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Those graduating this year will benefit from SG United traineeships with the Ministry of Manpower announcing the programme's extension until the end of March 2022.

In addition, Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang said the traineeship allowances for ITE and polytechnic graduates would be raised to a maximum of S$1,800 and S$2,100 respectively.

These increases — about 30 per cent for ITE graduates and 20 per cent for polytechnic graduates — will apply for traineeships commencing Apr. 1, 2021.

Currently, allowances for ITE graduates range from S$1,100 to S$1,500 while diploma holders get an allowance between S$1,300 to S$1,800.

Turning traineeships into full-time jobs

Speaking at the 2021 Committee of Supply debates, Gan said the increase would give an "extra boost to our ITE and Polytechnic graduates, who are facing more difficulty in finding jobs."

"We hope that our recent graduates who have not been able to find jobs can seriously consider a traineeship."

The SG United Traineeship programme sees the government funding 80 per cent of the training allowance, while the host organisation funds the remaining 20 per cent.

In another change, meant to facilitate the transition of traineeships into full-time employment, will be the reduction of the maximum duration of a traineeship.

From April, they will last a maximum of six months in total, rather than nine months

"Companies will not be allowed to take on the same trainee for a second traineeship," added Gan.

"We want to encourage host organisations to hire trainees who have performed well during the traineeship stint."

SG United Mid-career Pathway Programmes enhanced

Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo also announced two enhancements to SGUnited Mid-Career Pathway Programmes.

"Participants aged 40 and above can receive higher training allowances of up to S$3,800, compared to S$3,000 previously," said Teo.

The government will also fund 90 per cent of the training allowances for workers aged 40 and above.

The programme, which sees mid-career individuals attached to approved organisations, was introduced to support mid-career individuals to widen their professional networks and gain new, in-demand skills while preparing for more permanent jobs in the future.

In total, S$5.4 billion has been set aside by the government to support the hiring of 200,000 locals through the Jobs Growth Incentive and provide 35,000 traineeships, attachments and training opportunities this year.

Top image screenshot from MCI's YouTube page and ITE's Facebook page