Poly grads' pay up 5% in 2015 after 2 flat years

Singapore

POLYTECHNIC graduates earned more in 2015, following two years of stagnation in their salaries, although a smaller proportion of them are choosing to take up full-time jobs.

The latest Graduate Employment Survey found the median gross monthly salary for fresh poly graduates to be S$2,100 in 2015, up 5 per cent from S$2,000 in 2013 and 2014.

The median gross monthly salaries for post-National Service (NS) graduates also went up, from S$2,400 in 2014 to S$2,500 in 2015.

The survey, conducted annually by the five polytechnics, polled more than 10,000 fresh graduates and almost 5,000 post-NS graduates.

It took into account their employment status six months after the completion of their final examinations.

In a comparison of the salaries earned by graduates across the different courses, the survey found that those from programmes in built environment, engineering and maritime, as well as health sciences, were the best paid.

Employment remained at healthy rates: 88.9 per cent of fresh graduates and 91.5 per cent of post-NS graduates landed jobs within six months of graduating.

The proportion of fresh graduates with full-time permanent jobs dipped, however, from 59.4 per cent in 2014 to 57.9 per cent last year.

Meanwhile, the proportion of fresh graduates in part-time or temporary jobs went up from 29.8 per cent in 2014 to 31 per cent last year.

In a joint statement on Friday, the five polytechnics attributed the trend of more graduates choosing part-time or temporary work to their current pursuit of, or preparation for further studies.

This trend also cropped up among the post-NS respondents.