600 among 25,000 who eraduated from polysabove age of 40

MOE hopes to see greater training participation in this age group after SkillsFuture top-up

About 25,000 students graduated from polytechnics in 2024, from full-time and part-time diploma courses.

Of these, 600 graduates were above the age of 40, said the Ministry of Education (MOE).

The number of graduates in this age group has remained consistent over the past few years, MOE added.

The ministry said it hopes to see "greater training participation among those aged 40 and above", following the newly announced Skills Future Level-Up Programme, which includes mid-career Singaporeans receiving a Skills Future credit top-up of $4,000 from May.

It has always been Madam Geraldine Lee's dream to achieve academic success, having grown up in a family which struggled financially to put her and her three siblings through school.

At almost 60, she decided to pursue a diploma at Ngee Ann Polytechnic after 30 years in the banking industry, where she did administrative work and assisted managing directors.

She retired from the banking sector in 2015 as she had decided to pursue her passion for caring for children as an after-school care mentor, a role she began in 2022.

However, she found that having O levels as her highest educational qualification limited the jobs in childhood education that she could do.

Pursuing a diploma thus seemed like the best next step for her.

In May, Madam Lee graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a diploma in business administration, specialising in administration and management.

"I am someone who embraces opportunities, but with some anxiety, because it has been a long time since I pursued formal education," said the 59-year-old, adding that she had to juggle family responsibilities, her part-time work in the after-school student care industry and her studies.