Govt-funded traineeships for fresh grads to start in Oct with up to 800 places

Public sector also offering about 2,400 openings via Careers@Gov job portal

- Anjali Raguraman

Recent and soon-to-be graduates can apply for traineeships under a new scheme to tackle job concerns amid a more uncertain labour market and volatile economic climate.

Applications for the government-funded traineeships start in October, with up to 800 positions offered across various sectors for a start, each lasting three to six months.

Trainees will receive a monthly allowance ranging from $1,800 to $2,400 for the duration of their stint.

The amount may vary depending on the scope of each traineeship, said the Ministry of Manpower, Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Public Service Division (PSD) in a joint statement on Aug 22.

The Government will fund 70 per cent of the allowance, while the host organisation will fund the rest.

The scheme was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his National Day Rally speech on Aug 17.

It is aimed at boosting employability for young Singaporeans, namely Institute of Technical Education, polytechnic and university graduates.

Singapore citizens or permanent residents who graduated from these institutions, or others such as private universities and overseas institutions in 2024 and 2025, are eligible for the traineeships.

Those who graduated earlier and completed their national service in 2024 or 2025 may also apply.

Trainees completing their studies in 2025 but receiving their certification in 2026 are also eligible.

This initiative follows the latest annual graduate employment surveys conducted by universities and polytechnics, which showed a drop in full-time employment for their fresh graduates in 2024.

Details of the new Graduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) and GRIT@Gov programmes were announced on Aug 22 by Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng at the OCBC Grow Your Way festival in Tanjong Pagar.