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Internship Guidelines for Companies

Internships provide on-the-job training opportunities to students and enable them to apply the knowledge and skills learned in class. They gain real-world work experience and get to observe and learn from industry practitioners. Students are encouraged to pursue their career interests and seek out employment opportunities with employers participating in internship programme.

 

Role of Company Supervisor and RP Liaison Officer

Roles

Company Supervisor

  • Assign meaningful work to allow the intern acquire or deepen his/her skills

  • Mentor and guide the intern through structured training

  • Schedule regular feedback sessions with the intern on his/her learning progress

RP Liaison Officer

  • Be RP’s main point of contact and advisor for any matters related to the intern

  • Gather feedback from Company Supervisor on intern’s performance and progress

Grading and Evaluation

Grading

Company supervisors will be invited to assess and provide inputs about the interns’ performance nearing the end of the internship programme.

The interns will be graded based on:

  • Abilities and Skills

  • Attitude

  • Teamwork

  • Attendance


With effect from Academic Year 2024, the internship module grade will contribute towards the students’ Cumulative Grade Point Average (cGPA).

Supervision and Mentorship

Supervision and Mentorship

Companies are encouraged to assign a mentor (may be the same person as the assigned company supervisor) to the interns. The mentor should:

  • Facilitate intern’s deeper understanding of the business sector/industry

  • Coach and guide intern on job prospects and industry career pathways

  • Motivate and inspire intern by sharing work experiences and career journey in the industry

For more information, please refer to the guide on Structured Mentorship Framework.

Work Arrangement Guidelines

  • CPF and Work Permit
  • Insurance Coverage
  • Working Hours
  • Attendance and Leave
  • Workplace Safety
  • Travel (Business Trip)

CPF and Work Permit

Work Permit and CPF

Employers participating in the internship programme are exempted from making CPF contributions for their interns who are full-time students of RP.

All full-time students who are on internship programme approved by RP have been exempted from CPF contributions.

Non-Singaporean interns are not required to apply for work permit when they are on internship as long as they possess a valid student pass and their internship is part of their diploma course as required by the polytechnic.

Insurance Coverage

The Work Injury Compensation (WIC) insurance covers interns for work-related injuries and /or diseases during the official internship period.

Participating employers may extend their company’s relevant insurance scheme to cover their interns during their internship.

Working Hours

Working hours

Interns are expected to follow the working hours of the internship company. Companies should:

  • Inform RP before the start of the internship if shift work is required
  • Provide interns a reasonable break time for meals
  • Provide interns with overtime pay or off days in-lieu for work beyond working hours and/or on a public holiday

Taking reference from the Employment Act of Singapore, the total number of working hours should not exceed 44 hours per week

Attendance and Leave

Interns are not entitled to any personal leave while on internship except for the following (on a case-by-case basis):

Medical

Interns should:

  • Consult a registered medical practitioner
  • Inform company supervisor and school liaison officer (LO)
  • Submit original MC to their company supervisor
  • Submit a scanned copy of the MC to LO

Compassionate

  • Applicable only to the bereavement of an immediate family member (parents, grandparents, and siblings)
  • Number of leave given should follow the company's policy 

Emergency

  • Subject to company's supervisor and LO's approval on a case-by-case basis

However, the company may grant leave entitlements or benefits to interns according to their company’s HR policies.

 

Workplace Safety

Under the Workplace Safety & Health Act of Singapore, all employers must, as far as reasonably practicable, protect the safety and health of employees or workers (inclusive of RP’s student interns) working under their direct control, as well as all who may be affected by their work.

The Act covers all factories and workplaces of various risk levels and industries. There are additional duties for specific industry sectors (e.g. construction, marine, metal workings, and oil & petrochemical) where employers are responsible to ensure proper training among their employees (including RP interns).

In event of an accident, companies must report to RP's Liaison Officer or call the RP Hotline at 6510 3000 within 24 hours.

Equipment

Ensure that interns wear the appropriate protective equipment, provided by the company if necessary.

Training

Interns must attend and pass the required safety orientation courses before commencing any work. 

Supervision

Interns must be briefed on any safety guidelines and be supervised by trained personnel during the course of work. Interns should not be placed in a hazardous or dangerous situation. 

 

 

Travel (Business Trip)

Travel

If interns are required to travel overseas for business trips, companies must:

  • Inform the School Liaison Officer at least 1 month in advance and seek official approval from RP
  • Arrange for the essentials where necessary (Relevant visas, travel insurance coverage, air tickets, lodging, transport)
  • Assign a staff to accompany intern (interns must not travel overseas alone)

 

Visit our FAQs for Employers or refer to the Internship Handbook for Company Supervisors for more information.

For general enquiries, please use the online enquiry form.

Accurate as of 16 January 2024