Connecting the dots from education to employability

March 2025

Integrating employability through strategic internships and real-world experiences

“For graduates to be strategic leaders, thought influencers and changemakers in business, we must bridge the gap between education and employability,” says Dr. Daniel Loy.

The Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub (eiHub) at the Monash School of Business said efforts are constantly made to integrate employability into academic programs through internships and industry partnerships.

“One great example is the unique Monash Innovation Guarantee (MIG) unit, a reverse internship that brings together students and industry partners for an intense but exciting three weeks,” he shared.

With a fresh and innovative approach, MIG gathers students from different Schools such as medicine, IT, engineering and business to come up with a business idea for an industry partner.

“Students get to meet with industry partners and receive mentorship, gaining insights into how the workforce will be like in the future,” Dr. Loy explained.

Monash IT student, Nisha Shaline, said MIG was enlightening. “You learn soft skills you wouldn’t normally learn and gain insights you wouldn’t normally get from a regular class,” she enthused.

Muhammad Asief Adam chimed in and credited MIG with boosting his confidence in communicating within professional settings, preparing him for future job opportunities.

MIG industry partners were also grateful for the collaboration.

POS Malaysia Head of Culture & Organizational Development, Rai Yatim, said MIG provided her team with a chance to take on different ideas and hear unique perspectives from the emerging workforce.

“We find that the students are quite well-versed in terms of being able to deliver their points well; it was a good experience even for us,” added Kok Leong Choong, Head of Brand, Prepaid, Postpaid and Youth at CelcomDigi.

Driving Industry Experience On Campus

Another standout initiative by the School of Business is its collaboration with Lexus Malaysia, where students had the unique opportunity to study a product up close for an assignment.

In 2024, Lexus Malaysia brought two latest entry-level luxury models, the LBX Subcompact Crossover and LC500 Coupe, to the university campus for a one-day showcase.

“Students enjoyed an immersive product experience and were able to consult with Lexus representatives before developing strategies and proposals based on the cars,” said Chief Examiner Dr. Sarabjit Kaur.

Frederick Paulus Rachman said the unit challenged him to think broadly from a business viewpoint and consider different perspectives, while Jackson Koh described it as an experience “very new for us, unlike in-class pitches or presentations.”

In the spirit of competition, students were tasked with presenting their group proposals to a panel of 12 marketing and sales professionals. The six finalists then presented their proposals to Lexus Malaysia.

“At Monash, we are always looking for engaging ways to ensure employability, widen real-world experience and prepare students for a successful career in business,” Dr. Loy concluded.

“Through strategic industry collaborations such as these, we give our students a taste of the real world and ensure they can step out confidently as business professionals upon graduation.”