Internships to Improve Employ ability of Malaysian Graduates

Undergrads urged to use internships to gain skills

By ZAZALI MUSA
zaza@thestar.com.my

Source: The Star

JOHOR BARU: Undergraduates are advised to fully utilise their internship training programmes at companies and industries to gain as much knowledge and skills as possible.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said apart from universities, they could also gain knowledge from outside their campuses to prepare them for the working world.

He said while the practical programmes attended by the graduates might only last for only few months, this should not be an excuse for them not to gain something useful for them.

Skills training: Students at the The Pasir Gudang Industrial Training Institute (ILP) operating machine as part of their training.

“Pick up a thing or two from your mentors or experienced workers while you are doing your practical training at these companies or industries,” said Mohamed Khaled.

He said this in a press conference at the ground breaking ceremony of the 25-storey service residence condominium at Bandar Uda Utama near here recently.

Mohamed Khaled said while a university was a place for undergraduates to take up disciplines or courses to suit them for a working world, the process stopped there.

He added the working environment was totally different from the university days and what they learnt in university might not what they expect when they started working.

“Universities and industries should collaborate to produce human capital which will help to transform Malaysia into a high income nation,” added Mohamed Khaled.

He said industries and companies must be willing to share their expertise and knowledge with undergraduates while they undergo internship programme at the respective places.

Mohamed Khaled said the Government’s objective was to produce all rounder graduates who did not solely depending on jobs from the public and private sectors but those with entrepreneurial skills.

“We want to see our graduates to become job providers upon leaving their universities and create job for others instead of becoming job seekers,” he said.