• Latest BrightSparks Scholarship and Education Survey show sharp increasein popularity of Computer Science and Information Technology courses
• Despite strong interest to apply for scholarships to finance furthereducation, youths are worried about their academic abilities

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 3 December 2018 - Amidst abackdrop of global interest in digital talent, local tertiary students arechoosing Computer Science/ Information Technology and Information Systems asone of their most preferred course of study. Yet while most are keen to financetheir further studies with scholarships, many graduates are hesitant to applydue to concerns over their academic ability. These are among the key findingsof the 2018 BrightSparks Scholarship and Education Survey.

Held for the 11^thyear, the BrightSparks Scholarship and Education Survey is an annual study ofscholarships, higher education and career preferences of potential scholarshiprecipients in Singapore. A total of 3,345 respondents, including top GCE 'A'Level and International Baccalaureate (IB) students and graduates, polytechnic studentsand university undergraduates, participated in this year's survey.

Computer Science/Information Technology and Information Systems courses are the most desired courses among top GCE 'A'Level and International Baccalaureate (IB) graduates[1] ,and among the top two choices for all respondents. Other popular coursesinclude Business Administration and Health Sciences. "The popularity ofcomputer science courses could be attributed to the fact that with the upcomingtrend of technology, there are excellent prospects and demand for peopletrained in this field," said Premlesh Machama, APAC Region President of CareerBuilder Singapore.

While applying for scholarships continue to bethe preferred option to finance further studies, the fear of not being able tokeep up with the required grades or not being able to meet the academicrequirements is one of the biggest barriersacross the board. "There is a predominant understanding that scholarships areawarded only to top students with good grades. Academic grades are not the onlycriteria, and there is a need to highlight to students other key attributes,such as leadership skills and co-curricular activities involvement, that can determinethe outcome of getting a desirable scholarship," added Premlesh.  

Other findings include:

• The Healthcaresector is the most preferred industry of work, a departure from 2017'sBanking and Financial Services sector. Respondentswere also very keen on the Public Service, Banking and Financial Services, Engineering,and Computer Software sectors.  
• Prominent scholarship providerssuch as the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technology remainsamong the top 3 favourites among the students. The increasing interest in thehealthcare sector saw MOH Holdings rise significantly in popularity as the mostpreferred scholarship provider among polytechnic graduates, and one of the top5 overall options for respondents.
• Respondents were unanimousin the top three factors that makes anideal job -- Having good career growth and opportunities, work-life balance,and job security. Other factors cited include having an interesting job scope,and being in a position to make a positive impact to society.
• Similar to 2017, mostrespondents expect a starting salary of S$3,001to S$3,500.

For more information about BrightSparks andCareerBuilder Singapore, please visit www.brightsparks.com.sg or www.careerbuilder.com.sg.

About BrightSparks

BrightSparks, ownedby CareerBuilder Singapore, is Singapore's most preferred Scholarship andHigher Education portal. It seeks to offer Junior College (JC), Polytechnic andUndergraduate students a wealth of comprehensive information on the latestscholarships and higher education choices.

About CareerBuilderSingapore

CareerBuilder Singapore is part ofthe CareerBuilder family - a US recruitment giant and a global leader in thehuman capital solutions. Today, CareerBuilder has a global presence in morethan 60 markets and over 2,800 employees worldwide. 

CareerBuilder Singapore has a teamof more than 80 well-trained professionals. Our expertise is in working withtop employers across industries to help them with their recruitment process -from acquiring to hiring. Coupled with our global resources and expertise inthe Southeast Asian talent recruitment arena, it helps us stay ahead of theindustry curve. 

CareerBuilder Singapore seeks toprovide our clients with an end-to-end delivery. Our expertise and experiencesinclude (but are not limited to):

• Innovativeready-solutions that can be fully customised to your unique business needs
• Integrativemarketing
• Creativeservices
• Clientmanagement and fulfilment
• Productspecialisation