Showing posts with label graduation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label graduation. Show all posts
Friday, July 29, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Two-thirds of NTU fresh grads secure jobs before convocation
Two-thirds of NTU fresh grads secure jobs before convocation
By Evelyn Choo | Posted: 25 July 2011 1858 hrs
SINGAPORE: A record 9,066 students are graduating from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) this year.
And the cohort is riding on the waves of a tight job market, with two-thirds already securing employment.
Brothers Harry and Henry Zhuang have just been conferred their Digital Animation degrees and will be working in the same company.
"Actually we are quite surprised that the company is going to hire both of us. But he ensured that we are going to work on two different projects," said Henry, who graduated from NTU's School of Art, Design & Media.
Harry said: "I think there are jobs available. It's whether you're willing to work or not."
The brothers make up two-thirds of a cohort that have secured jobs before graduating.
In a preliminary study conducted by the university, it was also found that the top five earners from NTU's Class 2011 are drawing entry-level salaries of above $10,000.
NTU's new president predicts a significant proportion would be living and working abroad. The challenge then is to ensure future graduates have the competitive edge in a globalised job market.
"I think we've got to change the curriculum to increase communication skills. Apart from being good mechanical engineers, physicists or biologists, you have to learn social skills, cultural intelligence, because the work market is international," said NTU's president Professor Bertil Andersson.
"Many people say, for example, the SMU students are much better at communicating than NTU. I don't know if that's true, but certainly we should make the NTU students better in communication, having more social and international skills," he added.
Professor Andersson, who succeeded Professor Su Guaning whose term lasted eight years, was giving his first convocation speech. Professor Su was also conferred the title of President Emeritus.
- CNA /ls
- wong chee tat :)
By Evelyn Choo | Posted: 25 July 2011 1858 hrs
SINGAPORE: A record 9,066 students are graduating from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) this year.
And the cohort is riding on the waves of a tight job market, with two-thirds already securing employment.
Brothers Harry and Henry Zhuang have just been conferred their Digital Animation degrees and will be working in the same company.
"Actually we are quite surprised that the company is going to hire both of us. But he ensured that we are going to work on two different projects," said Henry, who graduated from NTU's School of Art, Design & Media.
Harry said: "I think there are jobs available. It's whether you're willing to work or not."
The brothers make up two-thirds of a cohort that have secured jobs before graduating.
In a preliminary study conducted by the university, it was also found that the top five earners from NTU's Class 2011 are drawing entry-level salaries of above $10,000.
NTU's new president predicts a significant proportion would be living and working abroad. The challenge then is to ensure future graduates have the competitive edge in a globalised job market.
"I think we've got to change the curriculum to increase communication skills. Apart from being good mechanical engineers, physicists or biologists, you have to learn social skills, cultural intelligence, because the work market is international," said NTU's president Professor Bertil Andersson.
"Many people say, for example, the SMU students are much better at communicating than NTU. I don't know if that's true, but certainly we should make the NTU students better in communication, having more social and international skills," he added.
Professor Andersson, who succeeded Professor Su Guaning whose term lasted eight years, was giving his first convocation speech. Professor Su was also conferred the title of President Emeritus.
- CNA /ls
- wong chee tat :)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
International banks preferred by Singapore graduates
International banks preferred by Singapore graduates
Posted: 15 November 2010 2202 hrs
SINGAPORE: International banks have emerged as the preferred employers by Singapore graduates.
According to the Singapore Graduate Barometer 2010 survey which involved some 3,700 final-year students and graduates, Barclays Capital claimed the top spot in overall rankings.
Singapore Technologies Engineering came in second and Citibank was third.
The top ten leading graduate employers included J P Morgan, Credit Suisse and MediaCorp.
The survey revealed that Singaporean students value professional development and promotion opportunities the most.
And a good work-life balance is valued higher than a demanding position.
Survey respondents also indicated that the ability to develop specialised skills is important in their first job.
GTI Media announced the list of most sought-after employers at the Singapore's 100 leading graduate employers awards on Monday evening.
-CNA/ac
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 15 November 2010 2202 hrs
SINGAPORE: International banks have emerged as the preferred employers by Singapore graduates.
According to the Singapore Graduate Barometer 2010 survey which involved some 3,700 final-year students and graduates, Barclays Capital claimed the top spot in overall rankings.
Singapore Technologies Engineering came in second and Citibank was third.
