates and post-NS graduates. (Image: Graduate Employment Survey 2019)
Jointly conducted by Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic, the survey also showed that the overall median gross monthly salary for full-time employed graduates increased from S$2,350 in 2018 to $2,400 in 2019.
According to the survey, graduates from the Health Sciences cluster, including those who graduated with diplomas in nursing, optometry and pharmaceutical science, have earned more than the graduates from other courses since 2017.
Table 2: Median gross monthly salary of full-time permanently employed graduates. (Image: Graduate Employment Survey 2019)
A spokesperson representing the committee behind the survey said the institutions are “heartened” that polytechnic graduates continue to do well in the job market despite the global economic slowdown, adding that polytechnic graduates continue to be sought after by employers.
“The polytechnics will continue to work closely with industry partners to help ensure that our graduates have the relevant knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the economy, and are able to find good jobs and enjoy fulfilling careers.”
