NUS creates 1,000 jobs and traineeships for graduating class

Graduates are also offered free CET courses and competency certificates, and master’s programmes with deferred, interest-free course fees payment

The COVID-19 pandemic will weaken the job market, but students graduating from the National University of Singapore (NUS) this year will get a timely boost from their alma mater.

The ‘Resilience and Growth’ (R&G) Initiative, which was announced by the University today, offers: (1) 1,000 full-time salaried positions and paid traineeships in diverse professional roles in multiple fields; (2) a comprehensive suite of courses and programmes to sharpen graduates’ competencies. The Initiative provides meaningful employment and development opportunities so that NUS graduates can kick-start their careers and prepare themselves for exciting opportunities in the future.

Professor Ho Teck Hua, NUS Senior Deputy President and Provost, said, “Graduating students are concerned that they cannot land good jobs. The idea of the R&G Initiative is to provide them with opportunities that have strong development potential and which will give them an edge in a competitive market. We are glad to have strong Government support for this initiative.”

Prof Ho explained that each traineeship was designed with a clear career pathway, accompanied by a personalised development plan. All trainees will have access to all of NUS’ CET courses and certificates, for free.

“Singaporean graduates who receive financial aid will be given priority in receiving these paid traineeships,” he added. “NUS will spare no effort to help our graduates secure meaningful jobs.”

200 Full-time Salaried Positions in Diverse Professional Roles

Students from the graduating class can apply for 200 full-time positions within the University. These positions span roles in NUS’ central administration, 17 faculties and schools, 29 research institutes and centres, and the National University Health System.

Students in the graduating cohort may apply for the full-time positions at http://www.nus.edu.sg/careers/.

800 Traineeships in Competitive Fields

The Class of 2020 may apply for traineeships in four distinct tracks: (1) executive and professional, (2) education, (3) research, and (4) entrepreneurship. Traineeships come with personalised mentorships and development plans, and run for up to 12 months. They are open to bachelor’s, master’s and PhD graduates.

• Trainees on the executive and professional track will participate in administrative and executive functions, such as corporate planning, finance, human resources, procurement, and information technology.

• Trainees on the education track will help develop teaching materials, conduct tutorial classes and supervise laboratory sessions.

• Trainees on the research track will work with top NUS scientists in conducting cutting-edge research, especially in projects with an industry partner.

• Trainees on the entrepreneurship track will be attached to NUS Enterprise for hands-on experience in venture creation to prepare them for their own ventures.

All trainees are entitled to enrol in a wide range of CET courses, for free.

These traineeship positions are launched in partnership with the SGUnited Traineeships Programme and will receive 80 per cent co-funding from Workforce Singapore.

Students in the graduating cohort may apply for traineeship positions at http://www.nus.edu.sg/cfg/RG.

150 CET and more than 20 Certification Courses

Under the University’s current 20-year enrolment scheme, every fresh NUS graduate is eligible for Continuing Education and Training (CET) training.

This year, NUS is launching a specially curated catalogue of 150 CET courses and more than 20 certificates of competency, for the graduating cohort. This course catalogue will sharpen our graduates’ skills in areas such as data analytics, AI and machine learning, finance and accounting, as well as business and management.

Each student in the graduating cohort will be given up to 26 training days under these offerings, for free.

Application details and the CET catalogue are available at: http://www.nus.edu.sg/cfg/RG.

Please refer to Annex 1 for a sampling of certificate courses.

Deferred Fees for Master’s Degree Programmes

Graduating students who enrol in any Master’s degree programmes at NUS may also defer the payment of course fees for up to three years (interest-free) from the date of enrolment. Please refer to Annex 2 for a sampling of popular Master’s degree programmes at NUS.

Ms Angeline Yap, a final-year undergraduate student from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, said, “This new initiative is very reassuring for graduating students, especially in uncertain times like this. I prefer to explore my interests and career options after graduation. Hence, a traineeship will be useful as I can garner work experience before I step into a permanent role.”

“I am also interested in taking up some CET courses to learn new, in-demand skills such as data analytics. I am very grateful that NUS is supporting us by opening up resources and opportunities for us, even after we graduate,” she added.

The R&G Initiative will enhance the ongoing efforts by NUS Centre for Future-ready Graduates, which adopts a multi-pronged approach to support graduating students in seeking employment.