The private education sector in Singapore has been growing swiftly over the past decade. However, recent events have led to much scrutiny of the sector, and calls to raise the standards of private education institutions here.

In light of these developments, which are the preferred private schools in Singapore currently? Who are the people interested in pursuing further education and why do they want to do so? Which are the most popular courses and how much are they willing to spend on their next level of qualification? What are the key factors of consideration when deciding which institution to apply for?

The JobsCentral Learning Survey Report answers these questions and more.

With 7,761 respondents, we believe this is the largest and most comprehensive private education survey in Singapore. Packed with interesting information and insightful analyses, this is a survey report that all prospective students and stakeholders of private education institutions will not want to miss.

CLICK HERE to download a complimentary (regular price: S$3,300) copy of the Survey report.

To find out more about academic and professional development courses, visit JobsCentral Learning here.

In an updated ranking of the world’s top 200 universities, Singapore’s very own Nanyang Technological University (NTU) managed to climb four rungs up to number 73 in the chart.

While Singapore’s other top university, National University of Singapore (NUS) had been stagnant at the 30th position, NTU managed to scale up the chart since dropping from number 69 to 77 in year 2007.

The survey was conducted through a collaboration between Times Higher Education magazine and Quacquarelli Symonds. The Times Higher Education-Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking bases the university institutions in six key areas (academic peer review, employer review, international faculty ration, international student ratio, student-faculty ration and number of citations the teaching staff have garnered in academic journals).

NTU scored a value of 72, while NUS bagged a score of 84.3. Taking the top spot of the chart is Harvard University, US, with an overall score of the maximum 100, followed closely by UK’s University of Cambridge at 99.6. The top 20 spots are filled largely by universities in the US and UK, such as notable institutions like Yale University, University of Oxford, University College London, and Stanford University.

What do you think about the latest rankings? Tell us on the JobsCentral Forum and see the full rankings here.

The excitement of F1 may be over but let The Singapore Sun Festival take your October by storm! Start off with a great weekend with these three main events.

Visual Arts
Date: 2 – 11 October 2009
Time: Various Timings
Venues: Glass Hall (Singapore Art Museum), Peranakan Museum, Asian Civilisation Museum

Put your caked and old paintbrushes to use again at these art workshops happening the entire week. Hosted by the likes of Diana Francis and Claressa Monteiro, you’re set to exude that artistic side of you that might have gotten snuffed out a while ago. Workshops range from straight painting, to studying culture and architecture, to a collaboration of visual art and musical compositions. Tickets range from $58 to $68 at SISTIC.

International Ballet Gala
Date: 3 October 2009 (Saturday)
Time: 7.30PM
Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Opening the Singapore Sun Festival are the talented dancers of the renowned Bolshoi Theatre and The Mariinsky Ballet. In a collaborative effort, dancers from both theatres will enthrall you with their unique ballet works. Indulge in two hours of this classic art form. Ticket prices go from $68 to $228 at SISTIC.

Literature Workshops
Date: 3 – 10 October 2009 (various events)
Time: Various timings
Venue: The Sun Tent @ Esplanade Park

If you have a passion for writing for stage mediums, then make your way down to The Sun Tent this weekend to attend these workshops. Conducted by Nobel Prize winner, playwright, poet, novelist and critic Wole Soyinka, the man has fought for Nigeria’s independence and received plenty of jail time because of his forthrightness. Who better to teach you the art of literature than one with an epic life story himself? Grab your tickets and check out the details at SISTIC.

Get ready for a whole weekend of shopping!

95.8FM Garage Sale
Date: 19 September 2009 (Saturday)
Time: 10am – 8pm
Venue: Downtown East, D’Marquee

Are you the kind to keep ancient pieces of clothes from eons ago in hopes that you’ll find a productive use for it? Or maybe your house is littered with the trinkets of seemingly pointless décor items that you can’t bear to throw away? This is your chance to get rid of the paraphernalia of nostalgia: the 95.8FM garage sale is taking place on Saturday, and you’ll be able to earn a little bit of pocket money along the way. Sell your goods (and make sure they’re still ‘good’ – no one would want a broken teacup), or even look at the other stalls for some gems. After all, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Rent a stall at $30, admission to public is free of charge. Check out the website for more details.

Branded Outlet Sales @ Changi Airport
Date: 18 September 2009 (Fri)
Time: 10am – 11pm
Venue: Changi Airport Terminal 3

The multitude of designer goods at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 might overwhelm those with tightened purse strings. But with the exclusive sale going on, you’ll finally be able to splurge all you want, and not have to suffer the grief your credit card bill would eventually give you. Held at 3-Top (#03-27 and #03-30), you’ll finally find only the best brands available, with a price tag so light, you might have to do a double take. Grab them before they’re all gone!

It is natural for most people to shed their facades or break down personal restraints once they’re online – the world wide web’s element of anonymity allows many to suddenly proclaim their obsessions over melted cheese and turnips without fear of implications.

Despite the TMI (Too Much Information) nature of Facebook and other social networking sites, friend requesting your boss seems to come too easily for most people.

Unfortunately, according to a survey developed by Robert Half, the chances of your boss feeling squirmy over clicking the ‘Accept’ button is just under half: 48% of executives admit that they are uncomfortable with being ‘friended’ by the employees they manage.

