Professional Readiness Experience

Overview

The work programmes under PRE are experiential learning opportunities for students to improve their employability and workplace readiness through supervised work placements with Host Organisations in Singapore or abroad.

Duration

Minimum requirement

24 weeks

Alternative

8 weeks stacked-up

Workload

≥ 35 hours/week

Exception

a) Students with ECE Diploma from Polytechnic and minimum B4 in O'level English: Exempted from WA.

b) Students without ECE Diploma: Minimum 12 weeks WA.

c) Students must confirm their placement with Career Development and the preschool at least 6 weeks prior to commencement of the WA to facilitate the disbursement of ECDA funding documents to the respective preschools. Failure to comply with this will result in your WA being void.

a) MHA sponsored students on 3-year track: Exempted from WA.

a) Full-time SWK students: Exempted from WA. Students are required to complete two compulsory practicums typically in Year 3 Semester 1 and Year 4 Semester 1 under the School of Social Work and Social Development (SWSD) Practicum Office.

b) Compulsory practicum placements: Students will usually be briefed by the School in Year 2 Semester 2.

a) Bachelor of Accountancy (ACC) students: The Professional Readiness Experience (PRE) requirement must be fulfilled through a continuous 24-week internship.

b) Internship arrangement: The internship arrangement is currently non-stackable and cannot be split across separate internship periods.

1. Work Attachment (WA)

This is a non-credit bearing graduation requirement. There are 4 ways in which you may fulfil your work attachment requirements.
Please refer to the WA Information Guide for more details.

1A. Local Work Attachment

Hands-on learning via local industry placements.

1B. Overseas Work Attachment

Gain global experience through overseas attachments.

1C. Entrepreneurial Work Attachment

Embark on an entrepreneurial journey with guided process.

1D. Interdisciplinary Work Attachment

Multidisciplinary, collaborative industry-focused applied experience.

2. Work-Study Degree Programme (WSDeg)

This is a credit bearing elective work programme that provides you with in depth real world experience to build future ready employability skills.

Work Study Degree Programme

The programme aims to provide students with a holistic and immersive learning experience that combines theoretical knowledge with practical skills.

Learn More

Embarking on Work Attachment soon? Check these resources out!

PRE Summary

PRE Guideline

Differences between WA, WSDeg and Internships

Topic	WA	WSDeg	Internship
Pre-requisite	Students will need to fulfil academic and non-academic pre-requisites before embarking on WA or WSDeg.		NA
Requirement	Mandatory for all full-time students as part of a non-credit bearing graduation requirement.	Mandatory for students enrolled in the WSDeg track as part of a credit-bearing graduation requirement.	It is not a graduation requirement.
Learning Objective	Helps students understand programme-specific Work Attachment Learning Objectives (LO). View detailed Learning Objectives by programme		NA
Placement	Supervised work placement with a Host Organisation (HO) in Singapore or overseas.		Self-managed by students.
Timeline	Students are advised to apply 6 to 9 months ahead of planned WA start date. The duration should be at least 24 weeks (12 weeks for ECE programme). You may use the WA Calculator to track the duration.	12-month structured Work-Study programme where students study and work concurrently.	Self-managed by students. Duration is flexible depending on student's choice.
Evaluation	Students' performance will be evaluated based on supervisor feedback and WA assignments.	Evaluated as credit-bearing module (CDO381) based on performance goals, competency development, supervisor feedback, and Industry Applied Project (IAP).	NA
Approved Companies	SUSS-approved corporate partners (via SUSS Career Portal). Independent companies must be approved by SUSS (local: ACRA registered; overseas: relevant authority).		NA
CPF Contribution	Local SUSS students are exempted from making CPF contributions and SDL.

Learning Objectives

Students can click on the links below to gain a better understanding of the Work Attachment (WA) Learning Objectives (LO) for the respective programmes.

These will provide guidance for students to check back if a particular Job Description meets the LO for their self-sourced WA.

Should you have any enquiries, please email Career Development (CD) at [email protected].

Plan Your Career Journey

Find opportunities and personalised coaching to help you prepare for your future career.

Explore Job Opportunities

The SUSS Career Portal is a platform that supports students in their employment journey by connecting them to opportunities that build skills, experience, and professional networks.

Visit SUSS Career Portal

Book Your Career Coach

Book appointments with Career Development (CD) Coaches for personalised guidance on career planning, internship preparation, resume reviews, interview strategies, and industry insights.

