Around 350 trainees placed with organisations under programme for Singapore fresh grads

SINGAPORE - Around 350 trainees have been placed with organisations under a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) programme offering fresh graduates work experience across various industries.

These organisations include more than 50 companies in sectors such as manufacturing, financial services, information and communications technology, and professional services.

Among them are DBS Bank, LinkedIn Singapore, OCBC Bank, Razer Asia-Pacific, UOB, SATS and ST Engineering.

The Graduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) was rolled out in October 2025 by MOM and WSG to help graduates gain hands-on working experience through structured traineeships over three to six months, with the aim of facilitating their transition to full-time employment. The graduates will be paid an allowance during the traineeship.

Traineeship roles include niche technical roles and wider, cross-functional positions that reflect a spectrum of skills.

A branch of the GRIT programme also offers traineeships in the public sector. GRIT@Gov involves 60 public sector agencies, with coordination by the Public Service Division to place fresh graduates in traineeships in the public sector.

The participating agencies include the National Library Board, Urban Redevelopment Authority and Singapore Polytechnic, alongside ministries such as MOM, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education.

Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said: “We empathise with the concerns that young people have about their first job. The encouraging sign is that many opportunities are available for those who are ready to take the next step.”

He was speaking on Feb 6 during a visit to deep tech firm Thales Solutions Asia, which has taken on five trainees under the programme. The company provides advanced technology solutions across the defence, aerospace, security, transport and digital identity sectors.

Dr Tan noted that there has been an increase in entry-level professional, managerial, executive and technical vacancies, from 31,000 in June 2025 to 39,000 in September.

“Singapore’s labour market has been resilient in 2025 despite global economic uncertainties, and we expect employment to continue to grow in 2026,” he said.

He added that by September 2025, close to seven in 10 of the 2025 university cohort had already secured jobs.

“This will increase over time, as more graduates explore and take advantage of the opportunities waiting for them,” Dr Tan said.

“We will continue to support all of our graduates in their job search, and we will prioritise efforts to help them secure permanent employment.”

Dr Tan noted that institutes of higher learning hosted at least 14 career fairs targeted at the 2025 graduating cohort, while WSG also held career events for fresh graduates in 2025.

He also spoke to the trainees at Thales Solutions Asia, who have been on the programme for five weeks. The trainees perform roles such as automation of manufacturing systems and processes, data analysis, and production process optimisation.

Trainee Skyler Teo, 26, is on the programme as an engineering assistant in industrial engineering. The 2025 graduate from the Singapore University of Technology and Design said he sent out around 200 job applications and another 60 applications for traineeships before he landed with Thales.

“It was quite a tough job search,” he said. “Most of the jobs in the engineering sector were very software-based and not many companies were hiring for mechanical or more hands-on types of engineering.”

He added that the traineeship was a good opportunity for him to get real job experience and apply his skills to real-world use.

“Many companies prefer diploma holders for more technical-level jobs because they are more technically trained, and for higher-level jobs, companies prefer people with work experience. So, comparatively, the traineeships are a lot easier for fresh graduates to get into,” Mr Teo said.

He added that Thales also provides him with company benefits, such as leave days.

Under the GRIT programme, trainees receive a monthly traineeship allowance ranging from $1,800 to $2,400 for the duration of the traineeship.

The Government funds 70 per cent of the traineeship allowance, while the host organisation funds the remaining 30 per cent.

Thales Solutions Asia chief executive Emily Tan said the company, which employs around 2,100 staff in Singapore, is happy to support the programme and train more talent for the aerospace industry.

“The trainees are learning a lot, being new to a work environment, and we are very happy to be giving them a structured approach and clear learning outcomes that can help them kick-start their career,” she said.

She added that the company will have discussions with the trainees at the end of the programme on whether they will be converted into full-time staff, depending on whether the role fits their interests and aspirations.

“These are the leaders of our future so we’re committed to training them,” she said.

“We see this as a programme that can help train up more talent for the aerospace industry, which is growing very rapidly in the Asia-Pacific. With T5 (Changi Airport Terminal 5) coming up, we know that the demand for aerospace talent will only go up in Singapore, so we’re very happy to play our part in training more talent.”

Dr Tan said the Thales trainees shared that the programme has given them the opportunity to pick up practical, real-world skills that would help them in their careers.

“In fact, many of them are excited, and they hope to continue to work for Thales upon the completion of their internships,” he added.

To be eligible for the GRIT programme, trainees have to be citizens or permanent residents who graduated in 2024 or 2025 from universities, polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education or other educational institutions.

They can also have graduated earlier from the above institutions and completed national service in 2024 or 2025.

Those who complete their studies within 2025 but will receive their qualification only in 2026 are also eligible.