Higher Starting Pay for Fresh Graduates Last Year

WEDNESDAY, ● 12 FEBRUARY27,2019 news education They ace A levels with teachers’ help

With support from all quarters, twin brothers overcome learning difficulties

SAMUEL DEVARAJ

When twins Clester and Clarence Cher were in their first year in Millennia Institute (MI) , they struggled with their studies and their teachers found them difficult to handle. Both had issues with absen- teeism and teachers would often complain about their refusal to hand in homework. Fast forward three years, and through hard work and support from their parents and teachers, the brothers overcame their learning difficulties and did well PHOTO: NEXUS in their A-level examinations. The twins, 20, achieved an A (From left) Mrs Selina Wee with brothers Clester and Clarence Cher and Win vouchers up to $1,000 grade for management of busi- Mr Cher Kwang Siong. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS ness, with Clester getting an A for economics and Clarence do to help the boys succeed in Clarence said: “For example, in Total Defence competition scoring an A for mathematics. school. our maths teacher, Mr Thanesh Their form teacher of three The twins’ father, Mr Cher (Manoselvam), stayed back and years, Mrs Selina Wee, told The Kwang Siong, 51, said: “We guided me in questions that I did The Total Defence 2019 cam- gets a $500 voucher while the New Paper: “The boys were explained to the teacher the not know.” paign poster features many third prize is a $250 voucher. argumentative, they didn’t problems the boys were facing, He added that teachers such ways Singaporeans can put dig- There are also eight consola- really understand all the school and the teacher began to give as Mr Thanesh and Mrs Wee ital defence and the other pil- tion prizes of $50 vouchers rules.” them more attention.” were always available to help lars of Total Defence into each to be won. Clester and Clarence told Apart from roping in class- them. action in their daily lives. Download the black-and- TNP that their problems were mates to guide them along, Mrs With MI’s three-year pro- Can you find the different white colouring picture from exacerbated because of their Wee, being the teacher in charge gramme, the twins had more aspects of digital defence, www.tnp.sg/colourtowin and learning needs, which made of the school’s Entrepreneur- time to adapt to the A-level syl- such as phishing and fake colour it with any medium of adjusting to pre-university edu- ship Club, also tapped on the labus; and having each other to news, in the poster? your choice. cation difficult. brothers’ interests in business. rely on also helped in their revi- The New Paper readers Mail your completed work Clester said: “I find it quite dif- Clester and Clarence were sion. stand a chance of winning the to “TNP TD Contest c/o 86A ficult to focus so it takes me running their own part-time The twins plan to further top prize of vouchers of up to Amoy Street Singapore longer to learn.” business selling car accessories. their education in a business-re- $1,000 by participating in the 069905”. Alternatively, you At the end of the first year, The twins attributed their suc- lated course in university. TNP Total Defence Day Colour- can also e-mail it to weareto- their parents and Mrs Wee had a cess to their teachers, who gave ing Contest. [email protected] meeting to see what they could them the support they needed. [email protected] The second place winner Contest closes on March 3. Higher starting pay for fresh graduates last year

AMELIA TENG, EDUCATION time, temporary or freelance programmes at four universities CORRESPONDENT work. – National University of Singa- The proportion of graduates pore, Nanyang Technological Fresh university graduates doing freelance work fell from University, Singapore Manage- earned a higher starting pay last 2.4 per cent in 2017 to 1.8 per ment University and Singapore year, with those in the informa- cent last year, while those who University of Social Sciences. tion technology (IT) sector regis- have still not been able to find a The joint exercise is con- tering the highest rates for full- full-time job dropped by 2.1 per- ducted by the six autonomous time permanent jobs. centage points. universities six months after Fresh grads took home a For the first time, the survey their graduates’ final exams. median monthly salary of also released employment out- Due to differences in calen- $3,500, up from $3,400 in 2017, comes by course clusters, to dars, the Singapore University according to results of a joint help students make decisions on of Technology and Design and graduate employment survey course choices. the Singapore Institute of Tech- released yesterday. Graduates from the informa- nology poll their graduates sepa- Those in courses such as com- tion and digital technologies, rately. puting, business analytics and Fresh grads took home a median monthly salary of $3,500 last year. PHOTO: REUTERS business and built environment The universities said many of information security had the courses had the highest full- their graduates managed to find highest median gross monthly found that 81.2 per cent of new Overall, 90.2 per cent of them time permanent employment full-time jobs through intern- pay of $4,100. graduates were in full-time per- were employed, up from 88.9 rates. ships. The annual survey, con- manent work, higher than the per cent in 2017. This refers to The survey polled 11,200 ducted last November, also 78.4 per cent in 2017. graduates in full-time, part- fresh graduates from full-time [email protected]