Earn and Learn scheme has role in shaping career paths
I read with interest the report “Earn and Learn programme to be enhanced, expanded” (April 9). Students graduating from polytechnics, such as myself, face the dilemma of starting their career or pursuing further studies at the university.
With our education landscape transitioning from an emphasis on paper qualifications to inculcating mastery, the Earn and Learn Programme (ELP), as part of SkillsFuture, has come at the right juncture. The employment landscape is also evolving, and workers must upgrade their skills constantly to keep up with new developments.
Besides this transition, SkillsFuture is about choosing the right career that one can potentially go far in, suiting one’s interests and passion. As poet Robert Frost once said: “When work becomes play, and play becomes your work, your life unfolds.”
I believe that besides an internship, a stint in the ELP can assure students whether a certain job is their calling. Both offer a taste of the industry and orientate students to their prospects in the field.
The difference is that the ELP provides a wider experience, as the student enters with full knowledge from his diploma or Institute of Technical Education certificate, and would probably be given heavier responsibilities at the firm.
In comparison, internships usually offer fewer responsibilities to students because they are probably in their second or third year, with limited knowledge in their subject area.
The ELP’s purpose is thus not only for students to work and gain experience while studying, but also for them to gain a wider perspective of their potential industry and make an informed choice about their career.
Employers must be open to the ELP’s diverse benefits, and not see themselves as a testing ground for students. After all, the aim should be for everyone to enjoy his or her job and find meaning and purpose to the extent that we are able to pursue excellence, contribute to our firms and eventually the economy.
