SINGAPORE: While many teenagers spent their March school holidays catching up with friends, Secondary 4 student Aloysius Lim had a different plan.
Instead of hitting the badminton courts with his friends, the 16-year-old was busy interning – his first experience in the working world.
The Temasek Secondary School student, an ex-student council president and former captain of the school's softball team, spent two months interning at social enterprise Make the Change.
It initially felt "strange" to turn down his friends' social invitations because he had to work, he said, especially as some friends did not understand why he was doing an internship at his age.
But the question he asked himself was: "Why didn't I start earlier?"
Aloysius' interest in social innovation – finding novel solutions to pressing social needs – began when he designed interactive booths to promote healthy living at a school event. He realised he wanted to make a "tangible difference" in people's lives.
Still, internships did not cross his mind until a chat with his school's education and career guidance counsellor, who encouraged him to apply to Make the Change.
It didn't occur to him that internships were an option for secondary school students, Aloysius said, adding that students are used to schools organising everything for them.
"But it's important for us to recognise that you can create these opportunities for yourself. You don't have to wait for your school to initiate it; you don't have to wait for your school to hand you an invite on a silver platter."
Aloysius' internship was meant to be a week-long programme, during which he represented the social enterprise at a youth festival and facilitated discussions at a workshop. But he chose to extend it for another two months while attending school, determined to complete a project he had been working on.
Aloysius is part of a small but growing group of secondary school students proactively seeking internships – often unpaid – as a way to gain work experience and explore career paths early.
Sarah, a Year 4 student at Raffles Girls’ School (RGS) who spoke under a pseudonym, shares the same mindset. She sought out her first internship in Year 3, shadowing a nephrologist or kidney specialist at a primary care family clinic.
"(For) a lot of people, the reason why they start internships maybe in JC is because they're not really sure which field they're interested in,” she said.
But Sarah had always been "obsessed" with health since she was a child and knew she was interested in medicine as early as lower secondary.
During the June school holidays this year, she interned at a dental clinic to explore another medical specialisation. Observing different practitioners helped her understand the daily work of various doctors, Sarah said.
But she also has a more practical reason for pursuing these internships – they look good on university applications, especially for overseas institutions, as they show commitment to the field.
"The more internships, the better. You do one every holiday, you'd have five or six by the time you go to university,” she said.
Both of Sarah's internships lasted five days, which she felt was enough to gain insight into each role.
Neither Sarah nor Aloysius was paid for their internships, but both said the experience was more valuable than financial compensation.
Aloysius Lim (standing, in white) facilitating discussion at a workshop during his internship at social enterprise Make the Change. (Photo: Aloysius Lim)
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.
In Singapore, the legal minimum working age is 13 years old, with restrictions.
Those aged 13 to 15 may only engage in "light work in a non-industrial setting" such as serving drinks or cleaning. They may work in industrial settings like construction or manufacturing only if family members are also employed there.
Between 15 and 16, they may work in both non-industrial and industrial settings. But in industrial settings, employers must inform the Ministry of Manpower and submit a medical report within 30 days of their employment.
Collapse Expand
Make the Change, where Aloysius interned, has seen an increase in applications as schools encourage students to learn outside the classroom.
“We are one of the few that allow secondary school students and offer them a great experience, enabling them to learn and make an impact," co-founder Pedro Aguirre said.
The social enterprise, which focuses on community empowerment through design and education, introduced its Young Changemaker internship programme in 2018 after receiving requests from schools and students.
The programme is open to students of all ages, but the majority of secondary school students who apply are from upper secondary, said Mr Aguirre, who oversees the programme.
Make the Change hosts about 40 student interns each year, mostly during the June or end-year holidays. Around half are referred by schools, while the rest apply on their own.
Internships typically last one to three weeks – what Mr Aguirre describes as the ideal duration for the "best learning experience".
Make the Change believes in empowering the next generation of "changemakers", said Mr Aguirre, and working with secondary school students is one way to achieve that goal.
Continue reading...
