Curtin Malaysia: Preparing students for the future of work

The future of work is uncertain. Technologies like robotics, automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet-of-Things (IoT) are shaping just about every aspect of our lives, from how we live to how we work. Rapid technological advancements make the automation of jobs in the future a valid concern.

That’s why it’s important, now more than ever, for the current and future workforce to be equipped with the necessary skills and experience to thrive in this unprecedented era. In these rapidly evolving times, those who fail to innovate or upskill risk falling behind.

Furthermore, graduates are often expected to hit the ground running upon starting their professional careers, but the reality is not always so. Some struggle to transition into a workforce for which they’re ill-prepared and find themselves struggling to stay afloat.

In addition to impacting the young people themselves and their wellbeing, this intense and challenging experience affects companies, which spend time and money recruiting and training young people to join their ranks and immediately contribute to the organisation.

In this scenario, universities are under increasing pressure to keep abreast of the changing times and equip students with the right skills to excel in the future job market. They must produce work-ready graduates who can step in as agile young professionals, ready to tackle the challenges ahead.

One way of doing this is by incorporating industry experience or quality ‘Work Integrated Learning’ (WIL) opportunities into the curriculum. WIL includes experiences such as internships and fieldwork that don’t only serve as valuable work experience, but can also boost CVs and enhance graduate employability.

A good example of a university that emphasises the importance of WIL in student development is Western Australia’s Curtin University and its international campus in Malaysia, Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia).

At Curtin, learning isn’t confined to the classroom. WIL is an integral part of the curriculum, challenging students to put theory into practice and helping graduates flex their skills and ease their transition into the future workforce.

Curtin offers fieldwork education, a form of WIL, designed to provide real-world experience to better prepare students for professional work after graduation. Fieldwork activities can include units or courses that require a work placement or workplace activities; participation in laboratories; as well as study tours, field trips or camps, among others.

Prospective students looking to get the best preparation for the future workforce, along with with world-recognised Curtin degrees at affordable fees in Malaysia, should therefore consider Curtin Malaysia, where the successful integration of WIL will definitely help them develop job-ready skills and get a head start at professional success.

Curtin Malaysia offers prospective students a wide range of study disciplines in engineering and science; commerce and the arts, at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level, including double degrees for those looking to specialise in two areas of study. This is in addition to a community-focused and career-centred student experience and high quality teaching by academic staff recruited from all over the world.

A leader in transformative learning, the campus utilises innovative, technology-rich learning spaces and the latest teaching technologies and pedagogies to ensure quality learning and maximum student engagement. In certain programmes, smaller class sizes also allow for greater lecturer-to-student engagement and increased peer connections.

Equipped with specialised engineering labs and high-performance computer labs, a world-class Curtin Trading Room for stock market trading simulations, industry-standard corporate film production and radio broadcasting facilities, and technology-rich distributed leaning rooms, students are given practical exposure to high profile industries.

As a research–active institution, Curtin Malaysia is proud of its strong research culture that aims to make an impact on the lives of people in Malaysia and beyond, and students at all levels are encouraged to get involved in one way or another in research activities. Furthermore, much of the field work conducted within the local communities involves leveraging research being carried out at the campus to benefit the communities.

Regardless of your field of study, be it commerce, engineering, science or the arts, you will have ample opportunity to put theory to practice and develop real-world skills through internships and placements.

There are also global study opportunities through short-term international study agreements with universities around the world, as well as student exchange and inter-campus transfer programmes within the Curtin network, that actively encourage students to make international connections and expand their worldviews.

In addition, Curtin Malaysia offers non-formal learning components to support students’ personal and professional development. To better equip students to become caring global citizens and help them develop important leadership and entrepreneurship skills, its University Life Department runs various programmes aimed at nurturing their multicultural competency and dynamic leadership and entrepreneurial skills.

The campus also offers a variety of support services including career guidance, counselling, health services, a modern library, and study support.

Curtin Malaysia’s prowess in producing highly skilled and employable graduates is cemented by the results of Curtin’s latest graduate employment surveys, which have showed that up to 90 percent of graduates at Curtin Malaysia were employed or had chosen to further their studies within six months of graduation. The numbers were even up to 100 percent in certain disciplines.

Curtin University, located in Perth, Western Australia, is a global university with campuses in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Mauritius. Despite only being founded in 1987, this leading Australian university has developed a global reputation for its education and research excellence. It is among the top one percent of the world’s universities in the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and prides itself on its strong partnerships with leading universities and industry worldwide.

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is a huge part of student development at Curtin.