The starting salary for graduates from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) has gone up, a survey released yesterday showed.
The graduate employment survey of 206 graduates conducted by SUTD showed that the mean gross monthly salary for its second cohort of graduates was $3,853, up from $3,709 in 2015.
More than 90 per cent of the 246-strong cohort that graduated last September found jobs within six months, the university said yesterday.
In comparison, the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University reported mean gross monthly salaries of $3,515 last year, up from $3,468 in 2015. About nine in 10 found jobs within six months. Graduates from these three universities number about 10,000.
For SUTD graduates, some of the top hiring sectors include information and communications, engineering manufacturing, finance and insurance, and public administration and defence.
SUTD president Thomas Magnanti said: "Despite challenging economic conditions, we are heartened that there continues to be strong demand for our technology- and design-trained students, and their high starting salaries show that employers value what our students can bring to the table."
He added that the university equips its students with innovation and problem-solving skills to prepare them for jobs of the future. About 75 per cent of the students also have overseas experience, he said.
Changi Airport Group is one of 700 companies that collaborate with SUTD on internships and employment. Its executive vice-president for airport development, Mr Yam Kum Weng, said SUTD students display distinct qualities.
"First, they are eager to learn, and take in advice from colleagues before developing solutions," he said. " Second, they are able to collaborate with colleagues across the entire value chain, and third, after creating solutions, they enable others to execute (the solutions). These qualities put them in good stead to deal with complex issues."
Correction note: This story has been edited for clarity.