The top ten leading graduate employers included J P Morgan, Credit Suisse and MediaCorp.
The survey revealed that Singaporean students value professional development and promotion opportunities the most.
And a good work-life balance is valued higher than a demanding position.
Survey respondents also indicated that the ability to develop specialised skills is important in their first job.
GTI Media announced the list of most sought-after employers at the Singapore's 100 leading graduate employers awards on Monday evening.
-CNA/ac
- wong chee tat :)
Monday, November 8, 2010
Singapore may face brain drain of accountants
Singapore may face brain drain of accountants
By Jonathan Peeris | Posted: 08 November 2010 2009 hrs
By Jonathan Peeris | Posted: 08 November 2010 2009 hrs
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SINGAPORE : As demand for accountants intensifies in line with robust economic growth in the region, some practitioners are concerned that better salaries abroad will lure sorely needed talent out of Singapore.
Practitioners brought up the issue at the Singapore Accountancy Convention last week.
According to Robert Walters 2010 Global Salary Survey, the average basic salary of a senior tax accountant in Singapore with six years of experience is around S$110,000 a year.
This compares poorly with Hong Kong where the same experience would fetch the accountant S$132,000.
If the same person were to move to Sydney, he could be looking at annual remuneration of S$162,000.
The pay difference exists partly because the hourly contract rate charged by accounting firms in these countries is higher than in Singapore.
Practitioners said the pay gap could prompt local accountancy graduates to look for better opportunities overseas.
"The concern there is that if you don't get it right, then what's going to happen is there will be a hollowing out of accountants; they will prefer to work overseas rather than work in Singapore and that will be a major concern," said Chaly Mah, chairman of Deloitte & Touche Singapore.
Such a brain drain could also affect Singapore's ability to be a global accounting hub.
"How are we able to attract talents into Singapore if we are not able to pay the rate for the accountants that a market like China, Hong Kong, Indonesia can afford to pay," questioned Ernest Kan, president of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore (ICPAS).
Following the recommendations of the Committee to Develop the Accountancy Sector (CDAS), the industry here is currently undergoing a facelift.
Practitioners hope that better service standards will mean better rates in the future.
- CNA /ls
- wong chee tat :)
Monday, November 1, 2010
UK graduates struggle to find work
UK graduates struggle to find work
LONDON - BRITISH graduates are finding it increasingly difficult to find work after leaving university and government spending cuts could make the situation worse, research published on Monday said.
Around 8.9 per cent of young people who left university in 2009 were still without a job six months later, the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU), a charity, said.
That was a one percentage point increase on the previous year and the research highlighted particular problems in construction-related sectors such as engineering and architecture.
The HECSU said the picture could get worse as government spending cuts announced last month start to bite in the coming financial year.
The overall unemployment rate in Britain, which emerged from recession at the end of last year, currently stands at 7.7 per cent. The economy grew by 0.8 per cent in the third quarter.
The Office for Budget Responsibility, a financial watchdog, predicts that around half a million public sector jobs will go, while professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers also says the same number will go in the private sector.
-- AFP
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Diploma holders hottest
Diploma holders hottest
Their jobless rate halves in a year, while graduates see little change
THE strong economic recovery has produced more jobs than initially estimated but most are not going to degree holders.
Diploma holders, on the other hand, are far more successful, so much so that their jobless rate registered the biggest drop among workers of different educational backgrounds.
It halved, from 4.1 per cent during the recession in March last year to 2.1 per cent a year later, according to the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) job report for the first quarter.
In contrast, the jobless rate for graduates in the same period barely improved, slipping from 3 per cent to 2.8 per cent.
The report released yesterday gives the final figures for the first three months this year, when the economy grew by 15.5 per cent over the same period last year.
But what makes diploma holders so much more attractive to employers?
Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of the Straits Times.
- wong chee tat :)
Their jobless rate halves in a year, while graduates see little change
Diploma holders are far more successful, so much so that their jobless rate registered the biggest drop among workers of different educational backgrounds. --ST FILE PHOTO
THE strong economic recovery has produced more jobs than initially estimated but most are not going to degree holders.
Diploma holders, on the other hand, are far more successful, so much so that their jobless rate registered the biggest drop among workers of different educational backgrounds.
It halved, from 4.1 per cent during the recession in March last year to 2.1 per cent a year later, according to the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) job report for the first quarter.
