Close to 3 in 4 private education graduates in Singapore find jobs within six months despite slower hiring

While employment rates were lower, the latest PEI Graduate Employment Survey reveals a rise in median gross salaries among fresh graduates in full-time employment.

Amid slower economic growth and subdued hiring activity, close to three in four fresh graduates from Private Education Institution (PEI) in Singapore secured employment within six months of completing their studies. The media gross salary has also increased.

This was among the findings in the 2023/2024 PEI Graduate Employment Survey (GES), released by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG). The survey polled about 3,500 graduates from full-time Bachelor’s-level External Degree Programmes (EDPs) across 27 PEIs, with responses from around 2,300 who were active in the labour force.

Employment outcomes show decline from previous year

According to the survey, 74.8% of PEI graduates in the labour force were employed within six months of graduation. This is a decline from 83.2% in the previous year. Of these, 46.4% found full-time permanent roles, 24.2% were in part-time or temporary jobs, while 4.2% took on freelance work.

In comparison, Autonomous University (AU) fresh graduates from the same cohort recorded an overall employment rate of 87.1%, with 79.5% securing full-time permanent roles. For post-National Service polytechnic graduates, the overall employment rate stood at 91.4%, with 65.2% in full-time permanent jobs.

Slight uptick in median salaries

Despite the softer hiring climate, median gross monthly salaries for PEI graduates in full-time permanent employment rose from S$3,400 to S$3,500 year-on-year. Still, this remained below that of AU graduates, whose median salary was S$4,500, and slightly above the S$3,000 median for post-NS polytechnic graduates.

By discipline, engineering, sciences and business courses had the highest proportion of graduates in full-time permanent roles. Meanwhile, those from the information & digital technologies cluster earned the highest median salaries among PEI graduates in 2024.

Outcomes vary across institutions and courses

Commenting on the findings, Angela Tan, Director-General (Private Education) at SSG, said the GES aims to equip prospective students with the data they need to make informed choices about their education and career pathways.

The survey highlighted that employment outcomes differed significantly depending on the institution and course of study. As such, prospective students are encouraged to assess these factors when choosing a programme, especially during uncertain economic times.

Images / SkillsFuture