Debate on ASPIRE Report – MP Lee Li Lian

By MP for Punggol East SMC, Lee Li Lian
[Delivered in Parliament on 9 September 2014]

Madam Speaker,

The recommendations made by the ASPIRE committee represent a welcome shift in how we approach education and how we enable Singaporean students to succeed as they choose different educational paths. This shift is important as we recognize the growing diversity of Singaporeans and their interests, as well as the changing needs of the markets.

Today I will focus on recommendations on how students in ITE and Polytechnics can get meaningful work experience through internships and place-and-train or apprenticeship programmes.  Work experience is an excellent opportunity for students to learn practical aspects of industry-specific jobs not just the theoretical mechanics in the classroom. This helps them achieve a high level of competence and understanding of their own interests and abilities.

While I agree with the ASPIRE recommendations that we need to enhance internships  in collaboration with industry partners, and expand options for students through apprentice programmes , what is critical is how we go about implementing these recommendations to bring real benefit to our ITE and Polytechnic students.

The Value of Work Experience

Madam Speaker, during my time at Ngee Ann Polytechnic , I did an internship for four months at Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) as part of my Business Studies course.  Although it was for a short period, it was very fulfilling and pivotal experience for me. I was fortunate enough to be assigned to an encouraging Mentor who dedicated time to setting goals for me and evaluating my progress. My internship gave me greater insights into that particular industry and what I realized was that Tax & Accounting was not quite the right path for me, something I may not have realized till much later if not for this internship.

Every student, regardless of whether they are in university, polytechnic or ITE should have the opportunity to explore and demonstrate their skills through quality work trainings.

Companies will also have greater exposure to students from polytechnics and ITE . They can evaluate them first-hand, based on skills and capabilities, and not just on paper qualifications. This would help reduce any perception that employers may have towards students from particular institutions.

The Challenges of Implementing Internship/Apprenticeship Programmes

While work experience programmes are becoming increasingly popular today, one challenge is in ensuring some level of consistency in terms of what students can expect to gain during their internships. Internship and apprenticeship programmes are often voluntary and informal, so students can get vastly different experiences. While I benefited from my internship, many of my peers who had done internships elsewhere felt that they did not have much guidance, and others felt that they were given pointless tasks where they didn’t learn. I have learnt of similar experiences today when speaking with students in my ward.

Without a formal programme structure,  there is plenty of opportunity for abuse. There are situations where employers see interns as cheap labour and are herded from one department to another to fill gaps in any manpower crunches without any focus on their development.

As internship programmes are not extensive across courses and not all students have the opportunity to participate, students who are looking for work experience may source for internships on their own with individual companies. I’ve seen situations where outside a formal internship programme, interns may not even get allowance and end up doing any task that the company needs them to fill in for, without much supervision.

Therefore it is critical to enhance and expand official internship programmes led by the educational institutions, with companies agreeing to participate and implement more formal programme structures.

While we don’t want to over-formalise practical training either, there must be some guidelines to ensure that students do gain from their experiences, are monitored and get significant work-ready skills. This should include having company orientations, regular mentorship and evaluation sessions and of course clearer goals, timelines and outcomes (including relevant certification) for both students and the company.

Making firm and clear commitments to realizing ASPIRE recommendations

I think we can agree that internships and apprenticeship programmes are critical for students to make well-informed choices and acquire the right skills for successful future careers. We should aspire for each student to have exposure to at least one internship or apprenticeship programme during his or her time in ITE or Polytechnic, even going so far as ensuring that formal work experience becomes part of their course requirement.   Madam Speaker, we must commit to setting clear goals going forward so that the desired outcomes of the ASPIRE report can be made a reality.

Active consultation with industry

In order to ensure a successful internship or apprenticeship programme that is available to more ITE and Polytechnic students, there must be an active drive to attract a network of committed companies across industries to support, share and mentor students through internships and apprenticeship programmes.

There must be adequate consultation between education institutions and companies from identified industries to ensure that programmes help students further develop their skills and learning, while in line with the needs and expectations of industries today.

We need to also help companies see the value of being part of internship or apprentice programmes. The benefits include having access to a steady source of skilled pre-professionals which can address manpower needs, as well as the opportunity to source for talent for future recruitment, and get fresh ideas and perspectives from students to solve company challenges. For SMEs especially who often struggle with manpower shortages, it allows them to tap into a flexible, short-term and cost-effective workforce.

We must also recognise companies who are seen as actively investing in the student community and creating opportunities for them, aligned with national initiatives.

While looking at shifting mindsets, there may also be a need to incentivise companies to commit to official work experience programmes, by reducing some of the short-term challenges they might face so that they can see the long-term benefits.

Many companies, especially SMEs, lack the manpower to supervise and mentor interns and to provide them with adequate training while on the job. They may also lack the budget to compensate interns and apprentices.

In addition, while it is true that interns can help address a company’s manpower needs, there will be students who lack initiative and treat internships as simply a course requirement or something to put on their CVs without putting in much effort. Some may only expect to do more “interesting tasks”, and such interns always require more supervision and can add to the workload for the company. Such factors are disincentives for companies with limited resources.

While lead institutions must encourage a culture of responsibility amongst their students and employers, there are real constraints that may need to be dealt with more specifically to incentivise companies to support such programmes.

Some examples of how incentivisation can take place would be to offer grants or funding to cover the costs of taking on a student intern or apprentice which would cover things like resources required for internship supervision and mentorship. Alternatively, we could look at tax incentives for companies who sign up to participate in specific internship programmes. Such incentive schemes are implemented in countries such as the USA and Canada for businesses to offer high-quality work experience programmes for students.  In Singapore, we have similar schemes in place too, such as the SME Talent Programme for SMEs. We should review such existing schemes and assess how to expand and enhance them to bring a larger number of students and companies into the fold.

Conclusion

Madam Speaker, I am glad to support the recommendations by ASPIRE. It shows commitment to equip students, regardless of their background or chosen path, with the right skills and experiences to empower them to take charge of their careers and plot their path to success. However, the tough part will now come in making firm commitments and dedicating the resources required to making these recommendations a reality. With that, I support the motion.