Hey guys, I have a really hardworking friend from a single parent, middle-income family with a diploma in accounting (LCCI) from iPAQ. She got 3 distinctions and 2 credits for her exam, and she has been working in an audit firm for almost two years now.

She is 22, very hardworking and very promising, and she is planning to find a way to gain some working experience in Singapore. I need sifus advice here on two options, that is

1: is it possible for her to find work opportunities in Singapore, and how?
2: if she needs to top up her education, which is the best place for her to further her studies with a budget price in selangor (specifically, klang)?

She was previously from arts class in high school, with average results (like 5 As) in spm.

Thank you for all your help!

1. With only LCCI, the odds are against it. And with the whole "Singaporeans first" campaign since last year or so, lower qualified people are going to find it hard to secure work permits unless they really aim low and go for a factory, service, manual labour kind of position. Even then, you may not have the lobang.

2. Has she started doing a professional qualification like ACCA which doesn't require a degree to start? If not, why the hell not?

ask her to take up professional certs ACCA or CPA.

if she is looking for budget price + reputable uni to pursue her accounting degree, I suggest to go for UTAR or MMU.

if she is facing financial difficulties, she can borrow ptptn to pay the fees and work part time to cover daily expenses/hostel, I did that during my uni days.

Singapore employers, if they want to hire a diploma person, they would hire a diploma graduate from one of the local polytechnics rather than a LCCI qualification. Tough fight. She needs to top up if she want to work in Singapore.

Agree. Top up qualification to degree in accounting. Just make sure the cert not from some degree mill.

LCCI alone may not be good enough.
As Singaporean firms may employ locals instead.

To give edge to you friend, she would need to equip herself with professional certificates; i.e ACCA, CIMA, CFA.

These professional certificates are highly in demand, and held in high regards.

At the very least, she should have started, so that she can include in her resume that she is currently in the process of getting certified.