Undergraduated Need To Enhance Soft Skills

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) - Higher learning institution
undergraduates need to enhance their soft skills or personal attributes in preparing themselves to be the nation's echelon leaders.

Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said these skills included critical thinking to solve problems, team spirit and entrepreneurship.

He said these aspects were also identified in a study involving the
Malaysian Soft Skill Scale (My3S) on new university students who enrolled last year.

"Based on the study, these three areas are still weak and need to be improved to produce highly competitive graduates for the future," he said at a gathering between him and students' council representatives for the 2010-2011 session, here, Thursday night.

Mohamed Khaled said undergraduates' failure to possess soft skills would affect their chances in securing jobs after completing their studies.

Therefore, he said, the students' council representatives must be creative and innovative in drawing up programmes for their respective universities or colleges so as to produce quality graduates.

"We need to have awareness, curiosity and the interest in current issue developments and the challenges faced by the nation.

"This will produce undergraduates capable of giving views and ideas on how to develop the country for a brighter future," he said.

About 500 students' council representatives from 20 public higher learning institutions attended the function.