UTAR ranks Top 3 in Graduate Employability Rankings

Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe and his Vice Presidents Ir Prof Goi Bok Min and Ir Prof Faidz Abdul Rahman

For three consecutive years since 2022, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) has been ranked Top 3 in Graduate Employability among universities in Malaysia by Talentbank.

The award was presented on 2 May 2024 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. It was attended by 42 universities and key employers including Bank Negara Malaysia, Huawei, Maybank, Maxis, EY Malaysia, SLB, CIMB Bank, Petronas, KPJ Healthcare Bhd, Intel and others.

Talentbank announced that based on its recent comprehensive survey involving top employers of graduates, they have identified the universities which top employers prefer for recruiting graduates, and have also evaluated the employability rates of graduates from various universities across the country.

Based on these survey results, UTAR has been distinguished as one of the Malaysian universities consistently producing graduates in high demand by employers. This also highlights UTAR’s excellence in education and its effectiveness in preparing students for their careers.

An in-depth evaluation into the survey results also showed that UTAR has garnered unanimous support from employers for specific fields of studies where UTAR graduates were their top choice for employability.

UTAR received the maximum rating of 6 Stars for Employability Rating for 31 Fields of Study covering 71 undergraduate degree programmes in the university, indicating UTAR graduates in these Fields of Study were employers’ top choice for employment.

More significantly, UTAR received the top rating of 6 Stars Exemplary (Champion) for 11 different fields of study including Architecture & Building, Business Management & Administration, Chemical Engineering, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Logistics, Language Studies, Mathematics & Statistics, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, and Quantity Surveying.

These 11 Fields of Study cover 33 UTAR undergraduate degree programmes which were rated as No.1 and Champion in its Field of Study by employers, indicating the high quality programmes and the expertise of these faculties in producing highly employable graduates.

These prestigious accolades provide recognition to UTAR as a premier university with highly employable graduates who are greatly sought after by employers in the country. This makes UTAR as a reputable University of choice for students and parents who are seeking for a university with a proven track record of academic excellence, and with high rankings among employers.

UTAR President Ir Professor Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat shared UTAR’s vision and goals for the university, “UTAR has always placed teaching, research and learning excellence as its priority. In addition to teaching, research and publication widens both staff and students’ scope of knowledge acquisition, and promotes discovery learning.  We also infuse classroom learning with the acquisition of crucial soft skills through our UTAR Soft skill Development Programme and UTAR Care Programme that promote personal growth and good character development through community services which prepare them for managing the challenges at work.”

UTAR thanks its staff, students, alumni, parents, partners, the community and its Board and Council members for their consistent dedicated support and contribution throughout the years.

Ben Ho, Talentbank CEO, added, “UTAR's sustained high rankings in employability and its recognition in the Employers’ Choice of University Award reflect its ongoing commitment to educational excellence and its alignment with industry needs, solidifying its status as a preferred institution for students and a trusted source of highly capable graduates for employers in Malaysia.”

Established since 2011, Talentbank Group is a mover and shaker of employability ecosystem focused on producing career-ready candidates and helping them with better careers, by connecting them with industry leaders that welcome prime talent. The award outcomes are based on a conducted survey on the preferred recruitment choices of leading employers in Malaysia. The survey gauges the employability rate of graduates from universities all across Malaysia, highlighting Malaysian Universities that have produced the most highly sought-after graduates.

The National Graduate Employability Index (GE Index) is a benchmark used to measure the employability of graduates of higher education establishments in Malaysia. The GE Index research, based on votes cast by employers, focused on some key questions such as employer’s opinion on their preferred universities, the number of graduates hired from these universities, and if the employers will continue to hire graduates from the same universities they had previously chosen.

UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat receiving the award from Talentbank and the guest employer presenters KPJ Healthcare Bhd, and Intel

Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe and the Talentbank award trophy

Impressive team of UTAR academics and management team who attended the ceremony to show support

At the interview after the award ceremony

Ben Ho presented a summary of his survey conducted among employers

Full attendance at the Talentbank Employers' Choice of University Award Ceremony