Internship

1.1. Singapore Polytechnic (SP) looks forward to collaborating with companies in providing internship opportunities to our students.

1.2. Internship aims to let students learn through meaningful work assignments and industry exposure to deepen and apply both technical and soft skills, and help them make better career choices.

1.3. To maximise our student’s contribution to your company and optimise the business value of an internship programme, we encourage you to:

• Have a clearly defined work-plan that aligns with your company’s goals and the learning objectives
• Supervise and mentor the student effectively for a positive outcome

1.4. SP will assign a Liaison Officer as the main coordinator between SP and the company during the internship duration. The Liaison Officer will visit the student’s work site a number of times, depending on the internship duration, to check on his progress as well as to gather feedback from the Company Supervisor on the student’s performance or progress. Should there be any issue of misconduct, emergency, accident or need for clarifications, the Company Supervisor is advised to contact the Liaison Officer as the first point of escalation.

1.5. Besides confidentiality and non‐disclosure agreement, the student is not obligated to sign any contract, indemnity form, or  legal documents. For further clarifications, please contact the Liaison Officer.

1.6. Unless otherwise agreed in writing with SP, no intellectual property rights belonging to SP should be used by the students or the company during the internship.

1.7. Since the Internship Programme’s primary purpose is to fulfill academic course requirements and not to form an employer‐employee relationship between our students and the company, the Employment Act would not normally apply. Nevertheless, it should be noted that SP is a statutory board and treats employment issues and working conditions very seriously. SP would therefore expect companies to provide working conditions for its students similar to the minimum standards prescribed for employees generally and the terms set out in this guidelines have been drafted accordingly to reflect such standards.

1.8. The Company or its subsidiaries are not allowed to mandate the purchase of any product(s), service(s) or training programme by the students during the tenure of the internship. The Company supervisor shall contact the respective school Senior Liaison Officer (SLO) or the appointed Liaison Officer for further guidance.

1.9 In no event shall SP and the student be liable for any damage suffered by any party arising out of the company’s breach of these guidelines. Neither SP nor the Student shall be liable to the Company or any third party for any loss or damages which is not recoverable or claimable under the prevailing public liability policy taken out by SP in respect of the Student’s participation in the internship.

1.10 In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between any term of these guidelines with any contract or agreement between the Company and the student, the terms of these guidelines shall prevail. The Company agrees that these guidelines are made for the benefit of the student and that the student may enforce any term of these guidelines pursuant to the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 2001.

2.1. Please note that it is the Company’s responsibility to supervise our student’s work during the internship to ensure that the quality/standard of work meets the requirements for the Company. In the event that our student makes any suggestions or proposals during the internship, it is solely the Company’s responsibility to decide whether such suggestions or proposals are suitable/appropriate for implementation by the Company and the Company shall not hold the student or SP liable in respect thereof. To maximise our student’s contribution to your company and optimise the business value of an internship programme, we request a participating company to manage the student by providing:

a. A Company Supervisor, whose role is to:

• Plan and discuss the internship requirements with the SP Liaison Officer
• Brief student on company policies, functions and operations, rules and regulations, and safety and security matters
• Discuss and guide the student to meet the requirements and learning objectives
• Meet and discuss with the SP Liaison Officer on the student’s progress
• Provide feedback and assess the student’s performance

b. A Company Mentor, whose role is to:

• Enrich the student’s learning experience by giving an overview of the company’s structure, nature of business and work requirements
• Broaden student’s perspective of job prospects and career paths within the industry
• Motivate the student by sharing his/her work experiences and career journey in the industry

2.2. Overview on Mentoring

SkillsFuture is a national movement to enable all Singaporeans to develop to their fullest potential, as well as realise their aspirations by taking advantage of a wide range of opportunities. As part of SkillsFuture, the polytechnics will be working with companies to enhance their internship programmes with the implementation of mentoring.

Mentoring during internship is a developmental relationship in which an experienced industry practitioner (mentor) provides career guidance to a student while the student is on internship.

Through the mentoring relationship, student is expected to be better aware of the career opportunities and requirements in the industry.

2.3. Requirements of Mentor

It is recommended that a mentor should:

• Be an experienced staff from the company who possess good knowledge of career pathways within the company and in the industry
• Possess preferably 5 years or more relevant industry experience

Based on the roles defined, it is the company’s discretion to decide on whether the Company Supervisor and Mentor to be the same individual or otherwise.

