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Vice-Chancellor Highlights Four Key Traits for Employable Graduates

SINTOK: Within the span of four years, students at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) have been urged to enhance their skills, both formally and informally, in order to facilitate employment opportunities.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dato’ Dr Mohd Foad Sakdan, emphasised the importance of strategic and systematic planning for students to achieve success in their studies during their time at Sintok.

According to him, the foremost characteristic is possessing skills relevant to future job demands, with employers favouring candidates whose abilities align with job requirements, especially in high-demand sectors such as technology and management.

The second characteristic, exceptional academic performance, is strongly correlated to superior job offers and higher salaries. Students must ensure they achieve a CGPA of 3.50 or higher.

The third characteristic, practical experience gained through internships or industrial projects, holds significant value as it enhances graduates’ competence and prepares them for their working world.

The fourth characteristic is adaptability and soft skills, highlighting the importance of graduates who demonstrate effective communication skills, teamwork, and critical thinking in problem-solving scenarios.

“I am sure all of you have undoubtedly tried your best to get to this stage, such dedication must keep going. Let us transform the tranquil and green landscape of Sintok into a foundation of knowledge, thus completing the jihad within the ivory tower.

“As you embark on your journey as a student, you have just embraced significant trust and responsibility. You become the embodiment of hope for parents and family, the university and the nation. As such, I fervently hope that you will begin to nurture ambition and determination, preparing yourself as the most valuable asset to yourself, your family, the university, the nation, and the country,” he said during the Chat Session with the Vice- Chancellor in conjunction with Orientation Week (MSK) for the First Semester Students, 2024/2025 academic session at Mu’adzam Shah Hall yesterday evening.

Prof. Dato’ Dr Mohd Foad Sakdan announced that the graduate employability (GE) rate for students securing employment within six months of graduation last year reached an impressive 95 percent, marking the highest achievement for UUM to date.

According to him, UUM has set a goal by which six percent of graduates will earn a premium salary, namely a starting salary of up to RM4,000 per month. Surprisingly for last year’s convocation graduates, UUM achieved an impressive 9.2 percent, exceeding the initial target of 3.2 percent.

He also highlighted the seven common values of UUM, namely excellence, mutual respect and acceptance, communication, gratitude, continuous learning, integrity, and self-reflection.

Also present at the event were the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni), Prof. Dr Ahmad Martadha Mohamed; Members of the University Management Committee; Senior University Officials as well as Heads of Departments and the President of the UUM Student Representative Council (MPP), Mr. Syahril Ahmad Sofian.

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