Doctors, aerospace engineers, digital animators – there is a myriad of job roles out there today, and many different skills sets needed.  The education system is thus moving towards greater recognition of different aptitudes and talents, and encouraging individuals to discover and pursue their strengths and interests, and develop mastery of skills in their chosen fields. 

Getting in based on your strengths and interests

In terms of admissions, beyond academic routes, schools and institutions have the flexibility to select and admit students based on their strengths and interests, through the Direct School Admissions (DSA) and Early Admissions Exercises (EAE). The Autonomous Universities (AUs) also practise aptitude-based admissions, by assessing applicants holistically, taking into account a range of factors including their talents and aptitudes. 

Aptitude-based admissions:

- Direct School Admissions for both Secondary Schools and Junior Colleges
- Early Admissions Exercises at both the polytechnic (Poly EAE) and ITE level (ITE EAE)
- Aptitude screening for more Nitec courses at the Joint Intake Exercise (JIE)

Pursuing your interests and acquiring work-relevant skills while you’re at it

The SkillsFuture Work-Study Programmes offer a practice-oriented learning approach, which intersperse classroom learning with on-the-job-training, allowing students to benefit from learning in the classroom, applying it directly in the workplace, and letting real experiences inform their learning.

This pathway provides for students to pursue their areas of interest and acquire work-relevant skills, and boost both their work-readiness and employability upon graduation. Work-Study Programmes at various levels, from certificates to degrees, will be further scaled up so that more students can benefit from this pathway.

With these schemes and grants in place, Singaporeans will have access to different opportunities at every level of education. As the economy and jobs landscape continues to evolve, our education system will continue to adapt and support our younger generation to meet the demands of the future.