KUCHING: University graduates are urged to be more courageous in taking up job or business opportunities so that they are not left behind.
University Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities senior lecturer Dr Siti Zanariah Ahmad Ishak said students and graduates alike cannot be lumped as a homogenous group as there are two groups – the dynamic and those lacking courage.
“The recent industrial placement has witnessed the introduction of entrepreneur track where students are guided under an assigned mentor. I heard some success stories that a student managed to gain RM8,000 and profit RM5,000 under this track. This is a good example of a dynamic person.
“Meanwhile, those lacking courage would struggle to be part of the workforce. This is because they failed to grab the opportunity and thus, are left behind.
“Although the education system is good in providing opportunities for them, there are many other factors that are equally important to ensure their success such as their own motivation and parental support.
“However, throughout my years of teaching, many students have told me that their parents do not allow them to go out of their locality or to do something more challenging or something out of their comfort zone, for instance to be an agropreneur,” she said.
She added that parents need to play their role in encouraging their children to explore and challenge themselves.
She pointed out that the government, university and lecturers had done a lot in assisting the graduates over the years.
“It is now up to the graduates to wake up and partake in the challenges that life has to offer for them to be successful.
Recently, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) lecturer Prof Dr Jayum Jayan said the days of graduating and having a job waiting in the wings had long passed. Graduates therefore must attempt to create jobs for themselves using their newly acquired knowledge and skills.
“Universities are not responsible for preparing graduates for employment. Rather, their mission is to impart knowledge and skills while also exposing the students to the outside world so that they will be prepared to navigate the challenging reality,” Jayum said.
