Scholarship Bonds Are No Longer A Top Barrier For Scholarship Applications Amongst Students In Singapore

14 November 2019, Singapore – The length of a scholarship bond is no longer a top consideration for graduates and undergraduates in Singapore, when deciding to apply for scholarships. This is the latest finding from the BrightSparks Scholarship and Education Survey 2019 by CareerBuilder Singapore, which showed a stark contrast to last year, where contractual bond was cited as the top deterrent for scholarship applications.

  • Job stability and security becomes increasingly important against the slowing economic landscape
  • Healthcare sector continues to be the most attractive industry as nation prepares for an ageing population

14 November 2019, Singapore – The length of a scholarship bond is no longer a top consideration for graduates and undergraduates in Singapore, when deciding to apply for scholarships. This is the latest finding from the BrightSparks Scholarship and Education Survey 2019 by CareerBuilder Singapore, which showed a stark contrast to last year, where contractual bond was cited as the top deterrent for scholarship applications.

Bond Duration Does Not Matter

When asked what is considered an acceptable bond duration, students cited between two to four years for a partial or full local scholarship, and four to six years for a partial or full overseas scholarship.

acceptable-scholarship

“A year ago, the contractual bond duration was the top barrier for students when applying for scholarships. This year, bond duration dropped to fourth in position. This receptiveness to being committed to an organisation is not surprising amid the economic slowdown,” said Vinay Dua, Managing Director of CareerBuilder Singapore. “Naturally, students are becoming increasingly cautious about their career choices, and start seeking stability and security.”

Job security beats job scope, but growth opportunities still important

On the topic of attributes that are viewed as important in an ideal job, students placed an increasing emphasis on “job security” as a key criterion. The attribute rose from third in 2018 to second place in 2019 – overtaking “interesting job scope”.

Attributes that are important to students in their ideal job
acceptable-scholarship

Career growth and opportunities remain to be a top attribute in ideal jobs.

Healthcare still the most attractive sector

The healthcare sector remains to be the preferred job industry amongst students and graduates.

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“The recurring interest in the healthcare sector is a positive sign for the industry, especially as Singapore continues to ramp up healthcare infrastructure in preparation for the nation’s rapidly ageing population.” Vinay explained. “It is essential for the sector to continue implementing effective human resources measures, which will enable them to reach out to a wider pool of talent, eventually benefiting Singapore’s healthcare industry.”

Naturally, the public service is ranked second as students continue to place job stability as a priority. Ultimately, a job in civil service is still being perceived as an “iron rice bowl”.

A total of 3,215 respondents participated in the BrightSparks Scholarship & Higher Education Survey 2019.

For more information about BrightSparks and CareerBuilder Singapore, please visit brightsparks.com.sg or www.careerbuilder.com.sg .

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About BrightSparks

BrightSparks (www.brightsparks.com.sg), by CareerBuilder Singapore, is Singapore’s number one Scholarship and Higher Education portal. The niche portal offers Junior College (JC), Polytechnic and Undergraduate students a wealth of comprehensive information on personal improvement, as well as the latest scholarships and higher education choices. Established in 2004, the portal has since evolved into a one-stop online destination where aspiring scholars can research, compare and apply for scholarships. In addition to the portal, BrightSparks organises scholarship networking events and publishes the biannual BrightSparks magazine as well as the annual BrightSparks Scholarship and Education Survey Report.

About CareerBuilder Singapore

CareerBuilder Singapore is part of the world’s leading human capital solutions provider, CareerBuilder LLC.

Established in 2000, CareerBuilder Singapore has grown into a regional industry frontrunner that is backed by its global resources and expertise in the Southeast Asian talent recruitment arena.

CareerBuilder Singapore’s suite of offerings includes niche portals BrightSparks, BrightMinds and JobsCentral Learning as well as career portal JobsCentral. CareerBuilder Singapore also provides a holistic suite of recruitment software that helps facilitate an end-to-end ecosystem.

To learn more about CareerBuilder Singapore and its suite of products, visit:

CareerBuilder is a global technology company that provides end-to-end talent acquisition solutions to help employers find, hire and onboard great talent, and helps job seekers build new skills and progressive careers as the modern world of work changes. A known disruptor for nearly 25 years, CareerBuilder is the only company that offers both software and services to cover every step of the hiring process, enabling its customers to free up valuable resources across their HR tech supply chain to drive their business forward. Specialising in talent acquisition recruiting platforms, employment screening and human capital management, CareerBuilder is the largest provider of AI-powered hiring solutions serving the majority of the Fortune 500 across five specialised markets. CareerBuilder is majority-owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC and operates in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.

For media enquiries, please contact:

CareerBuilder Singapore
Ong Cheow Eng
+65 9766 8432
[email protected]