Led by Ministry of Education, Singapore and implemented by Business China, YES is the first bilateral internship exchange scheme that Singapore has signed with another country. Singapore is also the first Asian country with which China has signed such an agreement.
Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information
At the 15th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting in Chongqing, China on 15th October 2019, former Minister for Education Singapore, Mr Ong Ye Kung, and People’s Republic of China’s Vice Minister for Human Resources and Social Security, Mr You Jun, signed an agreement to facilitate internship exchanges for students and recent graduates (not more than one year).
The agreement enables 500 Singaporean youths to intern in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for up to 6 months and vice versa. It covers the equivalent of universities and polytechnics on both sides.
The scheme will allow Singaporean youths to gain experience working in China, a deeper appreciation of its economy and rich culture and foster new friendships and ties. Similarly, Chinese youths will be able to gain a better understanding of Singapore and build networks here.
The programme will facilitate more people-to-people interactions between both countries. Besides being a useful learning experience for the participants, involving a young generation will also enhance mutual understanding and cooperation for the long term.
For outbound interns from Singapore, the target group comprises Singapore citizens who study full time in any autonomous universities and polytechnics in Singapore, as well as young working professionals who have not graduated for more than one calendar year from the start of the internship date.
For inbound interns from China, the target group comprises Chinese citizens pursuing full time studies at universities, higher vocational and technical colleges in China, or those who have graduated for not more than one calendar year from the start of internship date. In addition, participants will need to have minimally obtained a high school diploma (i.e. completed senior high school in China).
Ms Kwek Poh Heok
CEO of Business China
Republic of Singapore
“YES supports Singapore companies in strengthening their talent pipelines, while also enabling Chinese enterprises to better understand Singapore and the wider region. As Chinese companies expand their regional and global presence, our youths gain valuable exposure to China’s dynamic business landscape, opening doors to exciting opportunities for their future.
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