In contrast, the jobless rate for graduates in the same period barely improved, slipping from 3 per cent to 2.8 per cent.
The report released yesterday gives the final figures for the first three months this year, when the economy grew by 15.5 per cent over the same period last year.
But what makes diploma holders so much more attractive to employers?
Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of the Straits Times.
- wong chee tat :)
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Survey shows poly graduates in high demand despite downturn
Survey shows poly graduates in high demand despite downturn
By Mustafa Shafawi, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 06 January 2010 1136 hrs
By Mustafa Shafawi, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 06 January 2010 1136 hrs
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SINGAPORE: Despite the recession, diploma-holders appear to have no trouble finding work. A recent survey by Singapore's five polytechnics showed that nearly nine in 10 graduates last year were employed, with a growing number seeking temporary jobs.
Fresh grad employment rate stood at 88.3 per cent, while post-NS employment rate was 87.7 per cent.
Renugah Balachandran graduated from Republic Polytechnic last year. Within a month, she found a job with the Singapore Navy, under a scheme that will bond her for four years.
She said: "I wanted a stable job once I graduated so that I don't have to sit down and think that - 'why did I study?'"
Stability is certainly a big draw for the growing number of diploma holders who are looking at the public sector, which also started hiring more aggressively in 2009.
The healthcare and education sectors were among those that stepped up recruitment efforts.
The survey showed that 18.9 per cent of fresh polytechnic graduates found jobs in the civil service, up from 14.3 per cent in 2008 and 12.3 per cent in 2007.
Among post-NS graduates, the proportion went up to 27.3 per cent.
Tan Hang Cheong, principal, Singapore Polytechnic, said: "Last year, the government opened up more places because of the recession. The public sector has now offered better career development, advances, for diploma graduates.
"We hear stories of graduates who've joined the public sector and they've been offered scholarships for further studies and further development if they're doing well in their job."
Pay could be another reason.
Renugah earns about S$2,300 a month including allowance, much higher than the S$1,776 gross her peers earn on average.
Post-National Service graduates earn about S$2,130 on average.
Starting salaries for fresh diploma-holders have dipped and recruiters said anecdotally, wages at bigger firms have gone down to a bigger extent than what smaller firms are offering. Still, the draw remains.
Peter Haglund, country manager, Manpower Inc Singapore, said: "Most of what these MNCs have is a whole package of career management, career prospects and personnel development, which many of the small companies don't have.
"These benefits cost money as well. If you look at the whole employment package, they might not offer less value, but they might offer you less gross salary."
Highest earners are those in the maritime category, with starting pay of S$1,970 gross. Media and Design graduates got the least, at just S$1,642 gross.
With the economy still in recession early last year, more poly graduates chose part-time or temporary work - one in four compared to one in five in the previous survey.
The reasons are varied. Some are holding out for better job opportunities while others have opted for further studies.
Recruiters added that as companies find increasingly flexible ways to manage their manpower, the type of contract work that is being offered has also become increasingly attractive.
Graduate employment data for degree holders is expected to be out in March.
But a survey by the Singapore Human Resource Institute showed that in August 2009, while entry level pay for diploma holders rose slightly from February, that for degree holders dipped.
For instance, those with engineering degrees were offered on average S$2,451, compared to S$2,500 six months before.
- CNA/vm
- wong chee tat :)
Friday, December 18, 2009
GMAT cheating worries US colleges
GMAT cheating worries US colleges
Thu, Dec 17, 2009
China Daily/Asia News Network
US universities are concerned about Chinese students' cheating on entrance exams across the country, according to experts.
"Anything from China is suspect in the United States now in the education realm," said Steven Dickinson, a China-based lawyer and former law professor at the University of Washington who worked with the school's admissions office to select international candidates.
The problem stems not necessarily from the students themselves but rather from the resources Chinese rely on to study for admissions tests, like the Graduate Record Examinations and the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
In 2008, 98,510 Chinese students went to study in the US, growing 21 percent over 2007, a report by the Institute of International Education said. China was the second largest source of foreign students in the US after India.
The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which distributes the GMAT exam, sued Passion for copyright infringement after it posted "live" test questions from GMAT exams online and distributed PDFs from test books.
A Beijing court ordered Beijing Passion Consultancy Ltd on Nov 23 to pay a fine of 520,000 yuan (S$106,496) for copyright infringement and publicly apologize for its actions.
