Students need more than just academic excellence to thrive in the workforce—they require a high-quality education that integrates hands-on learning, career guidance, and international exposure, say UK international school representatives.
Concord College International School Malaysia head of secondary Dr Phil Outram emphasised fostering creativity, flexibility, and critical thinking among students especially in an era where the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is rising.
“Our goal is to have students who work hard, and are creative and flexible,” he said, adding that the future is one where computer technology will feature dominantly especially with advances brought on by AI and quantum computing.
“Students must be flexible and ready to work in that environment, so that’s what we’re preparing them for,” he said, adding that beyond academic rigor, experiential learning, particularly in science where students engage in practical experiments and hands-on projects, must be a priority.
“It’s really important for students to see and to feel and not just read about science if we are to prepare them for the workforce,” Outram said.
He said having counsellors guide young talents on suitable career choices is crucial.
He also highlighted the important role of psychometric tests to help students determine their best-suited career paths and emphasised the importance of external expertise, including visits from alumni and specialists in different fields, to help students get through to top universities such as Imperial, University College London, Oxford and Cambridge.
CATS Global Schools regional manager for Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia Raymond Lee said a comprehensive support system ensures students are well-equipped for university and their chosen careers.
“Every one of our students gets a personal tutor. They will meet with the personal tutor an hour a day to talk about issues they may have with their studies, health, or life in the UK,” he said.
In addition to academic mentoring, he said, CATS Global Schools provides structured guidance for university applications.
“We have a dedicated higher education advisor who will help students with their applications such as writing personal statements and preparing for interviews,” he said, adding that the institution also offers specialised support for students aiming for competitive fields such as medicine and for Oxbridge admissions.
“For example, we help students who want to study medicine and need work placements to secure voluntary experiences in care homes, hospitals, and nursing homes.
“Universities differentiate students not just by their grades but also by their extracurricular activities, leadership programmes, and societies. It’s important to ensure students have that additional advantage,” Lee said.
