Singapore Expands Graduate Traineeship Program Amidst Evolving Economic Outlook
Singapore is bolstering its efforts to support fresh graduates entering a competitive job market with the expansion of the Graduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) scheme and GRIT@Gov. The initiative, announced initially at the National Day Rally in , now offers 800 new traineeships, providing crucial industry experience to recent graduates from universities, polytechnics, and the Institute of Technical Education.
The program is open to Singapore citizens and permanent residents who graduated or completed National Service in or , including those holding master’s degrees and doctorates. The expansion comes as the Singaporean economy navigates a period of transition following a stronger-than-expected growth of 4.8% in , with projections for growth between 1% and 3% in .
The GRIT scheme aims to address anxieties among fresh graduates regarding job prospects. While the resident unemployment rate for those under 30 dipped slightly to 5.5% in the third quarter of , concerns remain about the availability of suitable positions. Overall unemployment was estimated at 2% in , consistent with the previous two years.
Skyler Teo, a 25-year-old engineering graduate, exemplifies the challenges faced by many. After submitting nearly 200 job applications over six months, he secured a six-month traineeship at Thales in January. He applied for approximately 60 positions through the GRIT scheme, receiving responses from three or four companies. Teo highlighted the value of the traineeship as a pathway to gaining practical work experience, particularly in a field where diploma holders are often favored for technical roles due to their specialized training and lower hiring costs, while experience is a prerequisite for higher-level positions.
“Comparatively, traineeships are a lot easier for fresh graduates to get into,” Teo stated, expressing his hope for a full-time position at Thales following the completion of his traineeship.
Emily Tan, CEO of Thales Solutions Asia, which employs around 2,100 people in Singapore, emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting young talent. She described the GRIT process as “competitive” for both candidates and companies, given the limited number of available slots. Regarding the conversion of trainees to full-time employees, Ms. Tan explained that decisions will be made collaboratively, based on a mutual assessment of whether available roles align with the trainees’ interests and career aspirations.
More than 50 companies have now partnered with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) to offer these traineeships. The participating firms represent a diverse range of sectors, including manufacturing, financial services, information and communications technology, and professional services. Notable companies involved include DBS, GrabTaxi, LinkedIn, Nestle, OCBC, Razer, SATS, ST Engineering, and UOB.
The traineeships encompass both specialized technical roles and broader, cross-functional positions, reflecting the varied skills currently in demand. These opportunities were identified through collaboration between WSG, Enterprise Singapore, the Economic Development Board, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
In addition to private sector involvement, sixty public sector agencies are also participating, coordinating traineeships through the Public Service Division. Trainees have been placed in organizations such as the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Education, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, the Government Technology Agency, the Health Promotion Board, the National Library Board, the Urban Redevelopment Authority, and Singapore Polytechnic.
The GRIT initiative is a component of the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce’s broader strategy to equip fresh graduates with practical, industry-relevant experience, facilitating their transition into full-time employment. The initial rollout was designed to be focused, with plans for scaling up the program if economic conditions deteriorated – a scenario that, thus far, has not materialized given the positive economic performance in .
