Fair to help school-leavers choose the right course
PETALING JAYA: Deciding on the most suitable study course to pursue after completing secondary education is a big step as it sets the tone of the career pathways schoolleavers will embark on in the future.
Paying a visit to the Star Education Fair 2019 this weekend might be a good idea as useful insights from experts can help them breathe a little easier.
Scheduled to be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Jan 5 and 6, the fair will feature a series of education and career talks featuring many speakers, including Savant Garde Learning Solutions chief executive officer and principal trainer Thomas Yap, guest speaker for Asia Metropolitan University.
Yap, who has over 12 years of training experience, will speak about “The 6 Ps in Charting a Suitable Career Path After SPM”, elaborating on the dos and don’ts when making the important decision.
He said “passion, potential, personality, priorities, prospects and parents” make up the 6Ps that will help school-leavers gain a clearer sense of what to do.
“It is important to understand what your passion is. I always believe that passion will lead you to your purpose, and purpose will lead you to your profession.
“Potential would be identifying personal strengths so that you can decide what sort of areas you can do well in,” he said.
He pointed out that school-leavers often make the mistake of following in their friends’ footsteps, only to realise years later that it is not what they want.
“Much time and resources would have been wasted by then,” he said.
Yap added that parents are also sometimes the cause of children not ending up in their dream career.
“Parents often pass on their dreams to their children. But ultimately, that is not the best thing for them.
“When it comes to making a decision, children need to back up their interests with findings to their parents, who should keep an open mind about their suggestions and interest,” he said, adding that it is best to “keep emotions at bay” during such discussions.
Catch Yap this Saturday from 11.30am to 12.15pm.
The Star Education Fair 2019 will also feature an array of study options and programmes from foreign and local institutions.
Experts on pre-university education and representatives from colleges and universities will brief students and parents on a wide range of certificate, foundation, diploma and postgraduate courses, as well as professional qualifications.
To make it easier, the Psychology Department at Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences (CUCMS) will be conducting a free Career-Personality Mapping Test at the fair to help students identify the ideal career options that match their personality and aspirations.
Faculty of Allied Health Sciences dean Dr Ahmad Fairuz Mohamed said the test, which is based on industry-accepted methodology, had been modified further by the psychology team to fit the needs of Form Five school-leavers.
“To make the experience smooth and easy, students can access computer terminals that will analyse their responses and present their matching results.
“For those who want one-to-one coaching or guidance, there will be six experienced counsellors on hand to advise them further,” he said.
The free Career-Personality Mapping Test will be available at the CUCMS booths throughout the twoday fair.
Early bird discounts, rebates and scholarships will also be available at the fair.
For details, call 03-7967 1388 (ext 1097/1541/1505) from Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 5.30pm, e-mail edufair@thestar.com.my or visit thestar.com.my or facebook. com/stareducationfair
The Star Education Fair 2019 will be held on Jan 5 and 6. Admission is free. The fair is open from 11am to 7pm at Halls 1 to 5 of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.