RIYI corporate mentorship programme bridges gap between campus and career for Malaysian graduates

The Rehda Institute Youth Initiative (RIYI) offers a year-long corporate mentorship programme for final-year university students and recent graduates to develop workplace skills beyond academic knowledge. Industry practitioners stress the importance of communication, adaptability, and a willingness

PETALING JAYA (Aug 21): Academic qualifications may help graduates enter the workforce, but professional life can demand skills that are harder to acquire in the classroom – from communicating across generations and working within teams to taking ownership of tasks and managing expectations, according to speakers at the launch of a new mentorship programme.

The Rehda Institute Youth Initiative (RIYI), a year-long corporate mentorship programme for final-year university students and recent graduates, seeks to address that gap by exposing participants to industry practitioners, career guidance and workplace expectations before or as they enter employment. RIYI was launched by Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook at the Rehda Institute CEO Series 2026 on Jan 15.

For Paramount Property CEO (Northern Region) Wang Chong Hwa, the answer extends beyond technical knowledge or academic achievement to how effectively an individual functions within a wider organisation. “An organisation is one large TEAM working towards a common goal,” he said. Clear communication, mutual respect and constructive collaboration help employees share ideas and solve problems, while accountability, integrity, reliability and respect help establish trust between colleagues, Wang said.

While academic qualifications provide graduates with technical foundations, Wang said educational achievement alone may not be enough to sustain career development. “Success comes from combining academic knowledge with the right mindset and attitude.” He identified adaptability, emotional intelligence, problem-solving and a willingness to learn as qualities that can help graduates respond to workplace challenges and changing industry demands.

FBG Holdings Bhd general manager, business development, marketing & sales cum customer relationship management Coco Ooi, similarly sees attitude and willingness to learn as important considerations when graduates enter the workplace. “Fresh graduates are not expected to know everything, but they should demonstrate curiosity, initiative, and a willingness to learn.” Ooi said communication and a sense of ownership can distinguish graduates as they adjust to those expectations. Some fresh graduates may enter employment with unrealistic expectations about how quickly career progression or recognition should come, without fully appreciating the importance of accumulating experience and delivering results consistently over time, she said.

For the three younger interviewees, the gap between university and work became clearer through communicating with different people, learning independently and solving problems under time pressure. Gan Shing Ning, who holds a Bachelor of Technology (Industrial Technology) from Universiti Sains Malaysia, said one of her early challenges was adjusting to a professional environment where interactions extend beyond familiar peer groups. Tng Mee Chee, who holds a BA (Hons) Business Finance from HELP University, described the transition as a “reality shock”, particularly because professional development increasingly depended on taking responsibility for what she needed to learn. Poh Seng Yang, who holds a Diploma in Real Estate Management from Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology, identified communication and problem-solving as particularly important once academic knowledge has to be applied to actual work.

Its first 2026 corporate mentorship session brought together about 50 students from more than 15 universities. The programme has the support of Talent Corp Malaysia Bhd and the Human Resources Ministry.