You are here : Public service
Public service
There are a wide range of career opportunities in the public sector, which fall largely into four main categories: economic, social, security and external relations, and administration & corporate development. In the public service, there are a few schemes which fresh graduates can apply to.
Within the Public Service is the Civil Service, comprising more than 60,000 officers working in the ministries and organs of state. These officers work in various schemes of service, including the Administrative Service, legal, education, police, civil defence and others. Statutory boards (such as HDB, CPF Board, IRAS, etc) have their own recruitment and human resource management policies. They are legally distinct and independent employers from the civil service.
Management Associate Programme
The Management Associate Programme is a development programme designed to groom outstanding individuals who choose to join the Singapore Civil Service. It is also the primary route into the Singapore Administrative Service. As a Management Associate, you will learn first-hand how the government functions and operates.
For the first two years, you will start off your career in a ministry to develop a good grounding in the ministry's area of work. You will then be posted to a second ministry to be exposed to a different area of work in the next one to two years.
Fresh graduates with a first or second class upper honour’s degree from a reputable university with good academic results and proven leadership qualities are recommended. They must be of Singaporean citizenship or be willing to take up citizenship.
Administrative Service
Administrative Officers (AOs) are officers who are experts in the business of government. As leaders and managers in the public sector, AOs play a key role in the development and implementation of national policies that will impact the well-being of the nation.
Top echelons of the Administrative Service can include Public Service Leader appointments such as Permanent Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries, chief executive officers of major statutory boards, and key department heads.
Administrative officers should typically have an outstanding career history and relevant working experience, with proven track record of leadership qualities and strong interpersonal skills. They can either be from the Management Associate Program or a mid-career professional with outstanding academic and career records. They must be of Singapore citizenship or be willing to take up one.
High Potential Programme
The High Potential Programme (HiPo) grooms promising officers with the potential to assume leadership positions in ministries and public agencies. Officers will undergo training programmes, participate in inter-agency project teams, enjoy job rotations and attend forums on leadership and governance.
Officers would need to have at least two years of service before they are nominated for the programme. Besides the Management Associate Programme and the Administrative Service, the ministries and statutory boards may have developed their own management executive schemes to groom talents in their respective sector.
Career development
The Public Service has a built-in appraisal system, which incorporates a career roadmap and offers various career options, including job rotation and overseas deployment opportunities. For example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs employs numerous officers in its various embassies and consulates across the globe.
The Public Service strongly encourages training and has structured career developmental programmes across a wide range of topics, such as policy formulation, presentation and public speaking skills. Every civil servant is entitled to 100 hours of training (or 12.5 days) each year. There are also various work-life initiatives such as flexi-work hours, pro-family programmes and health screening exercises.
Useful links
