PUBLISHED ONAugust 22, 2025 5:00 AMBYDana LeongThe Government will be introducing a traineeship programme to equip fresh graduates with relevant skills and prepare them for full-time employment, said Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng.
Speaking on the sidelines of OCBC's Grow Your Way Festival on Friday (Aug 22), Dr Tan introduced the Graduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) and GRIT@Gov programmes that will apply to ITE, polytechnic and university graduates.
More details on both programmes will be available from October 2025 on the MyCareersFuture portal when applications will begin.
First announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his National Day Rally speech on Aug 17, GRIT will initially offer up to 800 structured traineeships for a period of three to six months across various sectors, said Dr Tan, who is also a member of the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce (SERT).
"One issue we have heard from graduates in their job search is that while there are jobs available, many employers are looking for individuals with years of relevant working experience to fill them," said Dr Tan.
The programmes, a result of discussions between tripartite partners under SERT, are thus meant to counter these concerns by providing fresh graduates with opportunities to gain industry-relevant experience and enhance their future employability.
Modelled after the SGUnited Traineeships launched during Covid-19, the Government hopes that the new programmes will facilitate longer-term employment outcomes for trainees amid the current economic uncertainty.
Dr Tan, who is also Second Minister for Trade and Industry, said that the current labour market remains "resilient", but the Government will closely monitor the economic situation — through key indicators like GDP growth and labour market data — to determine if the situation warrants a further expansion of GRIT.
"We are prepared to increase the level of support for fresh graduates, including funding more traineeships, if the labour market worsens," he said, adding that the Government will be able to "ramp up in a very nimble manner" should the situation call for it.
Dr Tan said: "We don't think that we need to go full 'hawk' at this particular point in time, but we are ready to do so."
The GRIT Programme, a joint initiative by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Workforce Singapore (WSG), will support fresh graduates who are keen to gain exposure in leading companies in various industries.
In particular, WSG and sector agencies will identify progressive host organisations from growth sectors such as financial services, information and communication technology, manufacturing and wholesale trade.
Dr Tan also listed some companies that will participate in the programme, including OCBC, Micron, ST Engineering and Sea Limited.
The GRIT@Gov Programme, coordinated by the Public Service Division (PSD), specifically supports traineeships for fresh graduates within public sector agencies.
According to Dr Tan, the public sector will also be offering 2,400 immediate vacancies offered to fresh graduates, with roles in data, tech and digital services.
"What we envisage the scheme to do is to provide a wider exposure, provide the opportunity for the trainee to build networks, to also build bridges into all of these companies, increase their experience and increase their exposure," said Dr Tan.
Trainees will receive a monthly allowance ranging from $1,800 to $2,400 for the duration of their traineeship.
According to Dr Tan, the Government will fund 70 per cent of the allowance, while the remaining 30 per cent will be funded by the respective host organisations.
To be eligible, applicants must be either Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents who have graduated in 2024 or 2025 from universities, polytechnics, ITE or other institutions.
Those who graduated from the above institutions earlier and completed National Service in 2024 or 2025 are also eligible.
Fresh graduates of Masters and PhD programmes may also apply for GRIT, said MOM, adding that they will be subject to the same traineeship stipend rates.
There will be safeguards in place to ensure that mid-career workers will not be displaced.
The allowance and duration of GRIT traineeships have been calibrated to be lower and shorter than the support provided for full-time employment of mid-career workers, said MOM.
For example, the allowance for trainees under GRIT is lower than that for those under the Mid-Career Pathways Programme, who receive between $1,800 to $3,800.
Dr Tan also said that there will be safeguards in place to ensure that host organisations have not undertaken retrenchment measures for roles and that the traineeships are not meant to "cannibalise more mature employees with it".
The traineeship programme is not the only job support scheme available — during the National Day Rally PM Wong also said that students can look forward to more job fairs at tertiary institutions.
Job-matching fairs will also be ramped up at the town level with Community Development Councils to announce plans soon.
In addition, Dr Tan also highlighted WSG's Polaris initiative, which connects young workforce entrants with industry experts for insights on career paths, access to industry knowledge and professional networks, as well as personalised career planning.
He also encouraged Singaporeans to make full use of their SkillsFuture credits, adding that the Government is also exploring more ways to defray out-of-pocket costs and make career guidance more affordable and accessible to everyone.
"The current economic climate is challenging, but we are behind you every step of the way," Dr Tan added.
Fresh graduates interested in GRIT can register their interest online.
Those with additional queries on GRIT and GRIT@Gov Programmes can reach out to WSG and Careers@Gov respectively with their questions.
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dana.leong@asiaone.com
