Where Can You Go To After The GCE O-Level?
The results of the 2008 Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE O-Level) Examination were released this afternoon Monday, 12 January 2009 at 2:00 pm.
School candidates collected their results from their schools.
Private candidates have accessed their results through the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board website from 2:00 pm this afternoon too. They will also be informed of their results by post.
Students can apply for Junior Colleges (JCs), Millennia Institute (MI), Polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) via both the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) and the Joint-Polytechnic Special Admissions Exercise (JPSAE) using their GCE O-Level results.
Were you one of the school candidates who have just received your GCE O-Level results?
For those of you who said yes:
Were you excited and happy or were you worried that you have to leave your school which has been sheltering and pampering you for at least the last four years and now you have to fend for yourself?
Have you decided what to do with your future?
Everyone knows that it’s a hard fact of life that getting at least a diploma is important to survive in this modern-day society.
So for those of you who had good results, I give you my heartiest congratulations. I’m quite sure you will be looking forward to take on the next challenge.
For those of you with average or below average results, don’t worry you can still do very well in life.
Have you thought about the private education institutions?
Do you know about the benefits which higher education in private institutions can bring to you?
It is a great complementary path to the mainstream institutions of higher learning. It is the bridge that covers the gap for many, many people.
Have you met with or spoken to people from overseas such as those from China, Vietnam and Malaysia?
Do you know that most of the people there will take their time to attend education fairs and seminars?
Do you know that even the parents of high achievers will take the time to explore options, before they decide what suits their children the most.
In fact, earlier this year, when we were giving seminars in Malaysia some parents there would bring their children who were in secondary three or four to attend our seminars to gain awareness, so that they would have gained exposure to a wide variety of options and finally making an educated and satisfying choice when the crunch time comes.
Good for them, and so should you. Please don’t settle for less.
The unfortunate situation in Singapore is that when faced with examination results that are not good enough to allow the student to enter the mainstream Junior College (JC) or Polytechnic route, most Singapore students and parents would just take whatever that is offered to them-namely the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) route.
They do not seem to think it important enough to research further into other alternatives, and compare the advantages and disadvantages before making a decision.
I am not saying that ITE education is not good, it has after all produced the main bulk of Singapore’s skilled work force.
And some educators and parents would tell you that from ITE you can also go on to a Polytechnic to get a diploma in Singapore.
But have you thought about that? How many ITE graduates can go to a polytechnic? Presently only the top 10% or so can go straight to a polytechnic.
Isn’t that a really small number when compared to the numbers that cannot move on to higher education year after year?
If you are one of those who did not achieve very good results, it is not all doom and gloom-don’t despair. I have come across many who have done well by taking alternative routes.
Some have gotten a diploma / degree with a private education institution and some have discovered their passion in life and gone on to excel in it.
What are some important aspects to watch out for when exploring doing a diploma / degree with a private institution?
- Does the qualification cover a wide enough field, and in an industry that is blooming and growing, so that you will have wide job demands?
- Is the qualification globally recognised so that you have a big choice of good universities or countries of employment?
- How is the course conducted?
- On what criteria are the lecturers selected?
- Is the course and institution registered with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and accredited by CaseTrust?
- Does the institution have some good testimonies. Of course complaints are common whether in mainstream schools or private schools. Look at some of the students’ forums and you will notice that even the National University of Singapore (NUS) is not spared.
If you have the determination and discipline and can take challenges, Harriet Career Consultancy offers a Work And Study In Singapore Programme that might just be exactly what you are looking for.
If you are accepted into this Work & Study Programme you will find that you will come out two years ahead of your peers because not only will you get a Diploma that’s globally recognised, you will also have a solid two years of work experience.
If you ask any Human Resource (HR) Manager, they will tell you that given the choice between a candidate (A) with a diploma and another candidate (B) with a diploma and two years’ experience, the HR Manager will hire candidate B.
So enrolling into the Work And Study Programme will put you in good stead for a promising career prospect and a bright future.
If you have been condemned to the Normal Technical Stream or if you have not done well in your O-levels remember this:
Winston Churchill failed sixth grade. He was subsequently defeated in every election for public office until he became Prime Minister at the age of 62. He later wrote, “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never, Never, Never, Never give up.” (his capitals, mind you)
So as long as you don’t give up on yourself, and can be disciplined and determined to succeed, you can get a Diploma and eventually move on to a Degree!
And it doesn’t have to cost you a bomb too. The actual cost varies, depending on what you choose!
So be encouraged!
Click here if you want more information or to register for a
Diploma In Singapore.
Click here if you want more information or to register for the
Work And Study Seminar.
Don’t Fret If You Did Not Do Well Enough In Your “O” Level To Get Into A Junior College-Why?
The reason is because there are so many other ways to get a degree or at least a diploma in Singapore.
And in this society you will need at least a diploma to have an average success in making a good living-unless you have connections with some rich and powerful people or you are extremely gifted in some sort of talents.
We have two mainstream universities in Singapore. However, not every qualification offered by them is recognized in every part of the world.
