Higher pay for poly grads

SINGAPORE: The starting pay for fresh polytechnic graduates rose 5.3 per cent last year, to an average gross monthly salary of S$1,871.


Post-National Service (NS) diploma holders earned an average gross monthly salary of S$2,183, an increase of about 2.5 per cent from 2009.

During the economic downturn in 2009, post-NS diploma holders' gross average monthly salary fell some four per cent.

According to the latest graduate employment survey, fresh graduates with diplomas in Maritime, Engineering (Mechanical & Manufacturing) and Health Sciences and who are in full-time permanent employment commanded higher gross salaries.

Fresh maritime diploma holders earned an average gross salary of S$1,996 compared to S$1,821 for accountancy or business graduates.

The post-NS poly graduates from the Accountancy, Business, Finance & Law, Maritime and Chemical & Life Sciences course categories commanded higher gross salaries, some as much as S$2,362 a month

The figures were reported in the latest graduate employment survey issued on Tuesday by the five polytechnics.

The survey said the increases were in line with the improved economic outlook for Singapore.

As at October 1, 2010, the overall employment rate reached 91.5 per cent, increasing by three percentage points from 2009.

Almost 70 per cent were in full-time permanent employment, growing from 63 per cent in 2009

Unlike in previous years, a higher proportion of graduates joined the private sector.

Of the fresh graduates with full-time permanent jobs, 86.4 per cent were employed in the private sector while 13.6 per cent worked in the public sector.

-CNA/wk