By: Najihah Harun
MELAKA, Feb 11 – The Centre of Entrepreneurial
Development & Graduate Marketability (CEM), Universiti Putra Malaysia
(UPM), conducted a Siswapreneur Startup Biz@CEM course
to allow students to venture into the world of doing business.
Director of CEM, Dr. Mass Hareeza Ali @ Hamid said the
course was held only for UPM students to increase their knowledge and
experience in planning to explore the field of entrepreneurship as a career
option upon graduation.
“We hope that UPM students will spearhead the field of
business as this is one viable way to generate a good income and provide career
opportunities for members of the public in the future,†he said.
UPM students who took up the course were assigned to draw up
a business plan and given assignments under 'Entrepreneur Challenge' where they
could do direct selling and marketing around the Historical City of Melaka.
The experience they gained in doing direct selling helped
exposed them to the techniques and ways to interact with their customers
courteously.
The course also channelled information on support provided
by both government and non-governmental institutions in producing entrepreneurs
among students of local universities.
It was held in line with the government’s aspiration to make
entrepreneurship a career option for graduates upon graduation. It not only
helps to reduce unemployment but also helps students to generate their own
income while studying.
UPM CEM invited a number of experienced
speakers-cum-entrepreneurs to motivate and boost the spirit of course
participants to venture into the world of business.
Among the agencies involved in the program are the Companies
Commission of Malaysia (SSM) and SME Bank. At the end of the course, 21
companies owned by participants were registered with SSM under 1 Scheme 1
Student 1 Business programme which was launched by Prime Minister, Dato
'Seri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak. - UPM