Therefore if your ambition is to enter the Civil Service your choice would be to go the mainstream path or to study overseas in a college or university that is recognized by the Government.
This is because, even though many of the higher education programmes are registered with the Ministry Of Education (MOE) and highly recognised, a vast majority of the positions in the Singapore Civil Service are only opened for those who graduated from our local institutions of higher learning or to overseas graduates of recognised Institutions.
If entering the civil service is not a ‘must’, then you would have many more options.
We have so many overseas universities and colleges offering their courses and programmes through the many private education institutions.
One excellent private education institution is the Harriet Educational Group.
It has a very unique programme called Work And Study in Singapore in which a candidate will start off a career as an Executive Trainee while at the same time pursue a world recognized professional QCA accredited Diploma leading to a Degree.
The candidates who perform well in their work may soon be promoted.
There was even a particular lady who was promoted from Trainee Executive to Management Trainee position.
Another 18 year-old who fared badly in her “O” level examinations earned $2,000 within months of being in the Work And Study Programme.
When selecting a diploma programme to undertake you need to understand and consider three factors.
1 - Recognition Of The Diploma Qualification
The accreditation of the diploma qualification is very important.
Also the number of universities recognizing the diploma is very important too. This will determine the available options of a Degree and the range of companies that will employ you.
2 - Administration
Understand that the private institutions in Singapore are not as big as nor as established as the mainstream institutions in terms of years of experience.
Thus the mainstream institutions will definitely present a more structured and organised administrative system than the private ones.
However, the flip side of the coin is that the big organisations often run by the book and lack the flexibility and the personal and relational aspect that private and smaller institutions can and do offer.
With that in mind the important thing is to take responsibility and ownership of your own learning journey wherever you choose to go, and proactively seek a close communication with the relevant authorities of whichever institution you have enrolled in, to get the best services for yourself.
Just remember that it takes two hands to clap.
3 - Cost
In general, higher education is expensive but it is a necessary investment.
Goverment insitutions allow students to borrow from their parents’ CPF savings and there are also subsidies given, hence that smoothens out the path.
However if you have to study in a private institution, you can look into bank loans (very commonly used), loans from financial institutions like GE Money, TCC, NTUC Thrift as well as scholarships from community organisations such as Mendaki, Sinda and CDAC.
In conclusion:
What is most important is to plan for your future. Decide on your goal, and write down the steps to take to achieve your goal.
If you don’t plan you may find that you are not doing what you are interested in. Thus you may end up losing tens of thousands of dollars and a couple of years of your youth by switching from one course to another mid-stream.
If you really can’t decide now, its better to do something more general, that will be useful in whichever industry you should choose at a later stage.
A good choice would be to take the Harriet Educational Group’s Diploma in Business Management course.
You may chose to take a full-time academic course or a Work and Study option.
It also has a direct route to degree and masters degree.
For the Work and Study option, it will also mean that you will be earning a full-time salary and accumulating work experience in the industry at the same time.
With so many options open to you, do not give yourself any excuses not to go for a higher qualification! Go for it!
Yes! I Want to >> Go For A Diploma In Singapore
Yes! I Want To >> Work And Study In Singapore
Over 450,000 Jobs To Be Created In Next 5 Years
On March 8, 2007, the Straits Times mentioned about a speech in Parliament by the then Manpower Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen.
One thing was that SINGAPORE can expect to create more than 450,000 jobs in the next five years, with about half of them going to white-collar workers.
Dr Ng had based his five-year projection on the economy growing by 4.5 per cent to 6.5 per cent each year.
In the report it was mentioned that each of the two IRs is expected to hire more than 1,000 PMETs for such jobs as service executives, management executives, retail and sales managers, and restaurant services managers.
In his speech Dr Ng announced the letting of companies hire more S-pass holders, or semi-skilled foreigners.
However, this will not lead to a rise in foreign workers because their numbers must stay within the companies’ current foreign worker quota.
Full Report by Sue-Ann Chia Straits Times March 8, 2007
Employers, Have A Heart
Hunting for a job in Singapore is never easy for former offenders such as Mr Mohamed Rizal, 33.
He went through numerous interviews. Every interview resulted in rejection when prospective employers heard about his past.
Dropouts, low-skilled workers and the handicapped also have the same problem.
In early 2006, Mr James Chua, the CEO of private education provider Harriet Educational Group founded social enterprise Employer With A Heart (EWH).
It aims to encourage firms to be more active in social work.
Mr Rizal got his first proper job in 10 years, as a sales assistant, when Swedish furniture store Ikea decided to give him a chance. This was made possible by EWH.
He and others from different backgrounds participate in the Work And Study In Singapore Programme. They work full-time at jobs sourced through EWH. Once a week, for about two years they attend classes at Harriet Business School to earn a diploma.
Mr Rizal said that the Work And Study In Singapore Programme has boosted his confidence and taught him discipline. He also said: ‘It prepares me for a better career doing higher-level work. I can’t stay a sales assistant forever.’
Click “Employers, Have A Heart” for the Full Report by Yang Huiwen, published in the Straits Times on Mon, Nov 12, 2007.