The present day workforce of most organisations has expanded, from constituting experienced employees, to include fresh graduates and students who are yet to complete their course of study.Today, organizations see several benefits in hiring students as part of their workforce - resource for new ideas, trial of a potential recruit with no strings attached, extra manpower at lower costs, to list a few. Students in turn are equally keen to work during their vacation or term time, apart from the mandatory internship they have to undergo as part of their course curriculum. Gaining work-place exposure, building contacts and networks, short-term financial gains, enhanced employment prospects, fine-tuning skills and attributes are some of the common reasons cited by students seeking employment/internship opportunities.
The trend is fast catching up in Singapore, with many organisations hiring students for temporary assignments, internships and industrial attachment programmes. Students studying in Singapore as well as those studying overseas can apply for suitable positions to companies in Singapore. However, before making any applications, it is advisable to be aware of Singapore's employment market for students.
This guide will provide perspective on the legal working age in Singapore, employment options available for students wishing to work in Singapore, legislations to be aware of, where to look for suitable openings, industries that are inclined towards hiring students, the remuneration you can expect and other useful resources.
Employable age in Singapore
Students aged 13 years and above are entitled to work in Singapore. However, the age bracket of 13 years - 16 years falls under the Children and Young Persons category and there are certain restrictions on the type of employment that students in this age group can engage in. There are no restrictions on the form of employment you can seek for students aged 17 years and above.
Employment options for students
Students are eligible to apply for:
- full-time vacancies (during vacation time)
- part-time jobs (usually during term time or vacation time) and
- intern positions (usually a 6 week - one year period, as part of the course curriculum)
The common practice amongst most companies in Singapore is to take on students for part-time or intern positions on a temporary basis. This allows the employer to assess the students' capabilities for full-time positions in the future and is also viewed as a less expensive means of hiring additional staff at the same time.
Local students studying in Singapore
- If you are a Singapore citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident student studying in Singapore, you are eligible to apply for full time jobs, part time jobs or internships/industrial attachment programmes without any restrictions, during term time or vacation time.
Foreign students studying in Singapore
- Foreign students are not allowed to work in Singapore during term time or vacation time unless they are granted an exemption. Exemption is granted to foreign students holding a valid student pass and studying at certain educational institutes that are approved by the Ministry of Manpower, along with certain other qualifying conditions. More details can be found here.
- Foreign students wanting to undergo an internship in Singapore, must ensure that they hold a valid Training Employment Pass or Training Work Permit before they can commence their industrial attachment programme.
- The Training Employment Pass is applicable to undergraduate students who are required to undergo a training as part of their degree programme. To qualify for the Training Employment Pass, you should:
- earn a fixed monthly salary of more than SGD 2,500, and/or
- hold acceptable tertiary or professional qualifications
- If you do not meet any of the above criteria, you need to apply for a Training Work Permit instead. Most students usually tend to qualify for the Training Work Permit, as they normally earn less than SGD 2,500 a month. The Training Work Permit allows you to be attached to a company in Singapore for up-to six months.
- Generally, the company sponsors the Training Employment Pass and Training Work Permit and makes applications to the Ministry of Manpower on behalf of students. It is advisable to check with the employing company and your educational institute about the procedure involved.
- Please note that if you are found to be working in Singapore without either of the above mentioned passes, you can be prosecuted by law.
Foreign students studying overseas
- If you are a student residing overseas and wish to work in Singapore during your vacation time or undergo an internship in a Singapore based company, you can do so by applying for the Work Holiday Programme or the Training Employment Pass or Training Work Permit, as applicable.
- Work Holiday Programme
- University students and graduates, aged 17 - 30 years, studying in Australia, New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom, France Germany, Hong Kong and Japan can work in Singapore up-to six months, under the Work Holiday Programme. Your university must be in the list of institutions drawn up by Singapore's Ministry of Manpower. Students who have gained admission to the university but have not yet commenced studies can also apply.
- The Work Holiday Pass (WHP) neither places restrictions on the type of employment you can seek in Singapore, nor is there a minimum salary requirement. It is also not necessary to have a job on hand before applying for the WHP. You can seek employment even after arrival to Singapore.
- Please note: you must be able to support yourself financially during your stay in Singapore. Passes will be granted only to those who can prove that they have sufficient funds.
- You can apply for the WHP by emailing an application form along with the necessary documents to the Ministry of Manpower.
- You will receive an email notification regarding the outcome of your application within 21 days.
- If approved, you will be mailed an In Principle Approval Letter, valid for 3 months.
- The Work Holiday Pass will be issued only in Singapore. You must collect the pass in person from the Ministry of Manpower by submitting the In Principle Approval, along with other necessary documents.
- A fee of SGD 40 will apply.
- More details on the Work Holiday Programme can be found here.
