UniSIM survey shows benefits of upgrading

UPGRADING has paid off for working adults who attended SIM University, according to a new study commissioned by the school.

About half of the private university's students saw their salaries increase after graduation, while about 20 per cent moved to different jobs after finishing their courses.

The poll, done by The Nielsen Company, is the first comprehensive survey on the impact of continuing education on the working lives of adults here.

Of the UniSIM graduates whose salary increased, the average rise was about 15 per cent while nearly one in five saw an improvement of more than 30 per cent.

Those who changed jobs reported a 21 per cent wage increase, compared to the national average of 6 per cent per last year, said UniSIM yesterday.

One UniSIM graduate, Mr Kit Chan, 29, switched jobs after completing his Bachelor of Arts in business studies. He is now working at a local bank as an assistant vice-president and received a 30 per cent pay increase.

Mr Chan, who had a diploma in electrical engineering from Singapore Polytechnic, said returning to school improved his career prospects.

'My degree definitely played a part in landing my current job. In the process, I also learnt better time management as I juggled studies with my work,' he said.

Apart from a better salary, 50 per cent of students who changed jobs within two years of graduation moved to a different industry.

UniSIM is a privately-funded university recognised by the Education Ministry.

Established in 2005, it provides higher education programmes for 8,000 adult learners and issues its own degrees.

The poll of its former students included responses from just over 1,000 graduates who earned their degrees between 2002 and last year.

The majority of those who responded were between 30 and 40 years old. Most worked in the public sector and multinational corporations.