SINGAPORE: More than 90 per cent of polytechnic graduates who entered the labour force in 2016 were employed within six months, up from 2015, according to a survey conducted by Singapore’s five polytechnics. The survey also found that the graduates commanded an overall median gross salary of S$2,200, similar to that of graduates from 2015, the polytechnics said in a media release on Monday (Jan 9).
Of the fresh graduates who responded to the survey, 90.6 per cent said they had found jobs – 1.7 percentage points higher than 2015.
Of them, 55.8 per cent secured full-time permanent employment and 34.8 per cent have part-time, temporary or freelance work.
The survey also covered poly graduates from 2013 who went on to complete their full-time national service (NS). 95.4 per cent of these graduates said they had found work – 3.9 percentage points higher than in 2015.
70.2 per cent of the respondents secured full-time permanent employment, while 25.2 per cent are doing part-time, temporary or freelance work.
In both instances, graduates doing part-time, temporary or freelance work said they were working on such terms because they were pursuing further studies, or preparing to do so.
Fresh graduates in full-time permanent jobs drew a median gross monthly salary of S$2,180, up 3.8 per cent from S$2,100 in 2015, the survey found.
Post-NS graduates in full-time jobs drew a median gross monthly salary of S$2,517, similar to 2015.
The survey found that graduates from courses in the health sciences earned the highest median gross monthly salary compared to their peers. This was followed by graduates of built environment, engineering and maritime courses.
Of the 14,004 fresh graduates of Nanyang, Ngee Ann, Republic, Singapore and Temasek polytechnics, 10,541 responded to the survey on their employment status as at Oct 1, 2016, about six months after their final examinations.
A total of 5,106 out of 9,212 graduates from 2013, who completed their full-time NS between Apr 1, 2015 and Mar 21, 2016 also took part in the 2016 survey.
