While the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry has been raising its game on all fronts, it still has to deal with one aspect that it has no direct influence over—talents, or the lack of it. INTI International University & Colleges (INTI) is in the midst of addressing this challenge head-on through its partnership with IBM Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
Jason Boxer, Asia Pacific Leader for Lab Services and Technical Training at IBM acknowledges that collaborations between industries and tertiary institutions are critical to ensure the readiness of the students for the future of the workforce.
Speaking about the successful collaboration IBM and INTI have fostered these past few years, Tan Lin Nah, Chief Executive Officer of INTI International University & Colleges said, “As a progressive powerhouse in higher education, INTI is working towards filling the gap for IT talents locally. Collaborating with an industry leader like IBM has provided us a means to deliver the most updated and industry-relevant education to our students – equipping them with cutting-edge skills that will prepare them to not only bridge the gap in IT expertise but to become leaders in technology.”
Ever since the integration of the IBM Innovation Center for Education (ICE) programme into INTI’s Computing & IT and Business verticals in 2017, the number of students enrolled into these undergraduate programmes have almost multiplied by three times.
Recognizing this fruitful partnership, Jason Boxer, Asia Pacific Leader for Lab Services and Technical Training at IBM expressed, “Our relationship with INTI is unique. It is one of the few private higher education institutions in Malaysia that together with IBM has enjoyed substantial success from collaborating on a broad technology based educational program. The collaboration between industries and tertiary institutions is critical to ensure the readiness of students for the future of the workforce.”
For Jason, the partnership between IBM and INTI is more than just about producing industry-relevant graduates.
“Through this collaboration, INTI is able to produce talents furnished with digital skills. The digital skills imparted to these students and the IBM badges they earn along the way will help with landing job opportunities. Above all, I am confident about the students’ association with the IBM brand as our solutions and services will make an impact on their long term prospects,” said Jason.
The COVID-19 pandemic did not deprive INTI students of gaining more digital knowledge. Throughout the Movement Control Order (MCO) and Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), multiple webinars were organized by INTI together with IBM.
‘Demystifying Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning’ webinar poster. It was one of the many webinars organized by INTI International University & Colleges and IBM Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
The webinars included topics like ‘Mastering The Basics of Cloud Computing’, ‘Understanding Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning’, and ‘Solutions for a Hybrid Cloud Set Up’.
“These webinars via the ICE programme are conducted by experienced professionals from the industry. As we all know, technology is constantly evolving by the second. While the curriculum taught in the classroom helps students to acquire industry skills, the webinars and face-to-face sharing by industry experts will hone students’ knowledge about the latest technological trends and emerging technologies,” shared Jason.
Also speaking about the importance of digital savviness, Jason shared that digital technology has allowed people around the globe to communicate using multiple avenues which has had a huge impact on their daily routines. It has even allowed the society to persevere in the times of COVID-19. Moreover, in today’s competitive business world, leveraging various digital technologies will help organizations to adapt quickly to the changing needs and landscapes of their businesses.
“The IBM ICE programme equips students with these vital skills through industry specialization modules. The modules taught in the ICE programme are refreshed on a regular basis to keep abreast of the changes happening across industries,” stated Jason.
Lin Nah concluded, “IBM has also been actively involved in various academic activities held by INTI, lending their professional expertise to ensure our curriculum continues to meet market expectations. With their support and that of over 450 industry partners, we have recorded incredible graduate employability outcomes which has been validated by BDO – which includes 99% of INTI graduates securing jobs within six months of graduation, 91% earning higher incomes than the market average and 60% receiving job offers even before they graduate.”