Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Young Business and Industry Leaders (Sybil) has taken a significant step towards enhancing graduate employability by establishing a strategic partnership with the Sabah Institute of Art (SIA).
The partnership will focus on bridging the gap between academic training and industry requirements.
In a courtesy visit to SIA, Sybil members launched their “Industry Exposure Series” programme, aimed at providing comprehensive career development support for Sabahan students and recent graduates.
The initiative seeks to offer practical industry insights, mentorship and skill development opportunities.
Sybil Deputy Secretary cum Education Taskforce Leader Precilla Fong said they are committed to mobilising private sector resources to support the education sector.
“Our goal is to prepare Sabah’s young talents for the competitive professional landscape,” she said.
The visit also saw a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between SIA and Sybil, solidifying their collaborative efforts to enhance student preparedness for real-world challenges.
The partnership will focus on several key areas, including, providing industry exposure programmes, offering career guidance and mentorship, developing practical skills tailored to marketplace needs, creating employment and training opportunities and implementing leadership development initiatives.
SIA Chief Executive Officer Jay Roy welcomed the collaboration, noting that it would help elevate students’ competencies and provide crucial insights into current workplace trends.
The initiative represents a proactive approach to addressing the skills gap between academic education and industry requirements.
By bringing together successful entrepreneurs and educational institutions, Sybil aims to create a more robust pathway for Sabah’s emerging professionals.
Sybil’s network of successful entrepreneurs will provide students with hands-on experience through internships, real-world projects and mentorship programmes, ultimately strengthening the region’s talent pipeline.
Sybil expressed its commitment to continuing similar collaborations with educational institutions and relevant ministries, with the ultimate goal of empowering Sabah’s future leaders to become trailblazers in their respective fields.
