ITE students pose questions to ministers about future job opportunities

SINGAPORE - Around 250 ITE students had questions about their future answered by Minister of State for Manpower Ministry Teo Ser Luck and Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng at a Reach Youth Forum at the ITE College Central on Tuesday.

Chief among their concerns was jobs, and Mr Teo assured them that opportunities were plenty, citing the employment rate of 89.4 per cent for ITE graduates last year. The ministers also encouraged students to continually upgrade themselves throughout their careers, as industry needs evolve over time.

Speaking after the event, Mr Baey said he was heartened to hear such thoughtful questions from teenagers.

"We hope through this dialogue we're able to give them some assurance that government policies are in place to ensure that they acquire the right skills, that the demand will be there and that there is a fair employment framework to ensure that they get considered for the jobs that they're suited for," he said.

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