Passion, a company that has trained around one third of Chinese students applying to the top 10 American business schools, said on Tuesday that it was sorry for selling GMAT materials without authorization.
After testing materials were removed, the traffic of Passion's website dropped by 70 percent in the past week, according to Internet traffic monitoring website Alexa.com.
Chinese students frequent a number of websites that reportedly hire staff to pose as test-takers and post reconstructed "live" questions from the exams for free online. Some of the proxy test-takers have employed hi-tech gadgets, including cameras and microphones, to obtain exam material.
"They will hire people to take the test and then steal the test book," Dickinson said. "Or they will get even more nasty and get an insider to send the text book that is coming out next and then get the answers to certain tests."
Even with GMAC's litigation against Passion, many other test-prep websites exist providing materials to Chinese students facing stiff competition to get into foreign schools.
Thu, Dec 17, 2009
China Daily/Asia News Network
US universities are concerned about Chinese students' cheating on entrance exams across the country, according to experts.
"Anything from China is suspect in the United States now in the education realm," said Steven Dickinson, a China-based lawyer and former law professor at the University of Washington who worked with the school's admissions office to select international candidates.
The problem stems not necessarily from the students themselves but rather from the resources Chinese rely on to study for admissions tests, like the Graduate Record Examinations and the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
In 2008, 98,510 Chinese students went to study in the US, growing 21 percent over 2007, a report by the Institute of International Education said. China was the second largest source of foreign students in the US after India.
The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which distributes the GMAT exam, sued Passion for copyright infringement after it posted "live" test questions from GMAT exams online and distributed PDFs from test books.
A Beijing court ordered Beijing Passion Consultancy Ltd on Nov 23 to pay a fine of 520,000 yuan (S$106,496) for copyright infringement and publicly apologize for its actions.
Passion, a company that has trained around one third of Chinese students applying to the top 10 American business schools, said on Tuesday that it was sorry for selling GMAT materials without authorization.
After testing materials were removed, the traffic of Passion's website dropped by 70 percent in the past week, according to Internet traffic monitoring website Alexa.com.
Chinese students frequent a number of websites that reportedly hire staff to pose as test-takers and post reconstructed "live" questions from the exams for free online. Some of the proxy test-takers have employed hi-tech gadgets, including cameras and microphones, to obtain exam material.
"They will hire people to take the test and then steal the test book," Dickinson said. "Or they will get even more nasty and get an insider to send the text book that is coming out next and then get the answers to certain tests."
Even with GMAC's litigation against Passion, many other test-prep websites exist providing materials to Chinese students facing stiff competition to get into foreign schools.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
8,000 students graduate from NTU this year
8,000 students graduate from NTU this year
By Rekha/ Jeremy Koh
SINGAPORE: This year's graduating cohort is the largest ever from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
The 8,000 students include those from the pioneer cohort of the School of Art, Design and Media, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.
Singapore's President, SR Nathan, who is also the chancellor of NTU, attended the convocation ceremony on Thursday.
NTU's president, Su Guaning, said the university will be addressing the future challenges that it will be facing at an upcoming workshop.
His comments followed Education Minister Ng Eng Hen's recent observation that NTU should seek to distinguish itself in some fields, to be among the world's best universities.
- CNA/y
- wong chee tat :)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
IDA investing S$20m to help IT grads and professionals
IDA investing S$20m to help IT grads and professionals
By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 16 June 2009 1116 hrs
SINGAPORE: The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) is investing S$20 million to help IT graduates and professionals stay employed during the current recession.
The money will be spent on two new programmes – iTAP (Infocomm Training and Attachment Programme) and iLEAD (Infocomm Leadership and Development Programme) – which are expected to benefit 1,000 people over the next two years.
iTAP offers attachment opportunities for fresh IT graduates and professionals at MNCs, local companies and start-ups.
Under iLEAD, IDA will work with the infocomm industry to prepare a pool of professionals for new growth areas through internships and specialised courses.
Acting Minister for Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew gave these details at the official opening of Infocomm Media Business Exchange (imbX) 2009 on Tuesday morning.
He also announced that the Wireless@SG programme, which was launched in 2006, to complement connectivity in the home and office, will be enhanced and extended for another four years till March 2013.
The enhancements include improvements to access speeds of up to 1 Mbps, using a new seamless log-in process.
More services over Wireless@SG, such as cashless payments, location-based and facility-monitoring services, will also be introduced.
