Students gain from industry experiences

INTI students and staff with Day (centre) during the Google My Business Activate pilot session.

IN an effort to equip students with the right skill sets and tools for IR 4.0, Google Malaysia launched a pilot project for Google My Business (GMB) Activate with INTI International University & Colleges.

The pilot session – a first of its kind in Malaysia - was initiated at INTI International College Subang.

The project saw INTI students being trained to use Google My Business and assisting businesses and organisations, predominantly SMEs, to digitise and manage their online presence on Google Search and Maps.

Students also received an opportunity to work hand in hand with business owners and managers, which allowed them to gain real-life industry experiences and prepare them for the challenges of building brand effectives in the digital age.

The platform will also see students being equipped with the skillsets required in IR 4.0.

Google Malaysia head of marketing Jon Day said that apart from equipping students with digital skills and further exposing them to other digital platforms, the project allows students to work in a way that is very natural to them.

“Our students today are natives to the digital world, so through this platform, they will be able to master their digital skills and impact businesses in how they work and what challenges they face.

“This experience will in turn help them in their careers once they graduate,” said Day.

Brian Foo who is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in Marketing at INTI International College Subang, said the pilot session was an empowering experience.

“I found it helpful to gain an in-depth knowledge of businesses through the data analytics we learnt through the Google My Business programme.

“This gives me first-hand experience to understand how marketing and digital marketing affects small businesses, and in turn helps me to develop new marketing strategies to help SMEs adopt a stronger digital presence,” he said.