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Singapore's only privately-funded university, SIM University (UniSIM), boasts a flexible industry-focused higher education programme catering to working adults. Professor Cheong Hee Kiat, President of UniSIM, talks about the full-time undergraduate programme it is about to roll out, and how the UniSIM approach will better prepare its graduates for the workplace.
In its short eight-year history, SIM University (UniSIM) has become the place to go for working adults who study part-time in order to add a higher education qualification to their resume.
One of the most exciting changes on the horizon is the University's plans to roll out a full-time programme for selected students in a few years' time which will also offer the hallmark flexibility of its part-time programmes.
"Flexibility with the full-timers is limited, compared to the part-timers but we plan to make this more possible. We will require job attachments for our students about halfway or longer into their studies. If they find that they want to continue working, or if their employer finds them suitable, offers them a job and promises that they can continue studying, they will be allowed to switch over to our part-time programme. These students will effectively be paid while picking up experience and credits, and when they graduate, they can be ahead of their peers," said Professor Cheong Hee Kiat, President of UniSIM.
The emphasis will be on giving the full-time students as much work experience as is practicable; possibly more than they would get at any traditional university. "Our full-time students will come in with little or no work experience so they need grounding in the practical aspects of the workplace," said Professor Cheong. "We need to help them pick up teamwork, soft skills, market skills and the understanding of their particular industry."
Unlike the usual university programme, UniSIM will allow students to take up several work attachments so they get to try several jobs. A student majoring in business, for example, may go into finance, marketing, or something less related. It is a way of allowing students to "test drive" occupations and broaden their views of the workplace.
"Our proposition to these students is: If you graduate later than your cohort mates, don't worry. You are at the start of a long working life. What is more important is discovering which part of the market you really like through your various job attachments. And, when you come back to class to finish your degree, you will bring with you a variety of experiences to enhance your studies and be more focused in your learning. If you want to 'test drive' three jobs, by all means, go ahead.
"We have not decided the maximum number of attachments these full-time students can go for, but it will have to be realistic as they have to complete their degree eventually. We have a time limit for the students to graduate - presently, the time limit for our part-time students is eight years so the full-time candidature is likely to be about that. So you can choose how many attachments you wish to have, but you have to make sure you graduate on time."
In order to allow these students to "test drive" occupations, UniSIM is also prepared to be flexible in terms of class time. Full-time students will therefore be able to attend night classes so they can work at their host companies in the day.
An added benefit to this is that the full-timers will be able to interact with the part-timers in the night classes, who bring with them different experiences.
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