SINGAPORE: Singapore will launch a government-funded traineeship programme for graduates concerned about their job prospects amid economic uncertainty.

It will provide training opportunities for graduates from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), polytechnics and universities, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 17).

The scheme will kick off with a "more focused rollout" and will be scaled up if the economy worsens, Mr Wong told an audience at the ITE headquarters in Ang Mo Kio.

He did not give further specifics but said the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce would share more details soon.  

The prime minister noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies stopped hiring for full-time jobs but some were prepared to offer traineeships.

"This gave graduates the chance to gain real-world experience. They received an allowance during the training," he said.

"And they could keep their skills sharp – so that when the economy recovered, they would be in a better position to secure full-time jobs."

In 2020, the SGUnited Traineeships Programme supported paid training stints of up to six months for recent and soon-to-be graduates of ITE, polytechnics, universities and other educational institutions.

Under this initiative, the government funded 80 per cent of the training allowance while the hosting company funded the remainder.

The programme ended after two years as participation fell along with Singapore's economic recovery from the pandemic.

Earlier in his speech on Sunday, Mr Wong described jobs as the highest priority of Singapore’s economic strategy. He spoke about stepping up job matching services and bringing more career fairs directly into tertiary institutions, to help fresh graduates connect early with employers.

Aside from jobs, he said the government will continue to focus on housing and parenting – other areas that matter to young Singaporeans.

Mr Wong noted steps taken over the past year, including building more Housing Board flats with higher subsidies, and providing more leave for young parents as well as more help with parenting costs.

He said additional measures were being studied to better support young Singaporeans "through every stage of life".

"To all our students and young Singaporeans, I know that growing up is not easy. The world today can feel overwhelming. The future at times, distant and unclear," said Mr Wong.

"But I say to you - do not fear. You are not alone on this journey. We see you, we hear you, and we will walk with you – every step of the way."