WORK HOLIDAY PROGRAMME

WORK HOLIDAY PROGRAMME

37.

Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Manpower if he can elaborate on the Work Holiday Programme which will commence in December 2007 with 2,000 places for university students and graduates.

Dr Ng Eng Hen: The Work Holiday Programme, or WHP, will enable young students and graduates, between 17 and 30 years old, to experience living and working in Singapore for up to 6 months. This initiative is aimed at growing the global mindshare of Singapore as an attractive talent destination.

These students and graduates are a potentially rich source of talent for our workforce and we should target them early. More and more of such well-qualified young people are travelling and living abroad to gain exposure. Our own young people do the same. A positive live-and-work experience in Singapore could encourage these foreign graduates and students to work here upon graduation, or at a later stage in their careers. Countries such as Australia, UK and US already run similar programmes for young people.

Since the WHP is a new initiative, we will start with students and graduates from universities in Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, and there will be 2,000 places for them. These locations are where our young people have traditionally gone for overseas studies and for travel. We will review the progress and make refinements to the programme over time.

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