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There are youths that are not mature yet and are unsure of what career they wish to pursue in.

Despite the competitive environment, they believe that there are other things worth worrying about or enjoying before joining the workforce.

Therefore, finding a good job is not a main concern for youths.

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Youths want high paying jobs that are relevant to their skills and knowledge based on what they have learnt in school.

This is because they are brought up in a competitive environment where it is difficult to earn a spot in their ideal job and that they need good jobs in the future to survive in this environment. This shapes their belief that getting a good job is important.

Therefore, finding a good job a main concern for youths.

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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/prolonged-crisis-pragmatism-graduates-job-search-pay-1938041

Despite graduating from a local universities, fresh graduates are not able to find a good job to due to the covid 19 crisis which caused a economic downturn and some had take on temporary jobs or unstable jobs that pay low

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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/hyper-competitive-culture-breeding-severe-test-anxiety-among-799076
Finding a good job will the main concern for Singapore youths in 5 years time due to Singapore's competitive culture.  While finding a job will not be as hard, finding a good job would be subjective as good means something different person to person making this a claim of values. And due to Singapore's competitive culture, many youths will think about what kind of jobs are good job and how to get them

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SINGAPORE: Xiao Jia*, 12, came to us as she could no longer cope with an intense fear of the upcoming Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).

She had set out to score more than an aggregate of 250 and didn't want to disappoint her parents.

A plan of getting into her choice school, excelling later at the O and A-Levels, getting into her choice university course, and eventually securing a good job all hinged on doing well in this first national exam.

Her fears are not uncommon among her peers, albeit of varying degrees.
PRESSURE TO PERFORM AT EXAMS
Children and adolescents in Singapore face pressures at school and at home. Other than relationship and family problems, a commonly cited issue that afflicts many of the students we see at the Institute of Mental Health is academic-based stress.

A study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that Singaporean students were significantly more anxious about tests and grades compared to their international peers.

This intensified dread over academic performance may be due to a more competitive culture in Singapore.

The astounding story of Singapore's success has been largely attributed to its system of meritocracy, one where the best and brightest rise to the top by their own merit and hard work, and tales of leaders emerging from humble backgrounds are largely celebrated as testimonies that the system works.

Singapore's system of meritocracy in our education system is still based on academic success, and Singapore has done well in that aspect. It is ranked first in the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment conducted by the OECD, based on assessments of 15-year-olds on reading, mathematics and science.

However, despite the brilliant performance on global academic rankings, Singapore has produced proportionally fewer top-ranked scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs and business leaders.

When Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam was asked about this by CNN many years ago by Fareed Zakaria, he replied that Singapore was an "exam meritocracy", compared to America which was a "talent meritocracy".

Understandably, there is no perfect measure to gauge a multifarious concept of merit. But studies have shown academic achievement is positively correlated to later occupational performance, and remains a valid measure of merit in Singapore's context.

Over the years, meritocracy has worked well to sieve out scholastically-inclined students, and develop them into prominent leaders and captains of industry.

This, in turn, reinforces the belief that doing well in school equates doing well in life and that conversely, doing badly comes with huge, adverse consequences.

Many students and their parents, driven by this belief, place utmost emphasis on academic achievement.
TOLL ON STUDENTS' MENTAL HEALTH
A competitive education system has put our students scholastically ahead of others globally, with benefits to individuals.

Studies have shown moderate amounts of stress and anxiety can motivate and encourage people to work harder and attain better performance.

Stress is an inevitable part of life, and exposing students to a reasonable amount in school builds resilience that will serve them well in their adult lives.

But an overly competitive culture can be detrimental for students' mental health. High expectations can lead to excessive stress and anxiety, especially during major examinations that have perceived consequence for one's future, such as the PSLE, and the O-, N- and A-Level national examinations.

In psychology, stress is the body's reaction to difficult situations, real or perceived. This "fight or flight" stress response, evolutionarily developed to enable humans to escape from physical danger, manifests as physiological symptoms such as a quicker heart rate, hyper-ventilation and muscle tension.

While there are far less opportunities to meet physical or predatory threats in the modern society of Singapore, the stress response still remains in us.

For some students who place utmost importance on academic success, performing "poorly" in examinations could represent a form of failure or threat. This could potentially trigger a stress response in some students as they try to meet their expectations.

In extreme cases, prolonged stressful situations associated with tests and examinations leads to the development of performance anxiety in some students.

Some suffer intense emotional symptoms like fear, anger, depression or helplessness, while others exhibit behavioural symptoms like avoidance or irritability or cognitive impairment that include racing thoughts, minds going blank, difficulty concentrating and negative thinking.

People also experience rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, nausea, diarrhoea or excessive sweating. In severe cases, test anxiety can lead to a full-blown panic attack, crippling the person with a sudden onset of intense fear and uncontrollable physical symptoms.

There are no exact causes of test anxiety, but studies have found that contributory factors include low academic self-concept, fear of failure, feelings of helplessness, and parental as well as teachers' pressure on students - that may be intensified by a hyper-competitive culture.