Instead of hitting the badminton courts with his friends, the 16-year-old was busy interning – his first experience in the working world.
The Temasek Secondary School student, an ex-student council president and former captain of the school's softball team, spent two months interning at social enterprise Make the Change.
It initially felt "strange" to turn down his friends' social invitations because he had to work, he said, especially as some friends did not understand why he was doing an internship at his age.
But the question he asked himself was: "Why didn't I start earlier?"
FROM STUDENT PROJECTS TO REAL-WORLD PURPOSE
Aloysius' interest in social innovation – finding novel solutions to pressing social needs – began when he designed interactive booths to promote healthy living at a school event. He realised he wanted to make a "tangible difference" in people's lives.
Still, internships did not cross his mind until a chat with his school's education and career guidance counsellor, who encouraged him to apply to Make the Change.
It didn't occur to him that internships were an option for secondary school students, Aloysius said, adding that students are used to schools organising everything for them.
"But it's important for us to recognise that you can create these opportunities for yourself. You don't have to wait for your school to initiate it; you don't have to wait for your school to hand you an invite on a silver platter."
Aloysius' internship was meant to be a week-long programme, during which he represented the social enterprise at a youth festival and facilitated discussions at a workshop. But he chose to extend it for another two months while attending school, determined to complete a project he had been working on.
Related:
ONE INTERNSHIP AT A TIME
Aloysius is part of a small but growing group of secondary school students proactively seeking internships – often unpaid – as a way to gain work experience and explore career paths early.
Sarah, a Year 4 student at Raffles Girls’ School (RGS) who spoke under a pseudonym, shares the same mindset. She sought out her first internship in Year 3, shadowing a nephrologist or kidney specialist at a primary care family clinic.
"(For) a lot of people, the reason why they start internships maybe in JC is because they're not really sure which field they're interested in,” she said.
But Sarah had always been "obsessed" with health since she was a child and knew she was interested in medicine as early as lower secondary.
During the June school holidays this year, she interned at a dental clinic to explore another medical specialisation. Observing different practitioners helped her understand the daily work of various doctors, Sarah said.
But she also has a more practical reason for pursuing these internships – they look good on university applications, especially for overseas institutions, as they show commitment to the field.
"The more internships, the better. You do one every holiday, you'd have five or six by the time you go to university,” she said.
Both of Sarah's internships lasted five days, which she felt was enough to gain insight into each role.
Neither Sarah nor Aloysius was paid for their internships, but both said the experience was more valuable than financial compensation.
Aloysius Lim (standing, in white) facilitating discussion at a workshop during his internship at social enterprise Make the Change. (Photo: Aloysius Lim)
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.
What age can you start working in Singapore?
In Singapore, the legal minimum working age is 13 years old, with restrictions.
Those aged 13 to 15 may only engage in "light work in a non-industrial setting" such as serving drinks or cleaning. They may work in industrial settings like construction or manufacturing only if family members are also employed there.
Between 15 and 16, they may work in both non-industrial and industrial settings. But in industrial settings, employers must inform the Ministry of Manpower and submit a medical report within 30 days of their employment.
Collapse Expand
LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Make the Change, where Aloysius interned, has seen an increase in applications as schools encourage students to learn outside the classroom.
“We are one of the few that allow secondary school students and offer them a great experience, enabling them to learn and make an impact," co-founder Pedro Aguirre said.
The social enterprise, which focuses on community empowerment through design and education, introduced its Young Changemaker internship programme in 2018 after receiving requests from schools and students.
The programme is open to students of all ages, but the majority of secondary school students who apply are from upper secondary, said Mr Aguirre, who oversees the programme.
Make the Change hosts about 40 student interns each year, mostly during the June or end-year holidays. Around half are referred by schools, while the rest apply on their own.
Internships typically last one to three weeks – what Mr Aguirre describes as the ideal duration for the "best learning experience".
Make the Change believes in empowering the next generation of "changemakers", said Mr Aguirre, and working with secondary school students is one way to achieve that goal.
Related:
Continue reading...