Visit Elevate@SUSS

International Students

All DP holders enrolled in a full-time programme in SUSS will be eligible for a MOM Letter of Consent (LOC) for internships that are part of course requirements. These LOCs will need to be applied by SUSS, instead of employers.

Pass Type	With Effect From 1 May 2021
DP	Work Requires a work pass (e.g. EP, S Pass, Work Permit, TEP, TWP) instead of MOM LOC Employers to apply for work pass, and each work pass is job-stint specific Alternatively, student DP holders can switch to STP for which no work pass is needed for any work, subject to cap on number of hours during term time, if it is not part of course requirement. Intern Similar to work, for internships that are not part of course requirements, work pass is required instead of MOM LOC (Exception) For internships that are part of course requirements, MOM will continue to provide a MOM LOC.
STP	Intern / Work (no change with effect from 1 May 2021) No work pass needed and no need to notify MOM for any work, including internships that are part of course and beyond course requirements. Up to 16 hours a week during school term for any work that does not contribute to graduation requirements, no limit otherwise.

Pass Type

With Effect From 1 May 2021

Work

Requires a work pass (e.g. EP, S Pass, Work Permit, TEP, TWP) instead of MOM LOC
Employers to apply for work pass, and each work pass is job-stint specific

Alternatively, student DP holders can switch to STP for which no work pass is needed for any work, subject to cap on number of hours during term time, if it is not part of course requirement.

Intern

Similar to work, for internships that are not part of course requirements, work pass is required instead of MOM LOC

(Exception) For internships that are part of course requirements, MOM will continue to provide a MOM LOC.

STP

Intern / Work (no change with effect from 1 May 2021)

No work pass needed and no need to notify MOM for any work, including internships that are part of course and beyond course requirements.
Up to 16 hours a week during school term for any work that does not contribute to graduation requirements, no limit otherwise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When do students do their Work Attachments (WA)?

A: Students typically commence WA from their second year of studies.

Q: What is WA?

A: WA is a signature programme of the SUSS undergraduate curriculum, where students perform a minimum 24-week (except ECE students where they perform 12 weeks of WA) of Work Attachment at Industry Partners' Organisation (Host Organisation) during their second or third year of studies, in either the Summer or Winter windows.

Q: When is the WA period?

A: There are two windows where students can perform their WA; generally from May to the following January and November to the following July. The upcoming WA windows are:

Duration	Start Period	End Period	Student Majors	Year of Studies
Summer WA: 6 months (minimum)	Beginning May	Mid Jan	BA, FIN, HRM, ICT, MKT, PSS, SCM	2nd, 3rd
Winter WA: 6 months (minimum)	End Nov	End Jul	BA, FIN, HRM, ICT, MKT, PSS, SCM	2nd, 3rd

Q: When do Accounting Students perform their WA?

A: From September to following July (Single window).

Q: Is CPF contribution required?

A: With effect from 1 January 2018, organisations which host students, who are Singaporeans/PRs on WA and internships approved by SUSS Office of Career Development are exempted from making contributions to the Central Provident Fund (CPF) and Skills Development Levy (SDL).

Q: Does host organisation need to purchase insurance for students on WA/internship?

A: Students are covered by SUSS's existing insurance scheme (see Student Insurance Scheme). The host organisation may provide further coverage for the student, or where it is an OWA and/or travelling is required during the WA.

Q: Does host organisation need to purchase insurance for students on Overseas WA/internship?

A: SUSS partners with International SOS ("ISOS") for the provision of, inter alia, emergency medical and repatriation services for SUSS students who are on overseas study missions or programmes, hence students on OWA should only purchase ISOS-supported travel insurance cover.

Q: Can students perform a shorter WA with HO?

A: Yes. Students have the option to do a 'Stack-up' WA which must be a minimum of 8 weeks per Stack-up. Alternatively, students can opt for an Internship with the company of any duration.

Q: Can students perform a longer WA with HO?

A: Yes. Students have the option to do a longer WA as long as it does not affect their school curriculum.

Q: Is there a standard number of Annual Leaves students are entitled to?

A: As per MOM Guidelines: "For internships that Students undergo as part of their academic course requirements in schools, they will typically not be subjected to the legal provisions in the EA and WICA". Hence, this is up to host organisation's discretion.

Q: Is there a standard remuneration for students?

A: We leave this up to the company's discretion, following the competitive market practice.

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For enquiries, contact us at [email protected].