Worse, test anxiety as a disorder inevitably leads to poor performance, as the distressing symptoms inhibit a student's ability to absorb, retain and recall facts and information, and can lead to other mental health disorders such as panic disorder or depression.

We tend to underestimate the effects but anxiety and mood disorders are highly prevalent in Singapore, and carry a high disease burden due to the associated decreased work productivity and significant loss of function.

In cases when test anxiety becomes so severe that it develops into a psychiatric disorder and affects the student's ability to function significantly, professional help might be needed.
HELP NEEDED
Parents can help their children by moderating their own expectations, and focus on their children's efforts rather than their results. Regular and open dialogues about school and academic stress, and being empathetic towards their difficulties without making critical judgements can aid.

Ensuring that the basic health needs of our children, such as getting enough sleep, maintaining a balanced diet and exercising regularly, are met can go a long way. If necessary, a school counsellor can provide extra support.

However, it may be more useful to attenuate the development of test anxiety and other mental health disorders at a macro level.

A balanced approach where academically brilliant students are recognised and groomed, while the less academically inclined ones are supported and encouraged to pursue their interests based on their strengths, will be optimal.

We have already seen positive moves in this direction. There has been a shift in Singapore's education system away from the narrow focus of grades and academic achievements. There were no final examinations for Primary 1 students since 2013, and the PSLE will do away with aggregate scoring from year 2021.

FOCUS ON WELL-BEING
The idea that academic achievement is a necessary ingredient to obtain lifelong success has become a long-held but unhealthy belief ingrained into our culture. It is a momentous task to shift this national mindset to one that is more encompassing, more accepting and less competitive.

Yet, as Albert Einstein once wrote:

If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

There are many students who excel in other varied areas, such as arts, sports or music, and deserve to be recognised for these non-academic abilities.

At the same time, expectations should be set according to individual abilities, with appropriate cajolements to push our children to reach their maximum potential, but not to the point where it becomes corrosive to their mental well-being.

Meritocracy has driven Singapore well, scholastically, and economically. It has played a large part in contributing to our nation's success, and will continue to do so.

However, it is also important to place emphasis on well-being and prioritise the mental health of students who are the future pillars of Singapore society.

ROAD TO RECOVERY
Xiao Jia's case has a happy ending for now. She was able to communicate her feelings of performance anxiety and high self-expectations to her parents and the treatment team during therapy sessions.

Her parents responded well and constantly assured her that what mattered more were her efforts and not the final aggregate or whether she eventually got into her choice school.

To help her cope with her anxiety, she was taught calming techniques as well as encouraged to embrace a positive mindset that could help relieve anxiety during examinations.

That year, Xiao Jia sat for her PSLE and successfully enrolled into a secondary school of her choice.
Brian Poh is senior clinical psychologist at the Institute of Mental Heath's Department of Developmental Psychiatry.

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Commentary: A hyper-competitive culture is breeding severe test anxiety among many students

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The cases one clinical psychologist has seen suggests the idea that academic achievement is a necessary ingredient to obtain lifelong success can be a corrosive mindset.

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There are youths who are more focused on improving and learning. As you can see from the evidence shown below, improving their mental health, learning about the environment and society and how to improve it.

Instead of being concerned about their future jobs, they may also not know what exactly they want to do and what is exactly a good future career.

Therefore, there are also other main concerns Singaporean youths have, and finding a good job might not be the main concern.

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Some youths are saying that at a young age will be not so beneficial to work. Instead, they should stabiles their knowledge first.
Young people voice concerns about jobs, discuss solutions with office-holders in dialogue, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

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SINGAPORE - Ms Aqilah Diyanah Parvin Ah, a 20-year-old Institute of Technical Education student, is worried about how she and her peers will find jobs, given the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

She and other young people voiced their concerns about finding employment during a virtual dialogue organised by the National Youth Council on Saturday afternoon (Sept 26).

The session was part of the Singapore Together Emerging Stronger Conversations that have been convened by the Government since June to look at the impact of the pandemic and consider the actions to take for the future of Singapore.

About 120 young people discussed three topics: jobs and the future of work, support for vulnerable groups, as well as environment and sustainability.

The session was hosted by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong.

Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Defence Zaqy Mohamad, Minister of State for Education and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Sustainability and the Environment Desmond Tan, and Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth Eric Chua also attended the dialogue.

In an interview after the session, Ms Aqilah said that it was worrying that despite the next generation entering the workforce armed with diplomas or degrees, it seemed that every company is looking for hires with experience.

"But it's really hard to get the experience that you need," she said.

Mr Mohamed Rudy Abdul Hamid, 31, a senior social service executive, said one of the participants in his small group discussion suggested having more opportunities for work exposure and internships earlier, such as in secondary school.

"I think that goes a long way. If I had such an opportunity back in school, I would definitely grab it," said Mr Rudy.

