UM, Panasonic Joint Programme to Expose Students to Working Environment.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 (Bernama) — University of Malaya (UM) and Panasonic Malaysia Sdn Bhd will jointly implement a structured training programme for university students to enhance soft skills and expose them to the working environment.

The programme, ‘From Cradle to Career’, which is the first of its kind between academia and industry, targets first-year students from various faculties to participate in Panasonic’s sales ambassadorship. Set to begin next year, the three-year programme offers structured training and development for UM students.

UM Vice-Chancellor Datuk Ghauth Jasmon said the programme would provide a path for students to become industry leaders and help the university to continue being top-ranked. He also welcomed other industries to provide work-based learning or other forms of collaboration, such as joint research and commercialisation of research output.
“Many top universities in China, Korea and Japan have worked closely with the industries to produce a great graduates. Thus, I want to see more industries train our students and staff,” he said at the signing ceremony of the programme’s memorandum of understanding (MoU) between UM and Panasonic Malaysia here Tuesday.
In the first year, students under the programme will become mobile promoters at Panasonic outlets. If they excel in their performance, they would be offered to undergo a three to six-month internship program, the following year. During the final year of training, students will participate in Panasonic’s retail sales certification programme and be offered the posts of sales ambassador if their performance and work discipline were exemplary.
Panasonic Malaysia managing director Jeff Lee Wee Leong said the programme was in line with the government’s call to industry leaders to provide a platform for students to increase their employability skills, as well promote sales ambassadorship as a career of choice.