DPM Teo Chee Hean: Degree no longer a 'one-way ticket to success'

National University of Singapore (NUS) graduates attending their Commencement ceremony on July 7, 2014. The abundance of higher education means that a degree is not quite the "one-way ticket to success" it once was, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hea
National University of Singapore (NUS) graduates attending their Commencement ceremony on July 7, 2014. The abundance of higher education means that a degree is not quite the "one-way ticket to success" it once was, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said on Tuesday. -- PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - The abundance of higher education opportunities now means that a degree is not quite the "one-way ticket to success" it once was, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said on Tuesday.

Speaking at an alumni dinner for the University of Manchester, held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, he said: "Universities must provide their graduates with the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare them for the job market.

"Otherwise, they may be graduates, but they may not be suited for the job market as they do not have the skills and knowledge that the industry requires."

Thus, universities have to take on "greater responsibility" to maintain "rigour and relevance in their programmes" and identify "skills that are in demand".

His comments follow recommendations proposed two weeks earlier the Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (Aspire) committee, that aim to help students chart better career paths. These include improved internships, career counselling and more online learning opportunities.

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