His personal experiences with internships opened his eyes to what he did and did not enjoy doing, and shaped him to be who he was, he said. Hence, he felt having such opportunities at a young age could be beneficial.

He noted that the dialogue was more than just raising issues, but also discussing what can be done. "Not just far-fetched ideas, but really practical and realistic ideas, and seeing how we can put them into action."

Ms Cheo Pei Rong, 31, a facilitator in the small group discussions, said it was very encouraging that the young had a strong desire to put things into action.

"Youths want to see things grow, they want to see things happen, and they want to be part of that," added Ms Cheo, a senior manager at the National Parks Board.

Her group had discussed how to increase local food production, and some participants suggested looking at how to market local produce to increase their popularity, so as to increase demand that would in turn drive the supply.

In his closing remarks, Mr Tong encouraged participants not to treat the dialogue as the end, but to exchange contacts, grow their ideas and think about how they can be developed.

"Then, come back and share your ideas with us," he said.

His call comes as the Youth Action Challenge, organised by the National Youth Council and MCCY, returns for its second edition starting this October.

The initiative invites young people to come up with projects along several themes, and kickstarts them by providing access to resources, funding and mentorship.

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Young people voice concerns about jobs, discuss solutions with office-holders in dialogue

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SINGAPORE - Ms Aqilah Diyanah Parvin Ah, a 20-year-old Institute of Technical Education student, is worried about how she and her peers will find jobs, given the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. She and other young people voiced their concerns about finding employment during a virtual dialogue organised by the National Youth Council on Saturday afternoon (Sept 26).

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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/in-focus-covid-19-graduates-singapore-jobs-market-employment-689951

Finding a good job will be a main concern for Singapore youths in 5 years time as for those graduating batch that want to work something relevant to their degree but they might not have the opportunity because due to covid-19 , companies that are going through financial difficulties would want to hire someone with more experience in the industry and not the one that just graduated from school with 0 experience. Therefore, they will have to find other jobs that is not relevant to their degree.

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SINGAPORE: In April, the future seemed certain for Brian Chee. He was about to finish his final examinations and was on track to graduate from university with a job offer in the bag.

A biotechnology company where he had completed his internship had offered him a full-time position and he was to start work in a few weeks.

But three months later, he found himself still looking for a job.

"(The company) said (the job) would start sometime in May," said the 25-year-old life sciences major, who graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in June.

"Then it got pushed back to June, then to July. Then in July, they told me that it will be postponed, or it will be pushed back indefinitely because the headquarters decided that they'll be having a global hiring freeze."

The first two times the company pushed the offer back, Mr Chee was understanding. After all, there was the recession caused by COVID-19 and the company said it was its first time hiring a fresh graduate, instead of headhunting experienced individuals from other firms.

But when the company eventually told him that he would have to wait indefinitely for the role, Mr Chee decided he could not continue to wait without doing anything in the meantime.

And with student loans to pay off, he was starting to worry.

He sent out 30 applications in the first week of his job search. But his urgency in wanting to secure a job meant that he had to do some prioritising.

"I wanted it to be something that was relevant to my degree or my major, so that's why I looked for positions in the healthcare, pharmaceutical industry ... and then after that, I looked at location," said Mr Chee.

Which was why he was "thankful" when, in the second week of his job hunting, international drug development firm Covance came back with a traineeship offer as a clinical study coordinator in the clinical research and pharmaceutical industry for 12 months.

Although his workplace is located in Jurong East, this is something he "can live with", said Mr Chee, who lives in Pasir Ris.

"At least I have a position," he said.

For many like Mr Chee, the COVID-19 pandemic, which has dragged the Singapore economy into its worst recession since independence, has had a bigger impact than rushed goodbyes in school, cancelled graduation trips and disrupted lifestyles.

Amid rising retrenchment and unemployment rates, some of these fresh school leavers - about 50,000 from various tertiary institutions in Singapore and overseas - found themselves stumbling into a grim reality with hopes of ideal careers and salaries dashed.

The biggest impact is likely in those industries which have come under the most pressure, such as aerospace and aviation as well as tourism and hospitality. There are sectors still holding up and hiring - such as information and communications technology (ICT), financial services and manufacturing - but overall, the jobs market is challenging.

There were 42,400 job vacancies in June, down from 46,300 three months before, according to data from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

In turn, the seasonally adjusted ratio of these vacancies to unemployed people fell from 0.71 in March to 0.57 in June - meaning there were fewer than six vacancies for every 10 unemployed people.

"This (ratio) is the lowest since the third quarter of 2009 and we haven't seen the worst of the labour market yet," said DBS senior economist Irvin Seah. "It is a very tough climate."

While they knew it wouldn't be easy, the extent of the impact - much-longer job searches, job or internship offers postponed or rescinded - still caught people off guard.

Mr Muhammad Ismail Muhammad Ishak, for one, did not expect to send out 150 job applications over the past nine months, and not hearing back from any firm for the first half of the year. Learning from friends about offers being rescinded did not help.

