WHILE Malaysia has been heralded as one of the most successful countries in handling Covid-19, our economy has taken a strong hit in our efforts to overcome the pandemic. Malaysia’s unemployment rate is the highest in a decade at 3.9% and it is expected to go further up to 5.5%.
Key industries such as travel, entertainment, tourism, hospitality, airlines, and retail have been badly affected, and the country’s overall GDP growth is expected to decline by 2.6%. What does this mean for SPM and STPM graduates?
To ensure job security in the post-Covid era, SPM and STPM graduates should choose diploma programmes, or a pathway to degree programmes through Foundation studies. SPM and STPM students need to quickly develop technical skills in the areas of engineering, science, and business. To boost our economy, the government will need to invest more in the manufacturing sector and this will mean a lot of opportunities in the areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) for today’s students.
Entrepreneurship and accounting skills will also be an important focus to rebuild our economy to pre-Covid levels. Acquiring technical skills as soon as possible is the most assured way to building a career.
With this mind, students should explore diploma programmes at reputed institutes such as Manipal International University (MIU), which is part of the Manipal Education Group from India.
The Manipal Group has over 60 years of a legacy in education and especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and medicine. Manipal International University (MIU) provides Diploma and Degree programmes in the following areas:
> Electronics Engineering (Computer)
> Mechanical Engineering
> Civil Engineering
> Business Administration
> Mass Communication
MIU also provides additional degree programmes in Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Biotechnology, and Accounting. Manipal offers 40% scholarship for all diploma programmes and students who maintain a CGPA of 2.0 or above will be eligible for a PTPTN loan. Those who qualify for 100% PTPTN in diploma will not have to pay any programme fees at all. Manipal also offer scholarships of up to 50% for degree programmes with PTPTN up to 100%.
MIU provides 100% industry internships for all students in all programmes. These internships expose students to real life practice in companies operating within the Industry 4.0 environment. Several of MIU’s students have bagged permanent jobs with the companies during their internships in the form of pre-placement opportunities. All graduates also complete a Final Year capstone project that further prepares them for Industry 4.0 in their respective fields.
MIU graduates have secured employement with leading national and global organisations such as General Electronics, Nestle, Barclays, Celcom, Exxon Mobil, Top Glove, DHL, Citi Bank, British Petroleum, Panasonic, American Express, and more.
All MIU programmes at the foundation, diploma, and degree level are fully accredited by the MQA, including the analytics driven MBA. Beyond the MQA, the programmes are also globally recognised by relevant industry standards such as the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) and the Washington Accord for its Engineering programmes. The Biotechnology programme is registered as the Industry Centre of Excellence (ICOE) under the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE). The Accounting programme is affiliated with the Charted Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and also the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). MIU is also a member of the global Association of MBAs (AMBA) for the MBA programme. Graduates of MIU’s programmes have an advantage in their respective fields due to such high-quality industry affiliations.
Further, international exposure is a key focus at MIU. Both undergraduate and postgraduate students have multiple opportunities to pursue parts of their studies with partner international universities in India, Australia, UK, UAE, and more.
Two cohorts of the Business and Accounting students completed their international immersion trip to the T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), India, during which they received hands-on training on global business practices in the Bloomberg Lab at TAPMI, a one-of-its-kind simulation lab for trade markets. While the first cohort of MBA students finished their international trip to Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Dubai. As part of the global network of Manipal universities, MIU is strategically placed to help its students develop global perspectives and skillsets through such immersion trips.
MIU’s next intake for diploma and degree students is on Aug 27. For more information call 1800 222 648, write to enquiry@miu.edu.my, or visit www.miu.edu.my
