Associate Programme

The Associate Programme is designed to prepare you for success and help you develop the skills and competencies to become a confident EDB officer. Throughout the programme, you will receive comprehensive training, personalised mentorship, and opportunities to rotate through various business functions in EDB.

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What You Can Expect

Gain Exposure and Valuable Insights

You will have the opportunity to rotate across various business functions (e.g. account management, policy, strategy, client engagement etc) and engage with different stakeholders, including senior management, industry leaders and other government agencies. This exposure will give you valuable insights and broaden your understanding of EDB’s work.

Build A Strong Foundation

Gain access to a comprehensive training programme through our structured bootcamp which will equip you with the necessary skills and competencies to build a strong foundation for your career in EDB.

Personalised Guidance & Mentorship

Benefit from dedicated mentors who provide guidance, advice and insights which will shape your career in EDB.

Collaboration and Teamwork

Engage in a collaborative and supportive work environment, where teamwork is highly valued. You will have the opportunity to work with talented individuals across different teams and divisions.

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Eligibility
Application Process and Timelines

We seek individuals who are motivated to create a positive impact for Singapore and Singaporeans, possess strong critical thinking abilities and effective communication skills, and demonstrate tenacity to turn possibilities into reality.

Intake

The Associate Programme commences in mid-August every year.

Eligibility

You should fulfil the following criteria:

Singapore Citizen/PR; and
A final year student or a working professional with less than 2 years of work experience.

We welcome candidates from diverse disciplines of study. Foreign language abilities would be an added advantage.

Application Period

23 September 2024 – 31 March 2025

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Interviews will take place between October 2024 – March 2025.

FAQ

Associates will go through a stint selection process to indicate interest in divisions they would like to rotate to. The eventual placements will take into consideration overall business needs and your preference.

Rather than specific work experience, we look for qualities such as the passion to create a positive impact for Singapore and Singaporeans, strong critical thinking abilities and effective communication skills, and tenacity to turn possibilities into reality. Use your past experiences and concrete examples to demonstrate that you possess these qualities.

Foreign language ability (including Business Mandarin) is a bonus.

Career progression for each officer is dependent on their performance and aspirations. There is no difference in how we evaluate the performance of Associates and other full-time hires. We believe in fair treatment for all officers based on merit.

Associates who successfully complete the programme will be offered to join EDB as Senior Associates and will go through a placement exercise to indicate divisions they are keen to join. Eventual placements will take into consideration the overall business needs and indicated preference.

Life @ EDB

Discover the values that drive us, opportunities for professional development, and the culture that makes EDB a great place to work.

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Hear From Our People

Denise Lim

Associate (2019)

Manager, Hub Services & Connectivity

“The Associate Programme was a valuable transitionary period from school to a professional setting. The various assignments and rotations allowed me to build confidence and gain new skills in a fast-paced yet nurturing environment. With the opportunities to work on multi-agency and cross-divisional strategy work pieces, the exposure to different parts of EDB during the programme has helped me in understanding needs of various stakeholders and sharpened my decision-making skills. Given the collaborative nature of work at EDB, the programme also created opportunities to build relationships across divisions, and it is always reassuring to have batchmates who continue to look out for one another both at and outside of work!"

Sairesh Pillai

Associate (2021)

Senior Associate, Chemicals & Materials

“It was naturally quite nerve-wracking to join EDB as a fresh graduate, given the stellar reputation that it had built up over the years for delivering good jobs to Singaporeans. The Associate Programme was therefore very useful to initiate me into the culture and intricacies of working in such a driven and fast-paced organization, and I had a great time learning not just on-the job during my division attachments but also from my peers during the bootcamp. Even after completing the Associate Programme, it was heartening to know that no matter the challenges faced, you could always rely on your batchmates in other divisions who were ready to share their diverse experiences and lend a helping hand. Such friendships and camaraderie are what keep me going in EDB today.”

Andy Lua

EDB Scholar (2018)

Associate (2019)

Account Manager, Consumer

"During the Associate Programme, the rotations across various business functions gave associates a good sense of the broad scope of work in economic development. It’s also a good litmus test for understanding what your interests and inclinations are, the skillsets and experiences you would like to acquire, and make an informed decision of how and where within EDB you would like to launch your career."

"Even though I was fresh out of university, I was given the chance in the programme to co-engage global c-suite leaders. I also learnt a lot from seeing my teammates ‘in action’, and benefited from nurturing colleagues who would invest significant amounts of time to share their own experiences and learnings. You can tell that they’re genuinely vested in you and your personal development and are taking steps to set you up for success both in and outside work."