"I got a little sad when all the jobs I applied for did not get back to me," said the 25-year-old who studied mechanical engineering in NUS. "I had a second class upper honours; I made sure my electives were non-engineering; I've done internships ... but it seemed like these were still not enough."

To keep going, he signed up for various courses in the emerging technology industry over the past few months, as part of picking up new skills to beef up his resume.

Others like material science engineering graduate Wayne Lee recalibrated their expectations in hope of striking a balance between interest and reality on the ground.

"I think before we graduated, we had dreams of working in a certain role (or) environment. But when COVID-19 struck and opportunities vanished, we panicked."

The 25-year-old, who also recently graduated from NUS, had wanted to follow his passion in the social work sector but as weeks turned into months, he knew he had to start casting a wider net. Anxiety hit the roof when Mr Lee found out that his mother lost her job in June.

"Suddenly that luxury of thinking that 'My family is ok' and I have time to find a job disappeared," he recalled.

"Even though my parents said they had savings, not knowing how long this pandemic will last made me feel that I have to get a job to at least make things more comfortable at home."
GOVERNMENT HELP
The challenges faced by this new cohort of workers have not gone unnoticed.

As part of the slew of support measures rolled out by the Government, the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package aims to create close to 100,000 opportunities, with 21,000 out of 25,000 traineeship positions going to local first-time jobseekers.

These traineeships can give fresh graduates opportunities to develop industry-relevant skills and build professional networks, which will help boost their credentials to potential employers, said MOM.

University graduates will get a monthly training allowance of between S$1,800 and S$2,500 under the SGUnited Traineeships programme, of which 80 per cent is paid by the Government. The allowance for polytechnic graduates ranges from S$1,300 to S$1,800, while graduates from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) receive S$1,100 to S$1,500.

This week, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said in Parliament that more than 20,500 traineeship and company attachment opportunities have been made available under the SGUnited Traineeship and SGUnited Mid-Career programmes.

More than 2,800 job seekers have taken up these opportunities.

The minister did not provide a breakdown in terms of fresh graduates who took up these traineeship opportunities. But in a separate speech in Parliament last month, she said more than 1,000 fresh graduate trainees have been placed under the inaugural programme.

Observers have described the government-backed inaugural traineeship programme as a step in the right direction.

ManpowerGroup Singapore's country manager Linda Teo said it helps fresh graduates to gain experience and exposure, especially in jobs that they were interested in but not directly related to their field of study, as well as grow their network.

The programme is an attempt to prevent a "lost generation of fresh graduates", said Mr Adrian Choo, founder of career consultancy Career Agility International.

Citing personal observations, he noted that such a situation had occurred during 1998 to 2003 when big firms cut back on hiring, especially fresh graduates, as the local economy dealt with successive hits from the Asian Financial Crisis, the bursting of the dotcom bubble and the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak.

That later resulted in a shortage of talent for middle management roles in these big firms, said Mr Choo.

"The Government is recognising that and they don't want this to happen again. That is why they are having these traineeships - a form of subsidised employment," he added.

Recent graduates who spoke to CNA said that they were glad for the traineeship opportunities, in lieu of having a full-time job.

For 26-year-old Shivaram Rasu, currently doing a traineeship as a research assistant with the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, a traineeship is about getting experience.

"I was looking at options of getting into research (via) a full-time job. But the thing is the economy isn't so stable now, so I decided to try out a traineeship instead.

"The pay is obviously lower but the job scope is about the same. so I'm glad I'm able to get experience in the field because it's still relevant to me," he said.

Similarly, while Mr Chee hopes the 12-month traineeship would eventually turn into a full-time position, he said he is just "glad" for the chance to gain some experience, which could put him in better stead for his next job hunt - a prospect which he has already had to adjust his expectations for.

"I'll expect that the pay will definitely be lower than before the recession," he said, as he discussed future expectations for his post-traineeship job.

"Competition for the job will definitely be harder ... because there will be more people applying for the same position."

Another programme that helps ITE and polytechnic graduates in their job search is Workforce Singapore's Career Starter Programme.

However, a spokesperson told CNA last month that they have not seen a "significant" increase in the take-up for workshops and personalised one-to-one career coaching, "partly due to the current COVID-19 situation".
SUPPORT FROM SCHOOLS
Tertiary institutions have also stepped up to help their graduates.

The Singapore Management University (SMU), NUS and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) curate job offers on their respective job portals and have held virtual career fairs for their students.

Universities and polytechnics have also extended career guidance for graduates, with SMU's career coaches "proactively" reaching out to all its 2020 graduates to check on their employment status and offer coaching if they have not secured employment.

The school also increased its number of online Employability Clinics, giving priority to those seeking full-time jobs, said Mr Sim Cher Young, director of the Singapore Management University's (SMU) Dato' Kho Hui Meng Career Centre. SMU has 1,884 Bachelor's degree graduates this year.

