‘The more internships, the better’: Why some secondary school students are starting the hustle early

SUPPORTIVE PARENTS, CHALLENGES FACED

Parental support has been key for both students. Aloysius said his mother had “no qualms” about his decision to intern, knowing he was passionate about the cause. Though she doesn’t speak English well and found it hard to fully grasp the nature of his work, she gave him full freedom to pursue it.

Sarah also received support from her family – particularly from her father, who helped her secure her first internship.

Primary school teacher Evelyn Wu, a 47-year-old mother of three, remembers her own internship experience well. When she was in Secondary 3, she did a week-long work attachment in a lab that studied bacteria, fungi and viruses. 

That one week, she said, was unforgettable and confirmed her decision to pursue science. Ms Wu, who teaches science and math, now encourages her three daughters to pursue similar hands-on experiences.

But securing internships can be challenging for secondary school students. Her eldest, 15-year-old Nadia Sze en Shahnawaz, said she hopes more companies would be open to taking on secondary school students as interns.

The Secondary 4 student from CHIJ (Toa Payoh) wanted to intern at a pet shelter during the June holidays. She applied to various organisations but was told she had to wait until she was 16.

“I basically could not find anything at all,” she said. “There was nothing for me to do.”

Nadia hopes to become a marine biologist and is aiming for a research scholarship in polytechnic – a key step towards her dream university in Australia. She was willing to take on any internship or work attachment to build experience, even outside her area of interest.

“I’m completely aware of the fact that there might be some problems in taking in secondary school students, because I mean, we aren’t adults yet. So I can understand from that point of view,” said Nadia. 

“But I wish there were more opportunities for me to do certain things that I wanted to do, because there really isn’t a lot that I can do as of right now to build up my portfolio.”

Aloysius landed his internship at Make the Change after he wrote to the organisation and cleared two interviews.

Sarah’s journey was more difficult. She spent four months applying to hospitals and clinics, all of which turned her down. She ended up enlisting her father’s help, who linked her up with a doctor he knew at the primary care family clinic. 

She asked that the name of the clinic not be published as she was unsure if it was open to taking in other student interns.

Her second internship at the dental clinic was easier, thanks to support from her school.

RGS encourages its students to explore work attachment opportunities through its Work Experience Programme. Year 4 students are invited to apply for attachments with partner organisations across different sectors. 

“These experiences help them gain greater clarity about their interests, values and strengths, and how these may align with different career pathways,” the school said. 

The programme is supported by alumni, parents and the wider school community. While participation is voluntary, the school said interest has remained strong over the years.

Participants are required to complete a reflection exercise after their attachment to process what they have learnt and consider how it may shape future choices.