3,000 year-long internships to be offered to tertiary students as AI reshapes entry-level jobs

The internships will be offered over the next three years to eligible Information and Digital Technologies students from the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and autonomous universities.

Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information speaks at SCS TechConnect 2026 on Oct 19, 2026. (Photo: Ministry of Digital Development and Information)

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SINGAPORE: About 3,000 year-long internships will be offered to tertiary students over the next three years to help them gain work experience and transition into employment as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes entry-level jobs in the technology sector.

The internships are part of Bridge2Tech, a set of expanded initiatives under the Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA) TIP Alliance+, which now includes students from autonomous universities.

The year-long internships have been offered to eligible Information and Digital Technologies students from the Institute of Technical Education and polytechnics since 2022.

Announcing the initiative at the Singapore Computer Society's TechConnect event on Monday (Oct 19), Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How said new pathways between education and employment were needed as AI changes how young professionals gain experience.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Employers are also increasingly seeking new hires who can contribute from the outset, he noted. The 10- to 12-month internships will be integrated into students' curricula and jointly designed by educational institutions and employers, with IMDA providing funding support to encourage more companies to participate. They will allow students to work on substantial projects, learn from experienced colleagues and develop professional judgment through real-world experience, IMDA said in a press release on Monday. Mr Tan acknowledged concerns among fresh graduates about their employment prospects as AI increasingly replaces or assists with some tasks junior professionals used to do. “These concerns are real. We should not dismiss them or offer easy reassurance,” he said.

Employers are also increasingly seeking new hires who can contribute from the outset, he noted.

The 10- to 12-month internships will be integrated into students' curricula and jointly designed by educational institutions and employers, with IMDA providing funding support to encourage more companies to participate.

They will allow students to work on substantial projects, learn from experienced colleagues and develop professional judgment through real-world experience, IMDA said in a press release on Monday.

Mr Tan acknowledged concerns among fresh graduates about their employment prospects as AI increasingly replaces or assists with some tasks junior professionals used to do.

“These concerns are real. We should not dismiss them or offer easy reassurance,” he said.

For example, Mr Tan noted that AI can now assist with many tasks junior engineers used to learn from, such as writing simpler programmes, debugging code, testing applications or maintaining systems.

“If the work through which young professionals traditionally gained experience is changing, how will the next generation develop that experience? Some describe this as the disappearing early rungs of the career ladder,” he said.

“Employers still need experienced engineers. But those engineers need to begin somewhere.”

Mr Tan added that fresh graduates could not be expected to enter the workforce with years of practical experience, nor could they simply be told to learn more AI.

"If AI is changing the first rungs of the career ladder, we must build new bridges between school and work," he said.

He added that building these pathways was a shared responsibility among educational institutions, employers, industry associations and the government.

MORE SUPPORT FOR TECH COURSES, CERTIFICATIONS

Beyond more internship opportunities, students will also receive greater support to pursue industry-recognised certifications in AI, cloud and cybersecurity.

Eligible students can receive IMDA funding of up to 90 per cent for approved courses and certifications, subject to applicable caps.

A new Government Tech Domain Pathway will also be open for applications in November.

The pathway will allow students to apply technology to meaningful industry problems, Mr Tan said.

It aims to equip students with government-specific domain knowledge and an understanding of public-service requirements, preparing them for technology careers in the public sector and companies providing digital solutions to government agencies.

The pathway is part of IMDA's broader efforts to complement students' technical capabilities with industry-specific knowledge.

The government is working with partners on a HealthTech pathway for 2027, Mr Tan said.

EMPLOYERS MUST RECOGNISE SKILLS AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

As students are asked to go beyond qualifications and apply skills and demonstrate what they can do, employers must also be prepared to recognise and value these capabilities, Mr Tan said.

He noted that more than 200 employers had pledged support for skills-based hiring under TIP Alliance+.

“A diploma or degree remains valuable. But qualifications alone cannot tell an employer everything about a person’s potential,” Mr Tan said.

Employers should translate these commitments into actual hiring practices, from how jobs are advertised and candidates assessed to how skills and experience are recognised, he added.

