Singapore

Nine in 10 fresh graduates from NTU found a job within six months of graduation


SINGAPORE – Nine in 10 fresh graduates from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) found a job within six months of graduation, NTU President Professor Subra Suresh said on Monday (March 1) at the convocation ceremony for the class of 2020.

This was despite the challenging economic environment due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The cohort also earned higher salaries, with those graduating with medicine, accountancy and business, computer science, computer engineering and aerospace engineering degrees among the top earners.

Computer science graduate Nicholas Quek was offered a job as a software engineer in January 2020, before his graduation.

“I feel very lucky that finding a job was a bit easier for me. Maybe it’s because almost every company will be looking for IT personnel, be it during pre-Covid or Covid times,” said the 25-year-old, who is working at NCS, an information, communications and technology company.

Aerospace engineering graduate Benjamin Low, 26, is a financial adviser after getting the job offer around mid-July last year.

“If you’re not too picky, it won’t be too hard to find a job even in this economy. Sometimes you just got to try out a few jobs before you find something you like anyway,” said Mr Low. “I also did a few business modules in school so it gave me some background to enter the finance industry.”

To boost job prospects for the class of 2020, NTU rolled out a Covid-19 relief package for graduates to take courses, and created several hundred paid traineeships to support them through the SGUnited Traineeship Programme, Prof Suresh said.

The convocation ceremony on Monday also marked the first batch of graduates from NTU’s five new interdisciplinary degree programmes, including English literature and art history, economics and psychology, and psychology and media analytics.

More than 4,300 graduates will attend the in-person convocation ceremonies over the next two weeks, until March 16. A total of 40 ceremonies will take place.

The convocation was postponed last year due to the restriction on large-scale events implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, a virtual celebration was held in July to mark the milestone for over 9,400 graduates in the cohort.

Addressing the graduates, Prof Suresh said: “When young people emerge from highly challenging periods, tested, and tempered by crises, they approach their lives, careers, and service to society with reinforced determination, vigour, purpose and extraordinary resilience.

“This moment is your invitation… to help restore and reimagine the post-pandemic world.”





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