Manyin (second right) puts in the ‘boarding pass’ to launch the #Innovate Sarawak Design Challenge 2018.

KUCHING: Having a good curriculum vitae (CV) and grade point average (GPA) is not enough for a graduate to land a job as employers also look for those who can communicate and socialise with others, said Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong.

He said with these social skills, graduates can fit into many jobs.“In the past, there’s IQ (intelligence quotient), EQ (emotional quotient), now there’s AQ (adversity quotient) and SQ (spiritual quotient). If you have all four, you will be able to be successful in life,” he said at the launching of the #Innovate Sarawak Design Challenge 2018 at Pusat Islam Tun Abang Salahuddin (Pitas), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) yesterday.

Aside from that, graduates must also be proficient in English to meet the requirements of multi-national corporations, Manyin added.

Unlike the past when employers used to assess job applicants by looking at their CV and their performance at the interview before hiring, he said they now also conduct psychometric testing to determine if job seekers  can perform.

“Having first or second class honours do not guarantee the new hires will perform well when in the working environment,” he elaborated.

As such, he added, the state government is committed to helping educational institutions in the state to produce competent human capital that meet the requirements of industries, like setting up relevant skills training institutes for students.

The event was organised by Unimas, Tabung Gagasan Anak Bumiputera Sarawak (Tegas) and Dream Catcher Consulting Sdn Bhd. It was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research.

The competition is open to Engineering and Information Technology degree students from Unimas and other universities. It is held in conjunction with Unimas Final Year Project Symposium, tentatively to be held on May 14-15, 2018 where the participants are to exhibit and present their projects. Participation is by groups, and the target is 100 participants.

Unimas deputy vice chancellor Prof Mohd Fadzil Abdul Rahman and Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology dean Assoc Prof Dr Johari Abdullah were among those present at the event.