Fresh graduates can take four free education and training modules

This year's graduates from the autonomous universities, polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) can take up to four free education and training modules offered by their alma maters from next month.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) said yesterday that the move is meant to support the graduates in broadening their skill sets and provide them with access to more opportunities across different sectors amid the uncertain economic outlook.

The offer is an extension of a one-off initiative that was introduced last year by MOE, Skills Future Singapore and institutes of higher learning.

This year's cohort of more than 16,000 university graduates and about 45,000 graduates from ITE and the polytechnics can select their free Continuing Education and Training (CET) modules from a wide range of options that are taught online or on site.

Alumni who will complete their full-time national service this year are also eligible for the modules.

ITE and the polytechnics will offer their graduates at least two - but not more than four - free modules from about 1,000 CET courses, of which more than half can be stacked to become Nitec and Higher Nitec module certificates or post-diploma certificates.

These certificates are for areas such as hospitality operations, international logistics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and others.

Graduates from the autonomous universities can select up to four modules from about 1,700 options. About one-third of the options can be stacked to form micro-credentials - certifications indicating competency in specific skills - in areas such as business analytics, communications and digital marketing strategies.

Details on the modules, micro-credentials and eligibility periods, as well as additional support measures for the graduates, are available on the websites of the institutes of higher learning.

MOE said that from the 2020 cohort, more than 1,700 graduates from the six autonomous universities and more than 1,300 graduates from the ITE and polytechnics took up the CET modules.

Those who have not done so can still access the modules.

Ms Aries Tan, 21, who graduated from Singapore Polytechnic in February last year with a diploma in accountancy, was one of those who took the free CET modules. She attended four modules, which were stacked for a Diploma (Conversion) in Web and Programming.

Ms Tan, who is now doing a degree in accountancy at Nanyang Technological University, said she applied for the modules when her planned internship fell through owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I saw the opportunity to sign up for these CET modules as a good chance for me to level up my knowledge," she said.

"Digitalisation and technology will affect my chosen field of study, which is accountancy. So, the modules would equip me with the skills to help in my accountancy career journey.

"If not for CET, I would not have picked up these technological tools like Python and Java that I find really interesting."

Source: The Straits Times, 27 March 2021