SINGAPORE (Dec 3): Amid the local workforce’s increasing interest in digital talent, tertiary students in Singapore have been taking an interest in studying Computer Science/Information Technology and Information Systems courses, according to findings from the 2018 BrightSparks Scholarship and Education Survey.
These course are the most desired course among the top GCE ‘A’ Level and International Baccalaureate (IB) graduates, as well as along the top two choices for all respondents.
Meanwhile, other popular courses include Business Administration and Health Sciences.
Premlesh Machama, APAC region president of CareerBuilder Singapore, says, “The popularity of computer science courses could be attributed to the fact that with the upcoming trend of technology, there are excellent prospects and demand for people trained in this field.”
Despite the increasing popularity in computer science courses, the healthcare sector is the most preferred industry of work.
The survey also found that while most are keen to finance their further studies with scholarships, many graduates are hesitant to apply due to concerns over their academic ability.
“There is a predominant understanding that scholarships are awarded only to top students with good grades. Academic grades are not the only criteria, and there is a need to highlight to students other key attributes, such as leadership skills and co-curricular activities involvement, that can determine the outcome of getting a desirable scholarship,” adds Machama.
Furthermore, the survey found that respondents felt that having good career growth and opportunities, work-life balance, and job security the top three factors that make up an ideal job.
