SINGAPORE: A recent report by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has found that Singaporean workers who engage in continuing education and training (CET) and obtain post-graduate diplomas are more likely to stay employed and experience significant wage increases.
The analysis, which examined the data of local workers who pursued professional diplomas at polytechnics between 2011 and 2019, indicates that adult learners who completed these programs were up to 8 percentage points more likely to be employed than those who did not engage in CET.
These workers saw their monthly wages increase by 4.6% to 10.8%, translating to an additional $300 to $540 monthly.
The report also highlighted a substantial increase in participation in polytechnic graduate diploma courses, with enrollment numbers rising from 79 in 2011 to 3,847 in 2019.
The most popular fields of study among these adult learners included medicine, information and communication, engineering, business management, and education and training, which collectively accounted for nearly 70% of the total enrollments.
These findings point to the positive impact of continuing education on both employment prospects and wage levels.
The MTI report emphasizes that CET programs have been effective in enhancing the competitiveness of Singapore’s workforce, particularly in a rapidly evolving job market.
In response to these findings, the MTI has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to investing in skills upgrading and retraining initiatives.
This ongoing effort aims to ensure that Singaporean workers remain competitive and employable throughout their careers, adapting to changes in the economy and workforce demands. /TISG