- CNA/so
- wong chee tat :)
By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 16 June 2009 1116 hrs
SINGAPORE: The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) is investing S$20 million to help IT graduates and professionals stay employed during the current recession.
The money will be spent on two new programmes – iTAP (Infocomm Training and Attachment Programme) and iLEAD (Infocomm Leadership and Development Programme) – which are expected to benefit 1,000 people over the next two years.
iTAP offers attachment opportunities for fresh IT graduates and professionals at MNCs, local companies and start-ups.
Under iLEAD, IDA will work with the infocomm industry to prepare a pool of professionals for new growth areas through internships and specialised courses.
Acting Minister for Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew gave these details at the official opening of Infocomm Media Business Exchange (imbX) 2009 on Tuesday morning.
He also announced that the Wireless@SG programme, which was launched in 2006, to complement connectivity in the home and office, will be enhanced and extended for another four years till March 2013.
The enhancements include improvements to access speeds of up to 1 Mbps, using a new seamless log-in process.
More services over Wireless@SG, such as cashless payments, location-based and facility-monitoring services, will also be introduced.
- CNA/so
- wong chee tat :)
Thursday, May 7, 2009
WDA, e2i embark on recruitment drive for ION Orchard
WDA, e2i embark on recruitment drive for ION Orchard
By 938 LIVE | Posted: 06 May 2009 1255 hrs
SINGAPORE: The extensive recruitment exercise for the 3,000 job vacancies in the ION Orchard shopping mall has kicked off with a search to immediately fill up to 1,500 positions in the initial recruitment phase on Wednesday.
About 20 per cent of the 1,500 positions are suitable for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETS) and fresh graduates.
Of the 1,500 vacancies, some 70 per cent will be for retail positions and 30 per cent will be in the food and beverage sector.
The recruitment is done in partnership with the NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and the Workforce Development Agency (WDA). E2i's role is to reach out to the public and invite interested jobseekers to attend the job fairs.
At the fair, the e2i employability coaches will identify suitable jobseekers who possess the right aptitude for the jobs, and enroll them for suitable training to acquire relevant skills.
The tripartite collaboration also extends to efforts to enhance local workers' customer service skills and to boost the overall image and professionalism of Singapore's service industry.
The partners will be providing successful candidates with the certified service professional training developed by WDA.
The training programme will cover service quality, etiquette, grooming and interpersonal skills to further enhance the candidates' service competency prior to their employment by ION Orchard. The training programme is recommended for all successful candidates hired through the recruitment initiative.
As at 6pm on Tuesday, some 3,000 job seekers have registered via sms, e2i's website and hotline.
Jobseekers who are looking for a career at ION Orchard may continue to register online or call the e2i hotline at 6474 3777. Registration closes at 6.00pm on Thursday.
- 938LIVE/yt
- wong chee tat :)
By 938 LIVE | Posted: 06 May 2009 1255 hrs
SINGAPORE: The extensive recruitment exercise for the 3,000 job vacancies in the ION Orchard shopping mall has kicked off with a search to immediately fill up to 1,500 positions in the initial recruitment phase on Wednesday.
About 20 per cent of the 1,500 positions are suitable for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETS) and fresh graduates.
Of the 1,500 vacancies, some 70 per cent will be for retail positions and 30 per cent will be in the food and beverage sector.
The recruitment is done in partnership with the NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and the Workforce Development Agency (WDA). E2i's role is to reach out to the public and invite interested jobseekers to attend the job fairs.
At the fair, the e2i employability coaches will identify suitable jobseekers who possess the right aptitude for the jobs, and enroll them for suitable training to acquire relevant skills.
The tripartite collaboration also extends to efforts to enhance local workers' customer service skills and to boost the overall image and professionalism of Singapore's service industry.
The partners will be providing successful candidates with the certified service professional training developed by WDA.
The training programme will cover service quality, etiquette, grooming and interpersonal skills to further enhance the candidates' service competency prior to their employment by ION Orchard. The training programme is recommended for all successful candidates hired through the recruitment initiative.
As at 6pm on Tuesday, some 3,000 job seekers have registered via sms, e2i's website and hotline.
Jobseekers who are looking for a career at ION Orchard may continue to register online or call the e2i hotline at 6474 3777. Registration closes at 6.00pm on Thursday.
- 938LIVE/yt
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
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