SINGAPORE - From October this year, polytechnic graduates can look forward to enrolling in 10 different enhanced post-diploma certificate courses to keep themselves industry-relevant, ranging from shipyard operations to data analytics, announced Senior Minister of State of Ministry of Education Indranee Rajah at the Temasek Polytechnic graduation ceremony on Monday.

These enhanced courses are aimed at helping graduates refresh and deepen their knowledge and skills in their respective industries.

They are being introduced as part of SkillsFuture, a national movement to encourage students and workers to develop specialised and industry-relevant skills.

The enhanced courses will be run in a format different from existing post-diploma programmes. Currently, post-diploma certificate courses are run as part of an advanced diploma or specialist diploma course.

The enhanced courses will be offered on a standalone basis, in which graduates can cherrypick courses relevant to them, rather than completing an entire diploma course.

Courses will also be more intensive to allow graduates to complete the courses much faster - in around one to two months.

Students who successfully complete an enhanced post-diploma certificate course will receive the same certificate as students who now complete an equivalent course as part of part-time advanced diploma or specialist diploma courses. The enhanced courses can also be recognised for credit exemption and can count towards attainment of corresponding advanced or specialist diplomas, should the student decide to enrol in the relevant courses.

Students who have graduated from a relevant course of study for at least two years will be eligible to enrol in the enhanced courses.

Fees will be waived for Singapore citizens taking their first enhanced course, if they have not taken up any post-diploma certificate course previously. Fees for subsequent courses will be subsidised at 85 per cent.