Republic Polytechnic (RP) said it provides individual guidance to graduates through its personalised one-on-one e-counselling sessions, with general feedback being "very positive".

The NUS Centre for Future-ready Graduates "intensified" its graduates' training to prepare them for digital interviews, and providing career webinars to help them understand the job market, write effective resumes and participate in career networking.

The university is also tapping its network to identify full-time jobs, internships and traineeship opportunities for its graduates, said the NUS spokesperson. NUS has 7,000 first-degree graduates this year.

Another NUS initiative compiles the CVs of graduating students into a book by sector, giving them to employers for recruitment. In addition, students receive a weekly curated list of jobs, sorted by major.

For those who prefer to continue their education, they can opt for the Continuing Education and Training (CET) modules with their respective tertiary institutes.

NUS, SIT, Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP), Singapore Polytechnic and RP provide a number of free CET modules for their graduates.

Meanwhile, NTU has given its Class of 2020 an additional S$1,600 in alumni credits - on top of the existing S$1,600 for all alumni - that can be to offset fees for a suite of CET courses. The bonus credits are valid until June 2021 and are part of the university's two COVID-19 relief packages.

Temasek Polytechnic (TP) identified 17 programmes with up to 2,100 training places, which can equip students with "in-demand knowledge and skills that will put them in good stead when the economy picks up", said its spokesperson.

There are also 28 post-diploma courses that graduates can choose from.

In addition, TP provides a one-time credit of S$500 to each graduate to sign up for these courses, to ensure that "students are left with no out-of-pocket expenses" as they upskill and expand their skillsets.

Graduates can also take advantage of full-time and traineeship positions with their universities or polytechnics.

Under the SGUnited Traineeships Programme, SIT hires graduates to work on projects done in collaboration with industry wherever possible.

NUS has offered 200 full-time salaried positions and 800 paid traineeships under its NUS Resilience and Growth Initiative, which was announced on Apr 24.

And NP has created 100 traineeship positions and more than 80 campus jobs. To date, 50 per cent of these traineeships in Learning and Design, and 50 per cent of the campus jobs, have been taken up, said a spokesperson.

In the longer run, the tertiary institutions are working to improve the employability of future graduates by updating their curriculum.

SMU uses real-world settings in their courses, while parts of its curriculum are experiential, exposing students to immediate industry problems and questions.

The university also emphasises international exposure and experience. To that for the current academic term amid the travel restrictions, the university tapped on faculty collaboration with foreign instructors and remote work that allow students to work on industry or community service projects with overseas partners.

NP too, has introduced digital components to its Diploma of Tourism and Resort Management and Diploma in Hotel and Leisure Facilities Management to keep its students competitive amid digital transformation and disruption.
LONGER-TERM WOES?
But the distress faced by the class of 2020 could go beyond a discouraging job hunt in the near term.

Some overseas studies have found more worrying records of longer-lasting negative outcomes associated with graduating into a recession, such as lower earnings for years.

One such study by economists Philip Oreopoulos, Till Von Wachter and Andrew Heisz, looked at Canadian college students who joined the workforce during the downturns in the 1980s and 1990s.

This batch of graduates, according to the 2006 study, saw lower earnings in the initial stage - about 9 per cent less than those who graduated in better economic conditions - as they tend to start out at smaller, lower-paying firms or jobs that are less well-matched to their skills. This setback in earnings can stick around for as long as 10 years, with the graduates playing financial catch-up by switching jobs more frequently than others. By then, they had lost an average of 5 per cent of their lifetime earnings.

Another study focused on those who left school during the 1982 recession in the United States and found that the impact on earnings could last for 10 to 15 years. The 2019 study by researchers Hannes Schwandt and Till Von Wachter also noted longer-term chain effects in other aspects of life, such as higher divorce, childlessness and death rates by the time these graduates reached middle age.

Reading about these studies can be unnerving, said Mr Ismail.

"The long-term consequences in the overseas study I read gave me a shock, especially the potential earning losses," added the mechanical engineering graduate.

"That's money that can be used for investment, extra learning or anything else so it made me feel like I really need to take this seriously otherwise I might end up as one of these recession graduates."

A 2011 study by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) attempted to examine the long-term impact of recessions on the wages of local graduates by tracking those who entered the labour force between 2000 and 2007.

It found that while there was an initial wage loss for those who graduated amid a weak economy and dismal job market, this negative hit would "diminish over time and fully disappear after three years in the labour market".

"Singapore's labour market would thus appear to be efficient enough to prevent the perpetuation of downward wage persistence for 'unlucky' cohorts of graduates," the MTI study concluded, although it noted several caveats.

For one, the longitudinal data spanning just eight years was a "short timeframe" that covered only one recession when the Singapore economy shrank 1.1 per cent during the dotcom bust in 2001.

Wage data for many of the graduates in the study were also shorter than four years, meaning that researchers were unable to observe how the "unlucky" cohorts of graduates fared against their peers after catching up in wages.