- Training Employment Pass or Training Work Permit
- If you do not qualify for the Work Holiday Programme you can apply for the Training Employment Pass or Training Work Permit instead. For details refer to the Foreign Students studying in Singapore section above.
Job search resources
Most students approach their University's Career Office or the School's online job portal for employment opportunities. However, you may also wish to keep your options open and explore other job search resources available for students seeking employment or internship opportunities in Singapore. These resources include:
- Job websites: The simplest and most effective way to search for local positions is to browse through the popular online job sites for Singapore - http://www.jobsdb.com.sg/ and http://www.jobstreet.com.sg/ are by far the most popular. Most sites also have a separate section on part-time jobs, temp jobs, internship openings, jobs for diploma and degree holders and other resources that students may find useful.
- Employment Agencies/Recruitment Firms: There are numerous recruitment agencies you can get in touch with for openings in small to medium sized companies. If you are looking at large multi-nationals, it is advisable to contact the international recruitment firms who have set up a base here. Certain agencies also specialise in intern positions only. A quick Internet search will give you a list of the popular recruitment firms in Singapore.
- Company websites: If you have a list of companies you would like to apply to, it is a good idea to visit their websites and look for any career openings they might have. Alternatively, you can contact their Human Resources Department and make enquiries.
- Newspaper advertisements: Classified advertisements in The Straits Times (local publication with the highest circulation) is popular amongst both recruiters and job seekers. You can visit the online classifieds section at http://www.st701.com/
- Job/Career Fairs: Job fairs are becoming increasingly popular and provides access to several potential employers and the opportunity to participate in on-the-spot interviews. This is a suitable option for those seeking skill based jobs.
For more detailed information on this topic, refer to Job Search Resources in Singapore.
Popular job sectors for students
It is usually not hard to find full-time/part-time/intern positions in a field of your choice. However, there are certain industries that are more inclined towards taking on students in Singapore. These sectors are highly competitive and are usually flooded with applications from job seekers. As a result, factors like academic track record, skill sets, personality traits etc. will play an important role in securing a position. The high demand industries that comprise of local and international players include:
- Admin & HR
- Call Centre
- Banking & Finance
- Information Technology / Computer Science
- Marketing & Sales
- Logistics
- Media, Advertising & Design
- Retail
- Hospitality, Tourism, F&B
Compensation and benefits
The compensation for students depends purely on the employer and the company policy and can vary from company to company. Although there are no set standards for compensation, it often depends upon three principal factors:
- The type of employment, job profile and position level
- Entry level positions or assistant positions will carry a lower pay when compared to a project management role. Full time jobs tend to pay higher than part-time/temp/casual work. Internships can either be paid (ranging between SGD 450 - SGD 750 per month) or unpaid.
- The size and nature of the organization
- Start ups and small to medium sized companies tend to pay lower when compared to large MNCs and corporate houses. NGOs and Non Profit Organisations tend to pay low for full-time/part-time positions and internships are usually unpaid.
- Candidate profile
- If the company is impressed with you and see potential in you as an asset to their organization, you might be offered an attractive pay when compared to your counterparts.
Based on the above mentioned factors full time jobs usually pay between SGD 800 - SGD 1500 per month, part-timers are usually paid on a per hour basis ranging from SGD 5 per hr. to SGD 7 per hr., interns (if paid) can expect anything between SGD 450 - SGD 750 per month. Note: You do not need to pay tax if your annual income is less than SGD 22,000. Students' income is usually non taxable as the annual income tends to be lower than SGD 22,000.
Students are usually not entitled to any benefits like bonus, perks, insurance etc. that the normal employees on the rolls of the company enjoy.
Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions for students
Students, unless exempted, are entitled to CPF contributions, if they are earning more than SGD 50 a month. Exempted students include:
- Students of Government schools, excluding tertiary institutions, working during their gazetted school holidays.
- N & O level Government school students working during the gazetted school holidays.
- A level students working during gazetted school holidays before their A level examinations.
- Students working during vacation or term, under training programme approved by the following institutions:
- National University of Singapore
- Nanyang Technological University
- Singapore Management University
- Nanyang Polytechnic
- Ngee Ann Polytechnic
- Singapore Polytechnic
- Temasek Polytechnic
- Republic Polytechnic
- Institute of Technical Education
- Students working during vacation or term, under a training programme approved by their overseas tertiary education institution, and the training period does not exceed 6 months.
Useful resources for foreign students from overseas
If you are an overseas foreign student contemplating working in Singapore for a short duration or planning to undergo an internship here, you may be concerned about your stay here in terms of suitable accommodation, living expenses, culture and lifestyle, health-care, transport, weather and climate etc. For detailed information on all these aspects, refer to the Living in Singapore Guide.
Other Related Topics
Singapore Immigration | EntrePass | Employment Pass
