Close To 3 in 4 Private Education Institution Graduates in Employment Within 6 Months After Graduation Amidst Overall Lower Hiring Demand

Amidst slowing economic growth and overall lower hiring demand, the Private Education Institution (PEI) Graduate Employment Survey (GES) 2023/2024 released by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) showed that close to three in four PEI fresh graduates in the labour force found employment within six months of graduation. The survey also found that the median gross salary of PEI fresh graduates in full-time employment has increased.

The PEI GES findings focused on the employment outcomes¹ of fresh graduates who graduated between May 2023 and April 2024 from full-time Bachelor’s level External Degree Programmes (EDPs) in the private education institutions. Conducted between November 2024 and March 2025, the survey received responses from about 3,500 graduates across 27 PEIs, out of which about 2,300 were in the labour force.²

Key Findings of PEI GES 2023/2024

Among these 2,300 fresh graduates in the labour force, 74.8% had secured employment within six months of graduation as compared to 83.2% for the 2022/2023 cohort. This reflects the weaker overall hiring demand as compared to previous years. 46.4% found full-time permanent employment, 24.2% found part-time or temporary employment and 4.2% took on freelance work.

In comparison, the overall employment rate and full-time permanent employment rate for Autonomous Universities (AU) fresh graduates from the 2024 cohort³ were 87.1% and 79.5% respectively. The overall employment rate and full-time permanent employment rate for post-National Service polytechnic graduates⁴ were 91.4% and 65.2% respectively.

The median gross monthly salary of PEI fresh graduates in full-time permanent employment from the 2023/2024 cohort rose to $3,500, an increase from $3,400 in the previous year. In comparison, AU fresh graduates had a median gross monthly salary of $4,500 in 2024, while post-National Service polytechnic graduates had a median gross monthly salary of $3,000.

PEI graduates from the Engineering, Sciences and Business course clusters had the highest percentages of graduates in full-time permanent employment, while the Information & Digital Technologies course cluster had the highest median gross monthly salary in 2024.

The employment outcomes of PEI graduates were varied across the different institutions and course clusters. Prospective students looking to pursue full-time Bachelor’s level EDPs are encouraged to consider the employment outcomes for specific institutions and course clusters before making their decisions.        

To support individuals in their continual skills development, Singapore Budget 2025 introduced comprehensive workforce support measures to help workers, including fresh graduates, to navigate the uncertain economic landscape. PEI graduates can tap on SSG’s and WSG’s resources such as SSG’s Jobs-Skills portal for insights on in-demand and emerging skills, and WSG’s MyCareersFuture platform for personalised job recommendations based on their skills and experience.

Employment facilitation services are available through WSG’s Careers Connect, Career Matching Providers, and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) Career Centres, complemented by professional mentorship from WSG’s Volunteer Career Advisors. Additionally, they can take up personalised skills consultations with SSG’s Skills Ambassadors or career guidance programmes via WSG’s Polaris. PEI graduates may also take up industry-relevant courses and eligible career guidance services using their SkillsFuture Credit to boost employability and stay competitive in the job market.

Ms Angela Tan, Director-General (Private Education) of SSG said: "The PEI GES provides prospective students with valuable insights, enabling them to make informed decisions about their education and career paths. This latest survey takes place amidst global economic uncertainties and lower hiring demand. However, there are numerous resources and learning opportunities available through SkillsFuture for Singaporeans today to support their career aspirations, so that they are able to make informed choices based on skills demanded by industries and employers."

The detailed survey results can be found in Annex B-E and on the SSG website at www.ssg.gov.sg/resources/pei/pei-ges/private-education-institution-graduate-employment-survey-2023-2024.

¹Definitions of the employment indicators are in Annex A.

²To reflect the employment outcomes of new entrants into the Singapore labour force, the PEI GES findings exclude graduates who are not in the labour force, have more than one year of prior full-time permanent work experience as well as part-time students. It also excludes international students working or seeking employment overseas.

³References the 2024 Joint AU Graduate Employment Survey (JAUGES) results published on 24 February 2025. This includes graduates who graduated from NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD and SUSS.

⁴References the 2024 Joint Polytechnic Graduate Employment survey results published on 13 January 2025.