"We cannot rule out the possibility that entry economic conditions could have long-term negative effects not captured within the period of observation," the study said, adding that similar studies conducted overseas tend to have much longer observational periods of 12 to 22 years.

The MTI study also noted how it was unable to determine whether recessions affect segments of university graduates differently, as information on individual ability and job switches was not available.

BIGGER HIT ON ECONOMY, HIGHER RISKS?
Some observers of the local economy said results from the MTI's study could boil down to Singapore's ability to bounce back relatively quickly from past downturns and having low unemployment.

"Most of the studies are based on overseas economies. Singapore is quite different," said Mr Seah.

Singapore has "a nimble economic structure", with the Government having much-needed resources to put together "highly responsive" policies when a crisis strikes, he added.

"We are able to reinvent ourselves quickly during major crises ... and that in some way, contributed to how we don't see that kind of permanent effect on those who happen to graduate during the bad times," said the DBS economist, noting that Singapore is also a meritocratic society that rewards individuals as long as they work hard.

The economy has also been able to churn out "more jobs than can be filled" by the local labour force, throwing up career and wage progression opportunities, said CIMB Private Banking economist Song Seng Wun.

Whether Singapore can keep doing so will depend on how it maintains its economic competitiveness and relevance as a global business hub in a post-pandemic world, he added.

"It's typical in a recessionary environment to see more cautious hiring and pressure on wages, unless you are in sectors that are in demand. When the broader economy improves and you see businesses more confident about the future and thinking about expanding or hiring, you will be able to ride along with the recovery, switch jobs and command better salaries.

"Wages will adjust in a normal cycle when demand for labour goes up so we mustn't get stuck in the notion that just because you are starting at the lower end, you'll always be at the lower end unless you're in a sector that's no longer in demand," Mr Song said.

"So long as Singapore stays relevant to the world by continuing to create new industries and remaining an attractive destination for businesses to set up shop, there will always be job creation.

"If more jobs are created than can be filled by the local labour force, then you should never have any doubt that you will be able to ride on the recovery," he said, adding that individual skillsets also matter in a changing world.

Unprecedented help is also at hand as the Government recognises the toll of a historic recession, said Mr Song. Apart from the national traineeship programme, other initiatives to help firms adapt and survive the pandemic also serve to cushion the impact on fresh graduates.

Echoing that, Mr Seah said the slew of support measures unveiled thus far has been "significantly stronger and far more comprehensive" compared to those in past crises.

Apart from saving jobs, the Government is also looking at job creation with the new Emerging Stronger task force looking at reinventing the economy for a post-pandemic world.

Mr Seah cited his personal experience of being a "recession graduate" - not once but twice.

He was a fresh university graduate in 1999 when the Singapore economy was still reeling from the Asian Financial Crisis. After six months of fruitless job hunting, he decided to head back to school but found himself in a similar situation after finishing his Master's degree in 2001. That year, the economy fell into a recession due to the dotcom bubble burst in the US.

"Back in 1999, we didn't have initiatives like the Jobs Bank. You just rely on the Straits Times' recruit section that comes every Saturday. I'll spend half the day going through every single job advertisement and the rest of the day typing out my application letters so that I can mail them out on Sunday."

"I sent out about 40 applications for all sorts of jobs ... but I didn't get a single phone call," Mr Seah recounted. The discouraging job hunt repeated itself in 2001 for about six months until he landed his first job.

While graduates like him had a rough start, they eventually managed to catch up financially and professionally, said the DBS economist, citing his own experience as well as that of his friends.

"Many of my friends are doing well. I don't think there was a lost year so to speak," he said.

With the step-up in help from the Government for fresh graduates amid the ongoing crisis, he added: "It is definitely a good thing that policies are headed in this direction, which is why I'm even more optimistic about the graduates' longer-term career prospects."

To be sure, there are others who hold a more cautious view.

The severity of the economic slump and the likelihood of a protracted recovery given the uncertain nature of the coronavirus pandemic could leave more economic scars on the class of 2020, according to NUS senior economics lecturer Kelvin Seah and Maybank Kim Eng economist Chua Hak Bin.

"Never before have we seen a crisis so serious to the extent of having a 'circuit breaker' and shutting our borders so I'd imagine that the impact could be worse than anything we've experienced before," said Dr Seah from NUS.

Dr Chua said the coronavirus-induced slump has resulted in "massive" job losses thus far, with the full-year number likely to be between 180,000 to 220,000. While the economy could see positive growth next year, it would only be in 2022 that economic growth will return to pre-pandemic levels. This means a "sluggish and choppy" recovery ahead.

"We don't know how long this virus will be here for and even when a vaccine becomes available next year, most still think that it would not be widely distributed so quickly. Many of the border controls, for example, could remain with us for some time," he explained.

"To us, it's more of a U-shaped recovery and it will differ across sectors," he added, noting that while a still-growing industry like manufacturing will probably emerge from contraction by the fourth quarter, others like aviation, tourism and hospitality could be in for a long winter for as long as four years.

