Graduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) and GRIT@Gov

Singapore's GRaduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) and GRIT@Gov are temporary fresh-graduate support programmes designed to bridge the gap to full-time employment through structured, industry-relevant work experience. GRIT is delivered through private-sector host organisations, while GRIT@Gov offers traineeships in public-sector agencies and is coordinated by the Public Service Division (PSD). The government overview describes traineeships lasting three to six months and a monthly traineeship allowance of S$1,800 to S$2,400, which may vary by role and scope (gov.sg, Support for Workers & Fresh Graduates, updated 28 August 2026; Careers@Gov, GRIT@Gov, accessed 30 August 2026). The arrangement is intended to give recent graduates a supported first step into work, not to replace the ordinary hiring process.

Programme structure and purpose

GRIT combines on-the-job training with a pathway toward stronger employability and possible full-time employment. The Government launched the programme in October 2025 with 800 structured opportunities across public and private sectors, and extended both GRIT and GRIT@Gov to the 2026 graduate cohort. As at end-June 2026, MOM reported that more than 550 of the 800 places had been recruited; this is a recruitment count against provisioned places, not a count of completed traineeships, permanent conversions or guaranteed job placements (MOM, 4 August 2026).

Who can apply and how the programmes differ

The current GRIT@Gov criteria require an applicant to be a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, to have graduated or be graduating in 2024, 2025 or 2026 from a university, polytechnic, ITE or another educational institution, and to have no prior working experience while being prepared to commit to a full-time traineeship. The public-service route also recognises certain earlier graduates who completed National Service in 2024–2026, and 2026 graduates whose formal qualification award occurs in 2027. Specific vacancies and any current application windows remain role-specific (Careers@Gov, GRIT@Gov, accessed 30 August 2026).

GRIT and GRIT@Gov are related routes, not interchangeable placements. GRIT vacancies are hosted by participating private-sector organisations in various sectors; GRIT@Gov vacancies are within public-sector agencies. The programmes are traineeships rather than ordinary employment contracts: MOM's published FAQ states that there is no employer–employee relationship for the traineeship, although workplace injury insurance is provided and the host pays the monthly allowance. A successful application therefore does not itself establish employee benefits, a permanent offer or eligibility for another training scheme (MOM, GRIT Programme FAQ).

Allowance, conversion and interpretation

The S$1,800–S$2,400 monthly allowance is a traineeship allowance, not a universal salary floor or a guaranteed wage for every role. MOM also designed the programme to support conversion: if a host organisation hires a trainee who has completed at least three months, the host can continue receiving subsidies for the remaining traineeship duration. The February 2026 parliamentary reply said the first batch had only commenced in December 2025 and that no conversions had yet occurred at that point; later recruitment figures should not be read as a published conversion rate unless a later official source provides one (MOM, 25 February 2026).

GRIT belongs alongside, but remains distinct from, Career Health SG, SkillsFuture support and the Skills and Workforce Development Agency's wider skills-and-employment remit. It is targeted at fresh graduates who need practical experience during the initial job search, not a permanent entitlement for all jobseekers, a general-purpose course subsidy, or a substitute for ordinary job vacancies. Applications and live vacancies should be checked through the current GRIT or GRIT@Gov host-organisation portals because cohorts, vacancies and dates can change (gov.sg, Support for Workers & Fresh Graduates, updated 28 August 2026; MOM, 4 August 2026).