Initiative focuses on three areas: job opportunities, skills upgrading and expert career advice

Singapore, Wednesday, 18 March 2020 - In light of the COVID-19 situation and economic slowdown, Temasek Polytechnic (TP) is rolling out a comprehensive three-pronged initiative to support our current graduating cohort, as well as male graduates who are completing their National Service this year, in their effort to secure employment. The initiative is expected to benefit some 5,000 graduates.

The TP Graduate Career Kick-Starter aims to giveour graduates a confident start to work life during this challenging time, and provides a complete support for them to explore available job and learning opportunities.

The three components of the Graduate Kick-Starter are as follows:

1. Job finders – these are for graduates who need jobs urgently or have difficulty finding employment in their desired fields. Besides providing a guide to job portals, TP is also tapping on our extensive network of industry partners such as Tapestry and The Singapore Island Country Club to curate jobs, as well as provide job matching and career opportunities for our graduates. These opportunities are within and beyond the sectors the graduates have been trained for.
   
   
2. TP also has more than 60 short-term jobs of between three and six months waiting for our graduates. Ranging from information technology, facilities management to finance, these positions aim to provide meaningful and valuable work experience for our graduates. Priority for job opportunities will be given to students with financial difficulties.
   
   At the same time, we continue to cultivate industry partners and match companies to graduates under the Work-Study Programmes, which will open up opportunities for employment with established companies such as Rolls Royce, ST Engineering Aerospace.
   
   
3. Upskilling courses – these are aimed at equipping graduates with in-demand knowledge and skills that will put them in good stead when the economy picks up. Specifically, we have identified 17 programmes in four core areas of digital skills, communication skills, financial management skills as well as problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Up to 2,100 training places will be made available in these programmes. TP also offers 28 post-diploma courses that our graduates can sign up for to acquire deeper skills.
   
   To assist our graduates in their upskilling efforts, TP will provide a one-time credit of $500 per graduate to sign up for the SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) supported courses mentioned above. This credit can be utilised for up to two of the 17 courses (list appended) or a post-diploma certificate offered under our 28 specialist diploma courses. The credit will also ensure that our students are left with no out–of-pocket expenses while they continue to upskill and expand their skillsets in preparation for the upturn.
   
   
4. Career coaching – our industry partner, Kelly Services, is setting aside 20 hours per week to provide dedicated career guidance. This includes helping the graduates sharpen their interview skills, refine their resumes, or even to match their training and strengths with job opportunities beyond the sectors they were trained for. This is in addition to the TP Education & Career Guidance Centre, which provides career coaching for alumni two years after their graduation.
   
   

Mr Peter Lam, Principal & CEO, shared, “The TP Graduate Kick-Starter was put together to help our graduates, especially those from the affected sectors and those who face financial difficulties, to have the best chance of finding employment quickly. The short-term jobs within TP as well as jobs that we have curated from our industry partners will provide them quick yet gainful employment that will strengthen their industry readiness. We also believe that the specially curated programmes relating to in-demand skills will give our graduates an edge in employment opportunities when the economy turns around.”

Free online course – Pandemic: Business as Usual – for all working adults

In addition to this TP Graduate Kick-Starter, TP is offering a free online micro-learning course through the Gnowbe mobile app, titled Pandemic: Business as Usual. It is aimed at equipping working adults and companies with knowledge to develop contingency plans that will minimise disruptions and ensure business viability during this period.