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未来三年，技术教育学院、理工学院和自治大学将为符合条件的信息与数字技术专业的学生提供实习机会。

2026年10月19日，数字发展与信息部高级国务部长在SCS TechConnect 2026大会上发表讲话。（图片：数字发展与信息部）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：未来三年，将向高等院校学生提供约 3000 个为期一年的实习岗位，以帮助他们获得工作经验并过渡到就业岗位，因为人工智能 (AI) 正在重塑科技行业的入门级工作。

这些实习项目是 Bridge2Tech 的一部分，Bridge2Tech 是新加坡资讯通信媒体发展局 (IMDA) TIP Alliance+ 下一系列扩展计划的一部分，现在该计划还包括来自自主大学的学生。

自 2022 年起，技术教育学院和理工学院的合格信息与数字技术专业的学生可获得为期一年的实习机会。

周一（10 月 19 日），新加坡电脑协会 TechConnect 活动上宣布了这项计划。数字发展及新闻部高级政务部长陈杰豪表示，随着人工智能改变年轻专业人士获得经验的方式，教育和就业之间需要新的途径。

CNA游戏猜词游戏：逐行破解单词；流行词游戏：用给定的字母组成单词；迷你数独：小巧的谜题，强大的脑力挑战；迷你填字游戏：小方格，大挑战；单词搜索：尽可能多地找出单词。显示更多 显示更少 他指出，雇主也越来越倾向于寻找能够从一开始就做出贡献的新员工。这些为期10至12个月的实习项目将纳入学生的课程，由教育机构和雇主共同设计，新加坡资讯通信媒体发展局（IMDA）将提供资金支持，以鼓励更多公司参与。IMDA在周一的新闻稿中表示，这些实习项目将使学生能够参与实质性项目，向经验丰富的同事学习，并通过实际经验培养专业判断力。陈先生承认，随着人工智能越来越多地取代或协助初级专业人员完成一些过去由他们完成的工作，应届毕业生对自己的就业前景感到担忧。“这些担忧是真实存在的。我们不应该忽视它们，也不应该轻易地安抚它们，”他说。

他还指出，雇主们也越来越倾向于招聘能够从一开始就做出贡献的新员工。

为期 10 至 12 个月的实习将纳入学生的课程，由教育机构和用人单位共同设计，新加坡资讯通信媒体发展局 (IMDA) 将提供资金支持，鼓励更多公司参与。

新加坡资讯通信媒体发展局（IMDA）周一在一份新闻稿中表示，这些项目将允许学生参与实质性项目，向经验丰富的同事学习，并通过实际经验培养专业判断力。

陈先生承认，应届毕业生对自己的就业前景感到担忧，因为人工智能越来越多地取代或协助初级专业人员完成一些过去由他们完成的任务。

“这些担忧是真实存在的。我们不应该忽视它们，也不应该轻易地安抚它们，”他说。

例如，谭先生指出，人工智能现在可以协助初级工程师完成许多以前需要学习的任务，例如编写更简单的程序、调试代码、测试应用程序或维护系统。

“如果年轻专业人士传统上积累经验的工作方式正在发生变化，那么下一代将如何积累经验呢？有人将此描述为职业阶梯早期阶段的消失，”他说道。

“用人单位仍然需要经验丰富的工程师。但这些工程师也需要从某个地方开始。”

陈先生补充说，不能指望应届毕业生带着多年的实践经验进入职场，也不能简单地告诉他们要学习更多的人工智能知识。

“如果人工智能正在改变职业生涯的最初阶段，我们就必须在学校和工作之间搭建新的桥梁，”他说。

他还补充说，构建这些途径是教育机构、雇主、行业协会和政府的共同责任。

加强对技术课程和认证的支持

除了更多的实习机会外，学生还将获得更大的支持，以获得人工智能、云计算和网络安全领域行业认可的认证。

符合条件的学生可获得 IMDA 最高 90% 的资助，用于已批准的课程和认证，但须遵守适用的上限。

一项新的政府科技领域途径也将于11月开放申请。

谭先生表示，该途径将使学生能够将技术应用于有意义的行业问题。

该项目旨在使学生掌握政府特定领域的知识和对公共服务需求的理解，为他们在公共部门和为政府机构提供数字解决方案的公司从事技术职业做好准备。

该途径是IMDA为补充学生的技术能力和行业特定知识而采取的更广泛举措的一部分。

陈先生表示，政府正与合作伙伴共同制定2027年医疗科技发展路径。

雇主必须认可技能和实践经验

谭先生表示，随着学生们被要求超越学历要求，运用技能并展示自己的能力，雇主也必须做好准备，认可和重视这些能力。

他指出，已有 200 多家雇主承诺支持 TIP Alliance+ 下的技能型招聘。

“文凭或学位仍然很有价值。但仅凭学历并不能让雇主全面了解一个人的潜力，”陈先生说。

他补充说，雇主应该将这些承诺转化为实际的招聘做法，从如何发布招聘广告和评估候选人，到如何认可技能和经验。

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