To make it easy for the Company Supervisor and Mentor, there is a simple checklist under the Internship Journal Section A to guide them on the tasks to be carried out during the internship period. If in doubt, they may clarify with the SP Liaison Officer.

SP has developed a 2 days short course on Mentoring for the Workplace. Company Mentor may sign up for this short course prior to internship commencement. This course is eligible for SkillsFuture Credit funding. For more information, please click here.

2.4. Requirements of Student

Student must be fully aware that it is a privilege to have a mentor while on internship as industry professionals are spending their time mentoring them.

Student should:

• Initiate and maintain contact with their mentors to coordinate the meet ups
• Be encouraged to reflect on what he or she hopes to accomplish at internship and beyond, as well as the pathways to get there, using the Student Reflection section in the Internship Journal.

2.5. Benefits of Mentoring

2.6. Frequency of Meeting

The mentor can meet the student at least twice during the duration of the internship. The conversations can be conducted in an informal setting and may not exceed 1 hr.

2.7. Topics of Discussion

The following are basic topics to be covered during the meetings. The mentor is not restricted to these topics and is encouraged to share more than the basic topics, if time permits.

• Provide student an overview of the company structure, nature of business and work requirements.
• Share about job prospects, career paths and trends within the industry. This can be done through sharing of work experience, relevant resources, networking contacts, as appropriate.
• Motivate the student with your work experience and career journey in the industry. This includes, but not limited to, providing him an understanding on the right kind of professional and personal ethics, attitudes and values to adopt to be successful.

3.1. Each student has a Internship Journal to regularly keep track of their tasks and progress.

3.2. The regular entries give the student the opportunity to reflect on the skills and knowledge that he has gained during his internship. It is also a reference for Liaison Officer to ensure that the training plan is relevant and supports the defined learning outcomes.

4.1. The duration of SP Internship Programme ranges from 6 weeks to 12 months provided that SP reserves the right to terminate the internship at any time by notice in writing given by SP to the Company. Upon such termination, the student is immediately withdrawn from the Internship Programme and shall no longer be required to attend work with the Company.

4.2. When a student is removed from a course while he is on internship, the Liaison Officer has to inform the company that the internship programme is officially terminated.

A student may be removed from a course due to any of the following conditions:

• Any student who repeats any of the core, option or elective modules and fails, shall be removed from the course.
• Any student who obtains a semestral average below 35% at one sitting shall be removed from the course.
• Any student who is absent from the Semestral Examination without valid reason shall be removed from the course.

If the student and company choose to continue with the work arrangement, it is considered a personal work arrangement.

As it is a personal work arrangement and not an official internship programme, the company will not be covered by the SP Public Liability Insurance nor will the student be covered by the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) – Compliant Insurance.

4.3. If a company engages a student to work after the internship has officially ended, it is also considered a personal work arrangement. Similarly, the company will not be covered by the SP Public Liability Insurance nor will the student be covered by the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) – Compliant Insurance.

5.1. As participation in the Internship Programme is a graduation requirement, student’s performance on internship will be evaluated.

5.2. The student must obtain at least a pass grade in order to graduate. Thus, the assessment is important and ought to be done objectively. The grades are DIST (Distinction), A (Excellent), B+ (Very Good), B (Good), C+ (Good Credit), C (Credit), D (Pass) and F (Fail).

5.3. The Company Supervisor is required to provide regular assessment or feedback on the student’s performance and may include a final assessment nearing the end of the internship. For any assessment, the Company Supervisor is required to provide the grading and submit it directly to the Liaison Officer, for example, via email, in a timely manner.

5.4. The Company Supervisor will be informed of the assessment criteria and marking scheme by the Liaison Officer. The student is assessed by both the Company Supervisor and the Liaison Officer.

5.5. With SkillsFuture and the move towards Enhanced Internships, all assessment for internships would eventually be computed into students’ Grade Point Average (GPA), with majority of diploma courses from matriculated student cohort AY2018/2019 onwards. Some diploma courses may have already implemented internship grade computation into GPA before matriculated student cohort AY2018/2019.

