600 students in their 40s graduate from polytechnics; woman, 59, moves from banking to education

19 May 2024

About 25,000 students graduated from the polytechnics in 2024, from full-time and part-time diploma courses. Of these, 600 graduates were above the age of 40, said the Ministry of Education (MOE). The number of graduates in this age group has remained consistent over the past few years, MOE added. The ministry said it hopes to see “greater training participation among those aged 40 and above”, following the newly announced SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, which includes mid-career Singaporeans receiving a SkillsFuture credit top-up of $4,000 from May. Almost 30 years after Mr Mohamed Nazri obtained an Industrial Technician Certificate, he found himself back in a classroom at SP. The 56-year-old decided to take the leap after his daughter, whom he had encouraged to pursue a master’s degree, responded by presenting him with a similar challenge, telling him: “I’ll do it if you do it too.” Mr Nazri, a technical officer who has worked in the rail industry since 2014, took up the challenge and pursued further studies at the same time as his daughter did. After more than two years, he graduated with a diploma in engineering, specialising in rapid transport technology.

[The Straits Times]