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Given that over half of Singaporean graduates work in jobs unrelated to their university degrees, is it really that important to hire someone with a degree?
According to the latest YouGov research polling 646 Singaporean graduates, 99% of respondents felt that having a university degree is important.
Assuming the position of an employer, 15% said they would be unwilling to hire someone without a university degree. Thankfully half (53%) would be willing and the remaining third (33%) thinks it makes no difference.
As a HR leader, what are your thoughts on this? Would you hire someone without a degree? Why. why not? Write in to us at jerenea@humanresourcesonline.net to share your comment.
The YouGov research further revealed that while 53% of Singaporean graduates work in jobs unrelated to their degrees, this isn't the same across all fields of study.
Those studying accounting and finance (70%) are more likely to end up working in a related field, compared to those who studied business, administration and law (27%).
Other factors that affect whether someone moves into a job linked to their degree included:
- Those who studied abroad were more likely to move into a job linked to their degree than those who studied locally (51% vs 45%)
- Older Singaporeans (aged 55 and above) were more likely than their younger counterparts (aged 25 to 34) to work in jobs relevant to their degrees (54% vs 42%).
Overall, the majority of Singaporeans (57%) found their degrees 'very useful', while 39% found them somewhat useful. The remaining 4% found them useless. This varies by field of study, with those who studied information and communications technology (72%) being more likely to think of their degrees as very useful compared with those who studied science and mathematics (43%).
Finally, the survey shed light on the factors behind Singaporeans' choice of their field of study. While about a third (37%) made the decision themselves, the rest were influenced by their parents (35%), friends (26%), and the media (14%).
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