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California enacts AI safety law targeting tech giants

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The Bill marks California’s most significant move yet to regulate Silicon Valley’s AI industry. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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The perils of letting AI plan your next trip

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An imagined town in Peru, an Eiffel tower in Beijing: travellers are increasingly using tools like ChatGPT for itinerary ideas – and being sent to destinations that don’t exist.

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Global inequality may be falling, but the gap between haves and have-nots is growing

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Inequality within developing countries continues to rise.

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‘The extraordinary power of ordinary people’: World leaders spotlight youth as agents of progress

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Young people are at the heart of the world’s most urgent challenges, and on Friday, their role in shaping solutions took centre stage at the UN General Assembly. World leaders spoke of the remarkable promise held by today’s generation, even as they acknowledged the persistent barriers millions of children and youth face in accessing education, healthcare and political voice.

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Youth Sports & Social Cohesion in Singapore Schools

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Discover how new cluster-level sports initiatives in Singapore aim to boost social cohesion and unity among students from diverse backgrounds. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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Views From The Couch: Singapore’s digital generation and the contagion of despair

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Tech firms must better support vulnerable youth, and parents must prioritise connecting with their children. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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Chatbots are hurting our kids – here’s what we can do

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AI companions may drive a child to self-harm or profoundly affect their development. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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New mentoring programme for S’pore youth to develop solutions to social issues

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Participants can receive up to $5,000 in funding from the National Youth Council for each project. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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Man uses ChatGPT in seeking personal protection order against ex-wife, court finds 14 cases cited don’t exist

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When questioned, the man admitted to using ChatGPT but said he had failed to verify the cases before including them in his submissions.

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AIED_Uni stds feel anxious confused distrust about AI in classrm(kids)

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More than half of those polled by CNA (56.2 per cent) said that understanding employer expectations would improve their confidence in job applications. Others said they would benefit from paid internships or traineeships (55.2 per cent) and more interview opportunities (54.3 per cent).

For Mr Wee Lian Kit, who majored in economics at NUS, vague job listings made it difficult to gauge his suitability for roles.

"You send a lot of applications that you think you are qualified for, but at the end, you might not even make it past the screening stage," said the 27-year-old, who now works in an executive search firm. He recalls applying to over 100 roles when he graduated last year.

NTU graduate Mr Ong agreed, saying more clarity from employers would help applicants understand rejections. "At least when I get rejected, I will understand why I got rejected," he said.

Group CEO of recruitment firm Reeracoen, Mr Kenji Naito, said employers could help bridge the gap by sharing clearer job scopes and valuing potential and cultural fit, not just qualifications.

He added that amid global shifts and growing use of artificial intelligence, soft skills such as empathy and adaptability are increasingly valuable. Graduates can also take short courses, volunteer for leadership roles or seek mentorship to strengthen their profile.

Mr Derrick Teo, a certified Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) senior professional, said AI tools are reshaping job functions and graduates need to learn how to use such tools effectively.

Mr Teo, who is also the CEO of HR solutions provider Elitez Group, also noted that job competition now extends across borders.

"Rather than fixating on salary benchmarks - which can be influenced by recruitment marketing - graduates should focus on differentiating their skills, adaptability and commercial awareness," he said.

BE PROACTIVE

The government has said it is working to improve employment outcomes for fresh graduates.

Minister of State for Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang said on Jul 9 that authorities are "closely monitoring" the employment situation. Institutes of higher learning are also working with agencies such as Workforce Singapore and the NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute to organise career fairs, workshops and mentoring sessions.

The Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce, led by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, is also exploring ways to support new graduates. The task force was set up in April to address the impact of US-imposed tariffs.

Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng said on Jul 10 that entry-level job vacancies remain steady. "To our 2025 graduates, it is still early in your job search. We encourage everyone to keep an open mind to different opportunities in their job searches," he said.

Career experts encouraged graduates to be proactive by networking at industry events and tapping on their professional contacts. In CNA's straw poll, 40 per cent of respondents said a lack of industry contacts or networking opportunities was a challenge.

Randstad Singapore's country director David Blasco said even conversations that don't lead to offers can offer insights into industry trends and in-demand traits.

He added that graduates can leverage platforms such as LinkedIn and industry events to ask working professionals about industry trends, in-demand skills and personality traits that employers value in young hires.

For Mr Ye Jun Zheng, a Yale-NUS graduate in urban studies, a friend's referral helped him land a role as a customer support specialist at a tech multinational corporation. "I was lucky to find a fit at a place I least expected - with a friend who introduced the job to me and another to refer me in," said the 25-year-old.

Mr Zac Ng, managing director of recruitment agency Cultivar Asia, said there is no fixed timeline for fresh graduates to land a job, but it is important to stay active by taking on temporary or contract roles.

"The goal should be to keep moving forward - be it through employment, training or internships - so that the momentum is not lost," he said, adding that such roles offer both income and transferable skills.

"They are stepping stones, if not a long-term career."

As for Ms Kuek, she sees a ray of hope in her job search after securing an interview with a publishing company.

"I'll see how this one goes ... If it falls through, then I have to keep trying."
Additional reporting by Jia Wen Tang and Deborah Ng.

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Long hunts, few replies: Singapore university graduates finding it tough in job market, CNA poll finds

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In a straw poll of 105 recent fresh graduates, 28 had yet to secure a full-time job. Among them, a quarter said they were not confident about finding one in the next six months.

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USE_moewps2025-prereading_How not to use AI is a skill

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The mass protests in Asia show the power of Gen Z - and its limit

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Anti-corruption demonstrations, powered by social media, have toppled a government - but will they lead to lasting change?

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Ditch that device. Go off-grid to boost brain health

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Experts say cognitive workout from reading a printed book far outweighs the dopamine highs of infinite screen-scrolling. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.