Similarly, 47% of the employees surveyed too don’t feel entirely comfortable seeing their manager's face in a drunken nightclub snapshot beseeching for a friend request.

“In Singapore, there are already more than 500,000 people who are Facebook members. While the majority uses it for social networking, an increasing number are using it as a tool to engage in business-related activities including sales, marketing and promotion, product research and recruitment,” says Mr Tim Hird, Managing Director of Robert Half Singapore.

The term ‘social networking’ has extended its field into business and professional grounds – hence almost completely eradicating the ‘social’ half – and while this tends to create a friendly, personable relationship between colleagues and employers, there still ought to be limits.

Robert Half shares some tips on handling tricky Facebook situations:

Michael Learns to Rock – Eternity Tour 2009
Date: 4 September 2009 (Fri)
Time: 8.30pm – 10.30pm
Venue: Fort Canning Green

It’s not too late to indulge in nostalgia! If you grew up in the ‘90s, you’ll remember Michael Learns to Rock as the band that brought you the great tunes of Paint My Love and 25 Minutes. The Danish trio is back, and ready to rock you with their greatest hits and two hours in which you can reminisce in the company of your oldest friends. Their Singapore Idol performance and teaser promotional show at Tangs were just tasters – you’ll get the full package tonight, and actually have something remotely interesting to share at work on Monday. Don’t wait, buy your tickets at TDC now!

Spot & Shoot 2009 – Our Landscape Shooting Thematically
Date: 5 and 6 September 2009 (Sat – Sun)
Time: 9.30AM
Venue: National Museum The Lab

Organised in conjunction with The Image of our Landscape exhibition, this photography workshop is the stepping stone you need to be a professional thematic photographer. The workshop will be presented by Chow Chee Yong, a veteran in the image-making field, having participated in more than 30 solo and group exhibitions in galleries across the region. This isn’t just another one of your run-of-the-mill photography course; participate and learn your landscape photography, and at the same time, implement this to influences of architecture, design structures and social issues. Standard ticket prices go at $80 for both days – purchase your tickets for this event at SISTIC.

Unwind after a long week with great music and good old laughter!

Baybeats 2009
Date: 28 – 30 August 2009 (Fri – Sun)
Time: 7pm onwards, various timings
Venue: Esplanade

Followers of local music would’ve gotten ready for a long weekend of bands and great undiscovered tunes. But if you haven’t already heard, the annual alternative music festival is upon us once again, and bigger than ever before. While local acts like Great Spy Experiment are a familiar face for local gig-goers, Baybeats will also bring in overseas acts like Anberlin who have previously graced our shores. Spread over three days, the event is set to rock your socks off – if you’re the rocking, sock-wearing kind. Best part? It’s completely free! Check out the full line-up here.

Live Stand Up Comedy from the World’s Best Comedy Clubs
Date: 27 - 29 August 2009 (Thurs - Saturday)
Time: 8pm
Venue: Howl at the Moon, Peranakan Place 2nd Floor
180 Orchard Road

What better way to loosen up after a whole week of work, than to indulge in some wit and laughter by the world’s best comedians? You’re in for a good time with Clint Paddison, a veteran humorist and known as ‘one of Sydney’s finest comedians’ and the very talented Matt Reed. Hilarity will leave you in stitches – by the end of it, you won’t even remember the bad week you might’ve had. Book your tickets at SISTIC for $50 and get your funny bone ready for two feel-good hours.

The overwhelming response we got at the JobsCentral Career & Learning Fair over the weekend is a hopeful sign that most of you managed to find what you’re looking for!

However, if you weren’t so lucky, don’t worry just yet! For those who didn’t manage to land a job at the fair, you can now go online to apply for the jobs offered by the exhibitors at this year’s JCLF.

Just head to this page, and click on “Search Jobs” after logging in with your jobseeker accounts. Closing date for job applications is the end of October, so hurry! Good luck!

The JobsCentral Career & Learning Fair online registration has officially closed! If you haven’t already pre-registered, not to worry: you can do so at the event itself taking place this weekend.

We are also very pleased to announce that we have a record of 110 exhibitors taking part in the fair this year! The latest exhibitors include Linden Lab (creators of Second Life) and Asian Food Channel, and many more.

For more details on the fair, see below:

22 August 2009:
10am - 1pm (Closed door event)
1pm – 7pm (Open to all Singaporeans, PRs and foreigners with valid work permits/ EPEC)

23 August 2009:
10am – 7pm (Open to general public)
Hall 404, Suntec City Exhibition Centre

We hope you’ll find what you’re looking for at the fair – see you there this weekend!

The weekend is nearing and so is the JobsCentral Career and Learning Fair! A grand opportunity for you to learn more about our reputable exhibitors in the workforce and education, this fair is more than helpful if you're hoping to land your dream job or pursue only the best educational programmes.

For some tips on how to utilize this fair, take a look at some of our Community articles. Make sure that you have these earmarked for prospective interviews and details on job-hunting!

Making the best use of a career fair

10 Tips for an Impressive Résumé

The art of selling yourself at job interviews

A Survival Guide for Born-again Students

If you haven’t registered for the fair yet, don’t miss out. Do so right here!