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The Student Internship Programme (SIP) is an extended period of time where a student is attached to an organisation to learn the ropes of the workforce. This is mandatory, and a requirement in order for students to graduate from the polytechnic.  

Students enter distinctive industries and are able to use the internship period to apply what they have learnt from their respective courses. It is also an opportunity for them to get a preview of the working world.

19-year-old Javen Poon Yi Jun feels that by exposing poly students to the actual working environment, they will be able to “transform theoretical training to application based work”. To him, that is the most important aspect of an internship.

Javen retook his internship after failing it the first time whilst he was in the Singapore Youth Flying Club (SYFC). The Diploma in Aviation Management and Service student joined Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA) for his second internship. Being away from school for five to six months gave Javen reality checks on how the workforce actually functions and trained him to be more disciplined.

Diploma in Communications and Media Management student, Chan Kai Xin gained exposure on how the media industry really works when she was an intern at Mediacorp. She was a part of Channel 5’s hit longest drama series, Tanglin.
For Kai Xin, reporting times for work could be as early as 5am and a day of filming could last a 10 to 12 hours. “It was mentally and physically exhausting, especially doing it for quite a substantial period of time. I guess I overcame it knowing that it was only temporary,” she said.

SIP is also a good platform to gain first-hand experience about the industry and possible career progression for the individual courses. Making the informed career choice becomes of key importance at that age.

Applied Food Science and Nutrition student Lee Zi Yan said that her internship at Changi General Hospital was a big eye-opening experience for her.

“I managed to see if the field, dietetics, that I was considering to be in was what I expected it to be like. Picking up skills straight from the professionals themselves is something that I cannot gain through theory practise,” she said.

Although there were challenges faced, the internship also gave interns great memories.

For instance, Javen recalled taking a flight to Japan for business before returning back on the same day. As for Kai Xin, she was offered the position of Second Assistant Director on Toggle’s yet-to-be-released show, Intercept upon her graduation.

By: M Shabita Anabel