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Work now, play later: 4 in 5 Singapore millenials ditch leisure for skill-building opportunities
One in two of them believe what they learn in school is not enough for their future.
If the new survey by Glints - JOS is anything to go by, then Singapore millennials are seeing learnings from schools inadequate for their futures.
According to the study, more than half of the 1,000 respondents believe that what they are learning in school is not enough for them to land jobs after graduation. Consequently, 78% of them have actively searched outside of school for opportunities like competitions, internships, and projects to gain skills for their future jobs. Further, 82% of the youths are even willing to sacrifice personal leisure time and social time to participate in these opportunities.
Christian Paolo Garaga, a second-year electronics and computer engineering student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, shared that he would sacrifice study time to grab on opportunities such as the JOS Innovation Awards, a competition for polytechnic and university students to brainstorm ideas through using technology to solve modern problems.
“I would sacrifice my study time for such opportunities. With the changing landscape of the workforce, getting these skills are more important than just learning through the books. Skills taught outside of school is more valuable these days,” Garaga stated.
Glints COO Looi Qin En commented on the results of the survey and said, “Times have changed and relying on the school alone for career preparation is no longer enough. We are seeing an increasing number of youths who proactively pursue opportunities outside of their schools to prepare themselves for their careers. Being industry ready is not just about resume and interview preparation workshops, but having real experiences through internships, competitions and projects. This is the new norm.”
With this, Looi noted that many companies are changing the way they recruit young talents by offering more skills development opportunities to engage millennials.
“We are seeing a shift of mindset from traditional companies who used to hire graduates directly. These companies are beginning to create opportunities for students to develop and showcase their skills, while using these opportunities as avenues for talent attraction and employer branding,” he said.
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