Fewer people intend to pursue further studies: survey

Fewer people intend to pursue further studies: survey
By Saifulbahri Ismail | Posted: 14 December 2010 1419 hrs

SINGAPORE: With an improving economy, it seems job seekers now have the upper hand when it comes to looking for work.

Employment portal JobsCentral said with less of an immediate need to upgrade themselves, its online survey of 5,001 respondents showed that fewer people in Singapore are intending to pursue further education.

71.4 per cent of the respondents indicated that they would continue with further studies, compared with 79.3 per cent last year.

JobsCentral said this is likely due to changing priorities on the part of working professionals in Singapore.

It added that the strong economic recovery has reduced unemployment and it is increasingly becoming a jobseeker's market.

As such, working professionals no longer feel an immediate need to upgrade themselves. They are also less willing to spend on getting that extra certificate.

Among those who intend to pursue a bachelor's degree, 60.1 per cent are willing to pay S$20,000 or more, down from last year's 64.8 per cent.

JobsCentral also attributed this to the strong economy and tight employment where workers feel more confident in their professional future.

The JobsCentral Learning Survey was conducted online from August 23 to September 13.

- CNA/ac/al

- wong chee tat :)