Graduates in these sectors, as a result, will inevitably be hit more than their peers.

"For people who have trained or invested in education for these sectors, they may not go into these sectors. There will be a lot of movement of workers in sectors; it will be difficult and that is why job matching and re-skilling is so important," said Dr Chua.

"So it looks as if this recession is going to leave a lot more scars than the last one."

While COVID-19 has the most visible impact economically, there are other consequences at play too, said social scientists.

In the short-term, graduates will likely experience the "fear and anxiety" with being unable to land a "decent job" expected of a graduate and young adult, which enables them to "exit their adolescence", said NUS sociologist Tan Ern Ser.

And with the disruption of their education, this could affect students who establish their social networks within the university, said NTU social scientist Andy Ho.

"People who really establish their social network in the university system, that network has been disrupted drastically, and not being able to maintain that social network plays a potential role in affecting their identity formation," he said.

As university is a "critical age" for people to form their identities, not being able to have closure on that chapter would affect them "for sure", added Associate Professor Ho.

With students having to "refix their expectations" of graduating in "normal circumstances" which is "not normal anymore", this comes with a cost for their emotional well-being and quality of life, he added.

In the long-term, uncertainty over their economic situation could lead to graduates prioritising their careers and delaying marriage and childbirth.

"I believe young Singaporeans believe in putting their careers on a sure footing so as to be able to attain a sustainable, desirable family lifestyle. And if they can't, they would likely delay marriage and childbirth. Or they may just cohabit," said Dr Tan.

WHAT MORE TO DO
With COVID-19 set to bring about long-lasting impact on workers, jobs and businesses, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat noted ongoing talk of a global "lockdown generation" who will have their skills, employability and incomes permanently affected even after the pandemic ends.

Singapore must work to prevent a " COVID Generation" of workers and students, he had said in June during a wrap-up speech on the Government's fourth tranche of relief measures in which the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package were part of.

On top of existing measures, improving job mobility is one area where more can be done.

Tampines GRC Member of Parliament Desmond Choo described this as " paramount" with the coronavirus-induced recession being unprecedented in scale, depth and duration. Its negative impact on fresh graduates could "reasonably ... last longer" than the three years mentioned in MTI's 2011 study, he said.

Companies should be encouraged to convert traineeships into permanent roles, while the Government can also customise incentives via the Jobs Growth Incentive to nudge employers to do so, he suggested during the debate on the President's Address last month.

Echoing that, Associate Professor Walter Theseira said: "It is through those job switches that graduates eventually return to their better-matched career paths (or) jobs.

"Hence, what we should think about, to improve the chances of that in the future, is whether our policies support good job mobility."

While he is not aware of any study on structural impediments to job mobility here, the Singapore University of Social Sciences economist pointed out a few areas of concerns: Employment bonds, no-compete clauses found in work contracts and non-universal healthcare benefits which may deter some from switching jobs.

It is also critical for Singapore to take "a moderated approach to foreign employment" even when the economy recovers.

"This is because we want to ensure that our own people have the best chance of being considered first for upgrading job switches as the economy gets better," Dr Theseira said, noting that this will be painful for businesses who will be looking to expand urgently in good times.

"But if we don't do it, we may leave behind Singaporeans who were mismatched into jobs because they graduated in a recession," he added.
SOLDIERING ON
For now, fresh graduates will have to be realistic in their expectations and keep in mind that graduation is not the end to learning.

"Don't be too picky ... Get your foot in the door first and learn", said Mr Choo.

Those in badly-hit industries can try building up transferable skills and relevant experience so as to be able to secure jobs once demand returns, said Ms Teo from ManpowerGroup Singapore.

Overall, "very different" skill sets will be required in a post-pandemic world, which is why one's ability and openness to learning will be critical, she added. These include communication, negotiation, analytical thinking and other people-oriented skills, which are transferable and in demand by employers across industries.

Mr Choo added that the building up of such skills will require people to actively manage their careers.

"Don't count on your employer to develop your career. Be active in thinking where the growing industries are, the skills needed and how you can get those skills," said the career coach.

"Even if it was true that people who graduate in a recession may not find a footing as good as someone graduating in a good year, it's one thing to sit down and cry and another to actively manage your way back into the opportunity area."

All these are not lost on the young graduates whom CNA spoke with.

"Even the CEO of PayPal has said that whatever transformation that is supposed to happen in five years is now condensed into a few months. Obsolete skill sets in a shifting economy is now a legit concern," said Mr Lee, who started a full-time job about two months ago.

Noting that he is now "more cautious" in career planning, he added: "Now more than ever, you need to constantly upgrade yourself."

Mr Ismail, who turned his anxieties into action by signing up for various courses over the past few months, has found a traineeship position as a business analyst with DBS after taking professional certificate classes in financial technology with his alma mater.

