SINGAPORE, 20 February 2023 – Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) School of Business saw an increase in full time permanent employment as compared to 2021. Its full-time Supply Chain Management (SCM), Finance and Accountancy graduates continue to be sought after by employers, with overall employment of 98.4%, 97.2% and 96.4% respectively. Business Analytics and Marketing graduates also enjoyed overall employment of 93.0% and 87.2% respectively.
The results were revealed in the annual Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey (JAUGES), jointly conducted by SUSS and the other Autonomous Universities.
A total of 492 out of the 613 graduates from the Class of 2022 participated in the survey – a response rate of 80.3%. They were from the Accountancy, Business Analytics, Early Childhood Education (ECE), Finance, Human Resource Management (HRM), Marketing, Social Work and Supply Chain Management (SCM) programmes.
Among those in the labour force, 449 of SUSS full-time graduates from the Class of 2022 secured employment within six months of completing their final examinations. SUSS full-time permanent (FTP) employment rate increased from 78.9% in 2021 to 82.9% in 2022.
The mean and median gross monthly salaries of SUSS graduates in full-time permanent employment[1] are $3,833 and $3,600 respectively in 2022.
Graduates credited SUSS for its strong focus on applied learning and industry-relevant curriculum. Their learning journeys were grounded in SUSS's core philosophy of ‘Head, Heart, Habit’, in which they are prepared to be well-rounded talents that are professionally competent, socially conscious, and lifelong learners.
SUSS President, Professor Tan Tai Yong said, “SUSS is proud of our graduates, who have secured employment. The result reflects continued strong demand for SUSS graduates despite the constant change and rapid disruptions to the world and workplace. I am confident that our graduates, equipped with industry-relevant knowledge and skillsets gained from their time at SUSS, will excel in their respective careers and make an impact for the greater good of the community.”
How has SUSS helped our graduating students find jobs?
Most graduates found that SUSS’s Career Services had a positive impact on them and that SUSS had prepared them for the job market.
SUSS’s Career Development Office curates and facilitates a wide spectrum of work-related programmes, courses and workshops to support students in their transition from the university to the workforce. Students receive training in personal branding, job search and interviewing skills, opportunities to engage with industry practitioners through talks, company visits and networking sessions, and career-related coaching and advice from career mentors. Because of SUSS’s small cohort size, the students get more personalised advice from career mentors.
A work attachment of minimally 24 weeks is a graduation requirement for all SUSS full-time degree programmes. The stint exposes students to authentic work environments, provides opportunities for the application and development of skills and competencies, as well as facilitates the assimilation of work ethics and soft skills for work. Every student on work attachment is paired with a career mentor who guides the student throughout the learning experience. These mentors bring with them a wealth of commercial and professional experience, strong connections in many industry sectors and deep knowledge of industry trends and developments, all of which are important in helping students be competitive in the job market.
In addition to the work attachment, other graduation requirements include the overseas experience (including selected virtual internship and exposure programmes), as well as service-learning and community engagement initiatives. SUSS Core[1] courses, together with the academic curriculum, round up the suite of academic and experiential components of a holistic education that focuses on developing the Head, Heart and Habit of every graduate of SUSS.
What do SUSS graduates say about the University’s educational experience?
“The SUSS Bachelor of Social Work programme enabled me to gain invaluable knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of the social service sector. My studies have helped me to assimilate quickly into my current role as a Community Partnership Executive at Fei Yue Family Service Centre.”– Harrick Koh Jia Jie, 27, SUSS Social Work graduate
Harrick Koh Jia Jie graduated from SUSS with a Bachelor of Social Work with Sociology.
He currently works as a Community Partnership Executive at Fei Yue Family Service Centre, focusing on community development work. Harrick believes that his study at SUSS equipped him with the skillsets and knowledge to excel in his role. Through the social work practicums, Harrick found it beneficial and instrumental in helping him discover his passion and strength in community work.
In his current position, Harrick feels that he can impact the lives of residents and the larger community by pooling together community stakeholders, such as advisors, grassroots leaders, social service agencies, local partners, and residents alike, to collaborate and contribute. This focus on community development and outreach has helped him to find joy and meaning in his work.
“SUSS has a unique pedagogy that gives me an edge over my peers. The vision of the school to mandate a six-month Work Attachment alongside a rigorous and up-to-date curriculum provided me with the skills, knowledge and experience I need to get up to speed with the needs of the finance industry.”– Amanda Teo Pei Kim, 24, SUSS Finance graduate
Amanda Teo Pei Kim graduated from SUSS with a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a Minor in Communications. She currently works as a Project Execution Analyst in J.P. Morgan’s APAC Technology Management Office where she supports the Chief Information Officer, Chief of Staff and the broader Technology Leadership team in the region.
