PREPARATION OF STUDENTS FOR OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT

Mr Chia Shi Teck asked the Minister for Education if his Ministry has formalised plans for schools to prepare students to take up overseas employment.

Dr Tay Eng Soon (for the Minister for Education): Sir, the preparation of students for overseas employment is best directed at the more mature students in the junior colleges, polytechnics and universities. They are closer to the employment stage and are more likely to be the ones to take up overseas employment later on. Whilst the emphasis in schools has to be on general education, students will be made more conscious of our external environment and the need to venture overseas through their studies and extra-curricular programmes, for example, student exchange programmes and visits to neighbouring countries.

This year, the five-day residential seminar for the 500 pre-university students will focus on the theme: "Growing the Second Wing - our External Economy". With guidance from teachers and resource persons, the students will learn about the need and the opportunities for Singaporeans to venture abroad. They will study successful entrepreneurs locally and overseas. Several students will visit Hong Kong for their case study. Through these seminars, studies and field trips, students will be better prepared to venture abroad later on.

Polytechnic students have been exposed to working environment overseas through the institutions' vacation training programmes and student exchange programmes. Under these programmes, the polytechnic students have been sent to countries around the region, such as Japan, China, Taiwan and Brunei as well as the United States and some European countries.

The universities have introduced a 6-month industrial attachment programme and are encouraging students to undertake part of this requirement overseas. Both NUS and NTU are making arrangements with local and foreign companies and foreign institutions to take in their students for overseas assignments.

The universities are also planning to introduce a modular and semester system for some of their courses. This will enable their students to do part of their course in overseas universities and gain credits for these modules towards the fulfilment of their degree requirements in NUS and NTU. The exposure of our undergraduate students to living and studying in a foreign country will be useful to them when they work abroad.

Mr Loh Meng See (Kampong Glam GRC): Sir, may I know how are the students selected for such overseas scheme and who are financing their stay overseas?

Dr Tay Eng Soon: Sir, up to now, the numbers involved are very small. Quite often, it is a small group, together with the lecturers, who work out the project. In other words, it is their initiative. Included in that is fund-raising, which they do. So in a way, it is a group of students who are interested enough to organise themselves and to raise funds who create these opportunities for themselves.