The NTUC Starter Awards are bond-free scholarship awards for Singaporean students studying in partner IHLs. The Awards supports youth who are interested in leadership development opportunities and in contributing to the Labour Movement. NTUC Starter members will receive priority when applying for the Awards.

Those who have successfully received the Awards will undergo a one-year leadership development journey, which will involve leadership skills development, a personalised mentorship programme, an overseas learning journey, and involvement in a ground project relating to the Care sector. Upon completion of the one-year development journey, awardees are expected to continue to actively participate in NTUC Youth’s community.

Upon graduation from their IHL, awardees who are appointed as NTUC Youth leaders will be strongly encouraged to participate in and play an organising role in NTUC Youth’s programmes.

No, a successful awardee of the NTUC Starter Awards can only receive the award once.

For 2025 applications, the NTUC Starter Awards are open to selected groups of students in the following partner IHLs:

- Institute of Technical Education (ITE): 3-year Higher Nitec students who are in Year 1 of their programme at point of application.

- Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP), Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP), Singapore Polytechnic (SP), Temasek Polytechnic (TP): Students pursuing a full-time diploma programme who are not in their final year of their programme at point of application.

- Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT): Students pursuing a full-time undergraduate degree programme who are not in their final year of their programme at point of application.

Applicants must have minimally one academic year left to the completion of study from the point of award in December 2025. This is so that they can complete the mandatory one-year Leadership Programme during the course of their studies.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a group interview with a panel comprising of management in NTUC. Only shortlisted applicants will be notified for an interview.

Successful applicants will be notified and receive an offer by December.

NTUC reserves the right to recover from the awardee all fees and monies which have been paid to the awardee or incurred for the benefit of the awardee.

Awardees are required to remain in Singapore and be available for the full duration of the

one-year leadership development programme. Deferral of the Award or programme

components is not allowed.

Applicants should inform NTUC of any other scholarship they are applying for or have received.

Awardees are not permitted to hold any other scholarships during the tenure of the Award without the approval of NTUC. This is with the exception of the ITE Community Scholarship, which awardees are permitted to concurrently hold together with the NTUC Starter Awards.

Awardees are permitted to accept bursaries such as Government and union bursaries and financial aid from other organisations, insofar as the organisation disbursing the money to the awardee is an organisation of good standing, and does not require Awardees to participate in programmes that are at odds with the interests of NTUC, or that conflict with awardees’ ability to fulfil their obligations under the Awards.

The NTUC Starter Awards are bond-free scholarship awards for Singaporean students studying in partner IHLs. The Awards supports youth who are interested in leadership development opportunities and in contributing to the Labour Movement. There is no gross household income criteria in assessing an applicant’s eligibility.

The NTUC Care Fund (Youth Enable) is a grant which aims to provide continual support for youths in IHLs to complete their studies in times of adversity due to sudden and unforeseen circumstances, leading to a loss of income. Gross household income criteria may be used to assess an applicant’s eligibility.

Applicants may apply for both the NTUC Starter Awards and the NTUC Care Fund (Youth Enable) Award.

The NTUC Starter Awards are bond-free scholarship awards for Singaporean students studying in partner IHLs. The Awards supports youth who are interested in leadership development opportunities and in contributing to the Labour Movement. Awardees are provided with a fixed allowance per academic year.

The NTUC Scholarship is a bonded scholarship with the National Trades Union Congress. Upon graduation, the scholars will serve as an Industrial Relations Officer (IRO) to better understand the Labour Movement and to promote and build good industrial relations to achieve a harmonious industrial relations climate that will bring the maximum benefits to the workers. They can also look forward to mentorship by Labour Members of Parliament (LMP) and developmental programmes to widen their career horizon. During the course of study, besides internship to lay a good foundation in understanding the work of NTUC, scholars will also benefit from living allowance and full coverage of tuition fees and related costs such as hostel and book expenses.

NTUC Starter Membership

The NTUC Starter Membership aims to address the work, live and play needs of youths from 18 to up to 25 years old. Members pay $36 for their 12-month membership upfront. You may find out more about the Starter Membership here.

NTUC Union Membership

The NTUC Union Membership is open to those above the age of 16. NTUC Union Membership fee is $117 per annum ($9 per month from Jan-Nov & $18 in Dec).

The NTUC Union Membership offers benefits that focus on five pillars: workplace protection, career development, cost of living, family and health and financial adequacy. Some of the key benefits are summarised below:

· Earn *4% FairPrice member benefits in Linkpoints at FairPrice, Unity and participating Cheers stores

· Workplace support and up to $500 training credits

· Assistance programmes & exclusive insurance coverage

· Union member exclusive rewards through the FairPrice Group app

You may find out more about NTUC Union Membership here.

Awardees should be holding a valid NTUC Starter or NTUC Union membership during the acceptance of the Award. Awardees are expected to continue to hold a valid NTUC Starter or NTUC Union membership during the entire duration of being an awardee.

Awardees that are not yet 18 years old are required to sign up to be a Starter member when they turn 18 years old.

Successful applicants who are 25 years old and above may be eligible for the Award if they are an NTUC Union member at the time of acceptance.

Do reach out to NTUC via email (send to starter_awards@ntuc.org.sg), together with a screenshot of the error message. This is necessary to confirm a genuine issue has arisen before the application deadline.