Amanda believes that SUSS has prepared her well for a career in the banking industry as the rigorous finance curriculum and her Minor in Communications have equipped her with critical thinking skills and writing prowess in her role at J.P. Morgan.
In addition, the general elective courses such as resume writing, personal branding and business acumen provided by the Career Development Office enabled and strengthened Amanda’s profile when she was applying for a full-time permanent role after graduation.
SUSS is also replete with mentorship opportunities as students are highly encouraged to network with their seniors, peers and faculty mentors to establish strong relationships and community spirit in the institution. Amanda has indeed benefited from the guidance of her mentor as well as the strong culture of support and structure of the school.
“My degree’s industry-relevant modules coupled with support from the Career Development Office prepared me to take on my current role with confidence.” – Jonathan Goh Wei Jie, 27, SUSS Human Resource Management graduate
Jonathan Goh graduated from SUSS with a Bachelor of Human Resource Management with a Minor in Sociology. He is currently working as an Analyst with the Employee Experience team at Willis Towers Watson Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, where he analyses client workforce data to help leaders make effective decisions to engage and retain their top talent.
Jonathan is thankful for SUSS Career Development Office’s support, which he found invaluable. Through mock interview sessions, work attachment and internships, and attending curated programmes with external partners, Jonathan has broadened his knowledge and the exposure gave him a competitive edge over others. The work attachment experience also opened up opportunities for him to discover his passion in the consulting space.
Jonathan is also grateful for the support accorded by his lecturers and professors, who shared personal experiences in the industry. These not only help set expectations and prepared him for the realities of the job, but also equipped him with the necessary abilities and knowledge to navigate the technicalities of the industry.
"The SUSS career workshops helped me prepare and attain a role in DYSON Limited. The mock interviews and assessment were conducted to mimic the process of being interviewed for a role, which created a positive impact and gave me the confidence during the actual interview.” –Jeremy Ng Sheng Yuan, 28, SUSS Supply Chain Management graduate
Jeremy Ng was formerly from the Normal Technical stream and attained his NTEC qualification at ITE. Following which, he achieved a diploma from polytechnic and secured a place at SUSS, where he graduated with honours from his Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management with Minor in Analytics.
He is currently working as a management trainee at DYSON Limited, where he manages supply chain solution related projects. Jeremy felt that his supply chain management major with a minor in analytics widened his skillsets as he could integrate operational work with his analytics expertise.
Jeremy is grateful for SUSS Career Development Office’s support, which helped him prepare for his job search. Mock interviews and assessments conducted by SUSS made him confident for the actual interview. In his internships, Jeremy was able to apply knowledge gained from school to be applied at his workplace. In turn, he also gained valuable working experiences from these internships.
Together with his internships' working experiences and the support from the career workshops, Jeremy was able to secure a permanent role in his current company.
[1] Full-time permanent employment refers to the number of graduates working on a full-time permanent basis, as a proportion of graduates in the labour force (i.e. those who were working, or not working but actively looking and available for a job).
[2] The SUSS Core courses provide a common experience in the humanities and applied social sciences for all SUSS undergraduate students to develop into adaptive and resilient global citizens equipped with skills for personal, interpersonal, professional and organisational success. It offers a dedicated cluster of courses focused on enabling learners to appreciate complex issues in local and global contexts, enhance their understandings of individuals, communities and relationships, and empower them to contribute meaningfully to society through interdisciplinary approaches and experiential learning.
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About the Singapore University of Social Sciences
Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) is a university with a rich heritage in inspiring lifelong education and transforming society through social sciences. We develop work-ready graduates and work-adaptive alumni to their fullest potential through our 3H’s education philosophy – ‘Head’ for professional competency with applied knowledge, ‘Heart’ for social awareness to meet the needs of the society, and ‘Habit’ for passion towards lifelong learning.
We offer over 90 undergraduate and graduate programmes, available in full- and part-time study modes which are flexible, modular and inter-disciplinary, catering to both fresh school leavers and adult learners. SUSS also offers a broad range of continuing education and training modular courses for the professional skills upgrading of Singapore's workforce.
Our programmes and courses are offered by our five schools:
• S R Nathan School of Human Development
• School of Business
• School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences
• School of Law
• School of Science and Technology
To date, over 44,000 graduates have experienced our unique brand of education, and each year, about 21,000 students are pursuing their full- and part-time studies with us.
The Institute for Adult Learning (IAL), as part of SUSS, leads in the field of research on adult learning to build capabilities of the training and adult education sector in Singapore and beyond.
For more information on SUSS, please visit www.suss.edu.sg.