BrightSparks Scholarships & Education Survey Report 2018
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BrightSparks Scholarships & Education Survey Report 2018

BrightSparks Scholarships & Education Survey Report 2018
Held for the 11th year, the BrightSparks Scholarship and Education Survey is an annual study of scholarships, higher education, and career preferences of potential scholarship recipients in Singapore. A total of 3,345 respondents, including top GCE ‘A’ Level and International Baccalaureate (IB) students, graduates, polytechnic students, and university undergraduates participated in this year’s survey.

Top 10 overall preferred scholarship providers rankings among the different categories

Respondents who indicated their interest to pursue scholarships were asked to select their preferred scholarship providers that they intend to apply or have already applied for which multiple selections of the scholarship providers is allowed. The scholarship providers rankings are as follows:

Top GCE ‘A’ Level and IB Diploma students and graduates

BrightSparks Scholarships & Education Survey Report 2018


Most preferred industries

Across the group of top GCE ‘A’ level & IB Diploma students and graduates, GCE ‘A’ level & IB Diploma students, graduates, and polytechnic students, the healthcare industry was voted as the top preferred work industry. On the other hand, university undergraduates have different preferences, with advertising being the top preferred industry.

BrightSparks Scholarships & Education Survey Report 2018


Career growth and opportunities is the most important factor in an ideal job

95 percent of the GCE ‘A’ level & IB Diploma students and graduates cited career growth and opportunities as the most important attribute in an ideal job. Other key attributes to an ideal job are work-life balance (89 percent rated important), job security (89 percent rated important) and interesting job scope (89 percent rated important).

Attributes that are important to students in their ideal job

BrightSparks Scholarships & Education Survey Report 2018


S$3,001 to S$3,500 is the expected starting salary

In comparison with the top GCE ‘A’ level & IB Diploma students and graduates, GCE ‘A’ level & IB Diploma students and graduates have a lower expected starting salary with the majority, 30 percent, indicating their expected starting salary to be in the range of S$3,001 to S$3,500.

Expected starting salary

BrightSparks Scholarships & Education Survey Report 2018


Career growth and opportunities is the most important factor in an ideal job

97 percent of the polytechnic students cited career growth and opportunities as the most important attribute in an ideal job. Other key attributes for an ideal job are work-life balance (92 percent rated important), job security (92 percent rated important) and interesting job scope (90 percent rated important).

Attributes that are important to students in their ideal job

BrightSparks Scholarships & Education Survey Report 2018


S$2,501 TO S$3,000 is the expected starting salary

In comparison with the GCE ‘A’ level & IB Diploma students and graduates, polytechnic students have a lower expected starting salary with the majority, 25 percent, indicating their expected starting salary to be in the range of S$2,501 to S$3,000.

Expected starting salary

BrightSparks Scholarships & Education Survey Report 2018


Career growth and opportunities is the most sought after in an ideal job

The university undergraduates rated career growth and opportunities as the most important attribute in their ideal job with 94 percent of them rating it as important. This is no surprise as it has been consistently found that university undergraduates value their future career and would like to seek career advancements. Other important ideal work attributes are work-life balance (89 percent rate it as important), job security (88 percent rate it as important), interesting job scope (87 percent rate it as important), and acceptable work demand (85 percent rate it as important).

Attributes that are important to students in their ideal job

BrightSparks Scholarships & Education Survey Report 2018


S$3,001 to S$3,500 is the expected starting salary

Majority of the university undergraduates (39 percent) indicated an expected starting salary of S$3,001 to S$3,500.

Expected starting salary

BrightSparks Scholarships & Education Survey Report 2018