He said he is aware that he will need to be able to apply what he has learnt "to make the skills real", and is determined to make the best out of the traineeship even though he is unsure if it will pan out into a permanent role.

"For the next nine months, I'll be a sponge - just absorb everything I can. Be brave to say 'I don't know' and if there are criticisms, take them humbly. This whole experience has made me more hardy, I feel."
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IN FOCUS: Graduating into a COVID-19 jobs market - short-term challenges and longer-term issues?

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SINGAPORE: In April, the future seemed certain for Brian Chee. He was about to finish his final examinations and was on track to graduate from university with a job offer in the bag.

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The main concern is not just finding good jobs in the future but rather managing their mental health.

The link above shows the team speaking to youths about their main concern. "So far, the team has collected around 100 stories — half their target number — with hopes of launching the e-book by mid-July alongside an art exhibition."

Singapore youths are finding healthcare professionals for advice regarding their mental health.

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S'pore youth aim to take the stress out of mental distress

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Mental health has long been a taboo subject, and is often misunderstood. The Youth Mental Well-being Network aims to end this stigma and foster empathy Read more at straitstimes.com.

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Finding a good job is not the only main concern for Singapore youths in 5 years time. There are others such as the environment and sustainability, Singapore's future leadership, job opportunities, the cost of living, mental health, marriage and parenthood.
Code:  "The Youth Conversations survey uncovered other widely held concerns, such as the environment and sustainability, Singapore's future leadership, job opportunities, the cost of living, mental health, marriage and parenthood." (The Straits Times)

Inclusivity is top concern among youth here: Report, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

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Inclusivity has emerged as the top issue that young Singaporeans are concerned about, according to an ongoing conversation to engage them on national issues led by the National Youth Council (NYC).

The youth of today want society to look beyond identity categories like race and social class, and they value the opportunity to be exposed to varying perspectives, including those that may be uncomfortable for them, said an interim report on the conversation.

They also want the definition of success to be broadened, so as to cater to people with different aspirations and ambitions.

These were the preliminary findings that emerged in the first phase of the Youth Conversations engagement exercise, based on more than 1,400 online survey responses from participants aged between 15 and 35, collected in April and May.

Launched by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, the Youth Conversations dialogue series aims to inform the young about important national issues, and help them work out differences in opinion by listening to one another, negotiating and finding solutions together, and with the Government.

The finding on inclusivity comes amid a concerted push by the fourth-generation political leadership to address growing concerns about inequality and to create multiple pathways to success.

TAKING IN DIVERSE VIEWS
We didn't want to enter an echo chamber, and wanted people to know that there is a range of diverse positions on a topic. Discussions can then help to forge a more cohesive social compact.
NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE DAVID CHUA, whose agency is spearheading the dialogues.

The issue was a key theme in the President's Address in May to open the second half of the parliamentary term.

Among the policy measures the Government has said it will take to tackle the issue are: raising the quality of pre-schools, ensuring school admissions remain open to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, and targeting help at lower-income families.

The Youth Conversations survey uncovered other widely held concerns, such as the environment and sustainability, Singapore's future leadership, job opportunities, the cost of living, mental health, marriage and parenthood.

Since the conclusion of the online survey, 10 face-to-face dialogues involving about 50 youth participants each have been held, to discuss the top themes that emerged during the survey.

Inclusivity, the top concern in the survey phase, was also the topic that garnered the most sign-ups in the face-to-face sessions, with more than 300 registering for dialogues planned between last month and the next.

Taking in both online views and those shared on the ground ensures that the discussions are reflective of a broader spectrum of society, said NYC chief executive David Chua, whose agency is spearheading the dialogues.

"We didn't want to enter an echo chamber, and wanted people to know that there is a range of diverse positions on a topic. Discussions can then help to forge a more cohesive social compact," he told reporters yesterday.

A fuller report on the outcomes of these conversations will be released in a year's time. The conversations will continue to run for two to three years.

Teacher Daphne Li, 32, who attended a conversation on how Singapore can move towards becoming a zero-waste society, said it was helpful to have representatives from the Government and the private sector engaging participants during the session she attended.

"(But) talk is cheap, and it'll be good to know if any concrete action will come out of the dialogue based on suggestions that were offered," she said.

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Inclusivity is top concern among youth here: Report

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Inclusivity has emerged as the top issue that young Singaporeans are concerned about, according to an ongoing conversation to engage them on national issues led by the National Youth Council (NYC).

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Being aware of their roles in creating a more gracious society (want to show kindness, but also fear of being embarrassed) will be the main concern for Singapore youths. (CNA)

Singapore youths afraid to be kind: Survey (channelnewsasia.com)

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Singapore youths afraid to be kind: Survey

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SINGAPORE: Youths in Singapore are aware of their roles in creating a more gracious society, but a fear of being embarrassed is holding them back from being kind.According to the latest Graciousness Survey by the Singapore Kindness Movement released on Monday (Jun 24), about one in four respondents (2