5.6. The grading system for your internship module will align with SP’s Examination Grading System for Module Grades.

5.7. Upon completion of the Internship Programme, company is recommended to prepare a testimonial for the student if he exhibits good performance.

6.1. The student is generally expected to follow the operating hours of the company to which he is attached. If shift work is required, this should be made known to SP before the internship commences.

6.2. The student should not be required to work for more than 44 hours in a week. However, he may be required to work overtime if he consents to do so, subject to the limit of 12 working hours per day and 72 overtime hours per month.

6.3. Company must either provide off days in-lieu or pay the student for the extra hours of work or for working on his rest days or public holidays.

6.4. The rate for overtime work should be no less than one and a half times his hourly basic rate of pay. Company must at least grant the student one rest day (which is not paid) in a week, which may be on a Sunday or any other day.

7.1. Each student is given an Internship Journal attached with an attendance sheet where the student can fill in his attendance details. The Company Supervisor has to endorse the attendance sheet at the end of each month of the internship duration.

7.2. Company is strongly encouraged to grant personal leave benefits in accordance with their human resource policies. As a reference, the table below shows the recommended days of personal leave during internship based on the number of months of service completed, after an employee has worked for an employer for at least 3 months. As internship is part of student’s academic course requirements in SP, the students are not subjected to the legal provisions in the Employment Act.

The student has been briefed on the following types of leave:

a. Medical Leave
If a student is ill, he must consult a registered medical practitioner and inform the Company Supervisor and Liaison Officer. He should submit the original medical certificate to the Company Supervisor and attach a duplicate copy to the attendance sheet.

b. Compassionate Leave
Compassionate leave is allowed for the bereavement of parents, grandparents and siblings. The number of compassionate leave given should follow that of the company’s HR policy. The student has to attach a duplicate copy of the death certificate to the attendance sheet.

c. Leave of Absence
Leave of absence is allowed solely for official obligations and not for personal obligations. The student may be required to take leave to fulfil institutional, national or statutory obligations such as competitions representing nation, medical check-ups required by MINDEF, during internship. In such cases, the student is required to seek approval from his Company Supervisor and Liaison Officer via email with supporting documents, at least 5 working days in advance. The student will need to attach scanned copies of the supporting documents to the attendance sheet to be sent to his Company Supervisor and Liaison Officer.

Additional leave applied for club activities, camps, Learning Express, and/or inter-poly competitions will NOT be approved. For such reasons, the student may instead use his personal leave, if any is granted by the company. Otherwise, absence for such reasons and any other leave taken without supporting documents, will be considered unauthorised, or being absent without leave (AWOL), and may lead to disciplinary actions and failure of the internship module. Student should inform his Liaison Officer when taking personal leave is approved by the company.

7.3. With effect from March 2020, during internship, 1 day AWOL is equivalent to 3 days of absence in the overall calculation for the number of working days of the internship period. This may lead to disciplinary actions and failure of the internship module.

7.4. In order to pass the internship, the student is required to achieve 90% attendance of the total number of working days of the internship duration. If he exceeds 10% of absenteeism (including both authorized and unauthorized leave), the respective academic school may decide to fail, defer or extend the student’s internship duration. School Director’s approval has to be sought to pass a student’s internship when his attendance falls below 90%.

7.5. Company is not obliged to pay allowances for days when the student is absent from work, such as, but not limited to, Public Holiday, Public Holiday Eve, Medical Leave, Company Off Days, and Leave of Absence (either half or full day).

7.6. Medical leave, compassionate leave and approved leave of absence are considered authorized leave. If the student is absent without authorized leave (AWOL) or is irregular in his attendance, please contact the Liaison Officer for remedial action.

7.7. If students are awarded a number of days of Annual Leave by company, the student may utilise their leave for short 1-2 days personal leave for trips, club activities, camps. However, request for more days of absence over and above the allowable Annual Leave will not be approved.

7.8. Students are informed to avoid applying for leave for more than 3 days of personal holiday trips and Learning Express Programme during internship.

8.1. Please consult the respective Senior Liaison Officer on the recommended minimum monthly allowance as it differs amongst sectors.

8.2. Company is not obligated to pay allowances for days when the student is absent from work, such as, but not limited to, Medical Leave, Company Off Days, and Leave of Absence (either half or full day).

