Polytechnic graduates sought after for their skills and experience?

Poly grads’ pay crosses $2,000 mark - What does this indicate? For me, the increase of pay indicates that the need for the workforce to look for job skills in polytechnic graduates also increases, and employers are placing more value on the specific job field experience and skills that polytechnic graduates possess.

However, let’s face it, some fresh polytechnic graduates would choose to move on to further their studies in university instead of finding a job straight away. In my opinion, this is one of the reasons employers are offering a higher pay to fresh graduates: The need for more in the workforce.

When interviewed, Wong Jia Hui, a third-year diploma in Integrated Facilities Management student, said, “I would believe the main reason why fresh polytechnic graduates are offered a higher pay now is that employers are now placing more importance on job training, skills and experience, something that Junior Colleague students do not possess. Also, some graduates would choose to move on to university to further their studies instead of going straight into the workforce. The demand for these graduates has grew, hence the increase in pay.”

A tight labor market helping to push wages up?Probably. If more and more people are choosing to further their studies instead of strengthening the work force after they graduate from tertiary education, who then, is going to support the economy?

Times have changed. In the coming years, we will be seeing a transition from seeking paper qualification to job skills and experience. I feel that even with a prestigious paper qualification, experience and pre-training are important as well. The job market now look for employees who have both paper qualification and job experience.

However, Jia Hui admitted she would not get in a rush to enter the workforce after she graduates from Temasek Polytechnic. 

“It is not all about what is on paper, it is about how you brand yourself, how much experience you have, and the skills you possess in a particular field. All these are what employers look for, and of course, they determine whether you will be employed. ” said Jia Hui.