More than 350 industry leaders were honoured at the 4th Annual Industry Partners Appreciation Dinner, organised by INTI International University & Colleges. With C-suite and senior leaders from various organisations in attendance, the event celebrated industry-academic partnerships which have been instrumental to INTI’s outstanding graduate employment outcomes.
Tan Lin Nah, Chief Operating Officer of INTI welcomes guests to the 4th annual INTI Industry Partners Appreciation Dinner.
“INTI’s Industry Partners Appreciation Dinner is a means through which we thank our partners and highlight those employers that are making a difference in the way Malaysia’s future talents are trained. We proudly showcase the outstanding work our students have accomplished with our partners over the year, and engage in conversations on what more we can do to address graduate employability,” shared Tan Lin Nah, Chief Operating Officer of INTI.
In addition to industry leaders, VIP representatives for the evening also included: Y.Bhg. Datin Paduka Ir. Dr. Siti Hamisah Binti Tapsir, Director General of Higher Education; Professor Dr Arham Abdullah, Director, Industry Relations Division, Department of Higher Education; En Anwar Yamani Kamarulzaman, Assistant Director, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA); and Puan Zainah Rujhan, Director, Industry Relations, Department of Polytechnic Education (JPP).
Kicking off the event, Lin Nah along with Y.Bhg. Datin Paduka Ir. Dr. Siti Hamisah Binti Tapsir and Sanjay Sidhu, Executive Director, Advisory, BDO unveiled INTI’s latest graduate employment figures which included:
• 99% of INTI graduates being employed within 6 months of graduation
• 91% of INTI graduates being paid higher than the market minimum average and
• 60% of INTI graduates getting job offers before they graduate
“Being validated by BDO means that INTI is one of the few institutions of higher learning in Malaysia who can vouch for its graduate outcomes. These figures genuinely reflect the success of our students in securing jobs and in building their careers soon after they graduate. We are grateful to our industry partners who play a vital part in these outcomes and who are empowering students with the competencies and knowledge that give them an edge in a highly competitive job market,” said Lin Nah.
In recognising these partners, the event included two award ceremonies. The first recognised employers and faculty who were a part of INTI’s Faculty Industry Attachment programme, an internship course developed for academics to gain exposure to industry trends and expectations. The second was the highly anticipated Industry Partners Awards.
Faculty members of INTI and partnering employers were honoured for their participation in INTI’s Faculty Industry Attachment programme, an initiative to connect and expose faculty to industry trends and expectations.
Spanning five categories including the coveted Employer of the Year Award, the top winners of each category included:
• Vinda Group Southeast Asia, who won the INTI Edge Award for the most number of employer projects completed with students
• IBM Malaysia, who won the INTI Star Partner Award for the highest participation in on-campus career activities
• Hilton Malaysia, who won the INTI Rising Star Partner Award for the most grown partnership since 2015
• Google Malaysia, who received the INTI Students’ Choice Award for the third year in a row based on INTI’s Student Insights and Career Preferences Survey
• And Intel Malaysia, who won the title of INTI’s Employer of the Year, having hired 28 graduates in 2017 alone
A special Environmental Sustainability award was also presented to WWF Malaysia for their extensive work in carrying out 28 projects across INTI campuses with close to 1500 students. These projects were especially significant in raising awareness on the current environmental concerns and how young people could play a part in protecting Malaysia’s unique biodiversity.
The event also included a showcase of more than 40 projects completed over the course of the year. Representing INTI’s six campuses nationwide, 150 students proudly demonstrated their expertise in drone technologies, physiotherapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments, culinary arts, fashion and creative design development, the Internet of Things, broadcasting, and many other specialisations. Additionally, students from INTI’s Design Thinking module also showcased ideas they had developed aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development goals. This, along with a photo showcase of social projects carried out by students over the last year emphasised INTI’s commitment to holistic learning and in producing both career ready and socially focused graduates.
Lin Nah concludes, “Youth unemployment continues to be one of the biggest factors impacting the nation’s development, with Bank Negara this year reporting that graduate unemployment had reached 11.7% – three times higher than the national unemployment rate. Our growing graduate outcomes and this event are a promise that we will continue to reinvent education and empower the next generation of Malaysia’s leaders.”