8.3. Allowance duration shall be deemed to be one month and paid directly to the student. Participating company must pay a student’s allowance at least once a month.
Computation of the monthly allowance should follow the calculation of monthly pay according to Ministry of Manpower:

8.4. The student is not entitled to negotiate the agreed allowance with the company. However, it is recommended to have a consistent allowance for different Polytechnic students.

8.5. Company in Singapore accepting full-time matriculated students of SP for Internship Programme are exempted from CPF contributions.

8.6. Non-Singaporean students are not required to apply for any work permit nor work pass when they are on internship as long as they are issued with student passes and their internship is part of their course requirement. Please refer to article “Work pass exemption for foreign students” in MoM website.

8.7. The allowance shall be payable by Company to the student without any demand, deductions or set-off, notwithstanding any alleged claims (howsoever arising, including but not limited to claims in relation to a student’s disciplinary issues) made against the student/SP by Company or Company’s officers/agents/employees.

9.1. Under the Workplace Safety & Health Act of Singapore, all companies must, as far as reasonably practicable, protect the safety and health of employees or workers (inclusive of SP’s students) working under their direct control, as well as all who may be affected by their work.

9.2. The Act covers all factories and workplaces of various risk levels and industries. In addition to the stipulated duties of a company under the Act, there are specific industry sectors (e.g. construction, marine, metal workings, and oil & petrochemical) where employers assume the responsibility to ensure that their employees (inclusive of SP’s students) attend and pass the required safety orientation courses before they engage in the scope of work, where applicable.

9.3. Company should brief SP student on any safety guidelines, and to equip him with the appropriate protective equipment (where applicable).

9.4. The student should be monitored by trained personnel and should not be placed in a hazardous/dangerous situation. In particular, for safety reasons, the student should not be required to drive vehicles (regardless of whether the student holds a valid driving license for the vehicle in question).

9.5. It is important to report any accidents to the Liaison Officer or call SP Department of Industry and Partnerships Hotline at 6870-6020 immediately, in order for follow-up actions that can be taken by the Polytechnic.

9.6. If there is any issue of workplace safety and/or health, SP will take steps to investigate and/or facilitate its resolution in accordance with its internal policies and procedure. In any case, SP will take such steps as it may deem appropriate including but not limited to imposing conditions on the Company and/or terminating the internship and/or reporting the matter to the authorities if SP deems this necessary for the protection of the student and/or for the preservation of confidentiality.

9.7. For the avoidance of doubt, Clause 9.6 does not constitute any admission and/or assumption of responsibility on SP’s part, and are without prejudice to any applicable laws and/or procedures (including but not limited to those under the Workplace Safety and Health Act).

9.8. If there is any issue arising as to the student’s general well-being in the workplace (including but not limited to issues of abuse of, discrimination against and/or harassment of the student), SP will take steps to investigate and/or facilitate its resolution in accordance with its internal policies and procedures. In any case, SP will take such steps as it may deem appropriate including but not limited to imposing conditions on the Company and/or terminating the internship and/or reporting the matter to the authorities if SP deems this necessary for the protection of the student and/or for the preservation of confidentiality.

9.9. For the avoidance of doubt, Clause 9.8 does not constitute any admission and/or assumption of responsibility on SP’s part, and is without prejudice to any applicable laws and/or procedures (including but not limited to those under the Protection from Harassment Act and criminal law).

10.1. Company must inform the Liaison Officer at least 5 working days in advance if student is required to travel overseas, including cruise trips, for work purpose. In addition, the company MUST arrange for the student’s relevant visas, travel insurance coverage and air tickets, lodging, transport, and other essentials where necessary. The travel insurance coverage should at least provide a coverage of up to S$100,000 for personal accident per insured student per trip from a reliable insurer.

10.2. The student is only allowed to travel after seeking official approval from SP via the Liaison Officer. If student is below 21 years of age, the student must obtain parental or guardian consent as well.

10.3. The student must complete the form “Letter of Undertaking” and submit to the Liaison Officer for official approval at least 5 working days in advance.

11.1. If the student misbehaves, is absent from work without leave or has irregular attendance, please report to the Liaison Officer for corrective actions. If the student is found to be responsible for his misconduct, disciplinary actions will be taken and in severe cases, the student may fail the Internship Program.