GRIT applications fall 90% since launch as more graduates secure full-time jobs
Number of filled traineeship positions rises to nearly 400 out of 800 available vacancies: Tan See Leng
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[SINGAPORE] Applications for the government-funded Graduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) scheme have fallen by about 90 per cent since its October 2025 launch, as more applicants declined the traineeship in favour of full-time employment or other opportunities.
Meanwhile, the number of filled traineeships has risen to nearly 400 out of 800 available vacancies, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng on Wednesday (Feb 25).
He said this in a written response to parliamentary questions from Workers’ Party MPs Gerald Giam and He Ting Ru, who sought updates on the scheme, including when all available places are expected to be filled and what proportion of the first batch of 350 trainees have been placed with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The GRIT scheme was designed to “improve the employability of graduates who needed more help to find a permanent job, amidst uncertain hiring sentiments last year compared to the exceptionally tight labour market in previous years”, said Dr Tan.
The trainees, he said, were roughly split between private and public-sector roles, with vacancies drawn from companies in growth sectors able to offer quality traineeships.
Dr Tan added that about a third of the vacancies were offered by SMEs, with a similar proportion of GRIT trainees placed in such firms.
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The Business Times previously reported on Feb 6 that more than 50 companies have come on board as GRIT host organisations.
Dr Tan said the government’s priority is to “(channel) fresh graduates into full-time employment”.
However, there have been no conversions to full-time employment yet, as the first batch of trainees only just commenced the programme in December 2025.
Still, Dr Tan noted that the scheme is designed to facilitate the conversion of trainees into permanent employees with their host organisations before the traineeship ends.
For example, he said host organisations that offer permanent employment to trainees who have completed at least three months of the traineeship will continue to receive subsidies for the remainder of the traineeship duration.
GRIT traineeships last between three and six months, with participants receiving a monthly allowance ranging from S$1,800 to S$2,400, depending on the role.
The allowance is co-funded, with the government covering 70 per cent and host organisations funding the remainder.
On Feb 6, Dr Tan said Singapore’s labour market remained resilient in 2025 despite global economic uncertainties, with employment expected to continue growing this year.
He added that seven in 10 graduates from the 2025 university cohort have secured jobs, while employment outcomes for polytechnic graduates remained steady, with 90 per cent securing work within six months of completing their final examinations or full-time national service.
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