TODAY Youth Survey: Large majority say having a degree is still necessary to succeed in S'pore, expect their children to attain it

17 Oct 2023

Earlier this year, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong called for the professionalising of skilled trades, such as the work done by electricians and plumbers, to assure graduates from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and polytechnics that their wages and career prospects would not be too far below their university-going peers. The TODAY Youth Survey 2023 noted that 62 per cent of those who had an ITE or A-Levels certification or equivalent and 59 per cent of those who had a polytechnic diploma or equivalent said they agreed that a degree was necessary for success. Speaking to TODAY, some youths agreed they were less likely to expect their children to obtain a degree if they could be convinced that an alternative path could still bring them success in life. Mr Muhammad Muhaimin Zaini, 27, is one such youth. He chose to work full-time to support his family after graduating from TP in 2016, and believes the importance of a university education is contingent on one’s chosen career path. For Mr Zaini, who obtained his first diploma in Interior Architecture and Design, an alternative path to university education could look like what he did — enrolling in a subsequent Specialist Diploma in Building Information Modelling Management at SP to deepen his technical skill sets for a career he was passionate about. As such, his expectations for his child’s education would also depend entirely on their chosen career path in future, he said.

[TODAY]