The Soft Skills Festival 2023 was officially launched on 5 April 2023 at the Multipurpose Hall of Heritage Building, UTAR Kampar Campus. 

Present at the ceremony were UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat; Esteemed Keynote Speaker and Acting Head of Industry Partnership Department, TalentCorp Malaysia Puan Nor Asmahan Othman; Acting Head of MYNext, TalentCorp Malaysia Mr Madhavan Balan Nair; and Northern Region and Assistant Sector Head Electrical & Electronics (E&E), Healthcare and Manufacturing Industry Partnerships, TalentCorp Malaysia Cik Azura Ahmad, and five student representatives of MPU co-curriculum subject, namely Ong Yi Hang, Tee Jian Wei, Chan Hui Fang, Christine Chong Lee Ying, See Keng Lek, as well as staff and students.

The festival aimed to provide participants with practical tools and strategies to enhance their soft skills. As the participants showcased their talents, they also gained the opportunity to learn from experts in the field and connect with like-minded individuals who were also committed to improving their interpersonal skills. Students, therefore, were able to gain valuable insights into the world of work.

Prof Dato’s Ewe said, “With the vision of providing holistic education, UTAR looks beyond developing students academically in providing them with other skills that enhance their contributions to the workplace and society.  UTAR believes soft skills are essential skills in the workplace.  Students with excellent soft skills can fit into most environments because they are adaptable, flexible, committed and persevering, and display the right attitude.”  

He also said, “With effect from January 2009, UTAR has introduced the UTAR Soft Skills Development Certificate (USSDC), a certification system to recognise students’ achievements and efforts to improve themselves in areas of communication, leadership, teamwork, strategic thinking, creativity and commitment to integrity.  It involves experiential learning in training and interaction sessions and activities outside the classroom. Students are strongly encouraged to register for the USSDC.”

He added, “UTAR has conducted community projects with more than 600 communities including voluntary work with the New Villages, Orang Asli villages, fishing villages, rural schools and rural communities in support of charity and voluntary work. In 2022, more than 1,000 community service activities were conducted that involved more than 32,800 participations of UTAR staff and students. We believe that it is equally important for students to acquire soft skills through such experiential learning for a balanced education.”

“Today’s Soft Skills Festival is a testament to our commitment in providing our students with the best possible opportunities to develop their soft skills. The festival is an opportunity for our students to showcase their talents, engage with industry experts and peers, and gain valuable insights into the world of work,” he concluded.

Puan Nor Asmahan also emphasised on the importance of soft skills in securing an employment, when she delivered her keynote address on “Talent Matters: Bridging the Gap”. Based on the IAC findings on soft skills, she explained that the top three soft skills required by employers, are communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills, which ultimately lead to having a good attitude.

She advised the participants with a quote, saying, “Hard skills may get you hired, but the right attitude will get you promoted,” and went on to explain to students on ways to secure a job when climbing up the career ladder. Participants understood that as future talents and potential employees, they need to know what they want, maintain relevancy, be confident and continuously improve themselves.

She further explained, “When charting your career roadmap, you first need to have self-awareness, which includes knowing your strength, setting your career mindset, and outlining smart career goals. Secondly, you need to know your market; meaning you need to do your market research and identify potential companies, understand the role alignments, and be ready for networking and informational interviews. As you will want to stand out from the rest of the candidates, you need to create your personal brand, which includes writing a good resume and cover letter, and creating a LinkedIn profile to substantiate your online presence. Finally, you will want to use the experience you have gained to convince the potential employers, so therefore, you need to optimise your experiences, have good interview skills, and be ready to navigate the offer.”

The festival started on 3 April 2023 and will last till 14 April 2023. Highlights at the festival include training programmes, talks and workshops, keynote speech, student dialogue session, Coffee Chats, UTAR New Village Community Project Exhibition, interactive games, Flea Market, and cultural booths.