Taylor’s eases transition from secondary school to university through the risers

AS PART of their efforts in bridging the gap for secondary school students as they shift gears into university life, Taylor’s is embarking on an extensive secondary school outreach programme across Malaysia through the launch of The Risers with the support of the Ministry of Education (MOE). 

The Risers will feature a content and community portal that houses educational and lifestyle content, self-help tips, and also provide an avenue for secondary students to interact with their fellow students and Taylor’s Brand Ambassadors. 

Additionally, The Risers mobile application, set to launch by the middle of this year, works on a gamification and reward system which will see students earn points to unlock a world of benefits made available by Taylor’s in addition to fast-tracking their way to Taylor’s Scholarships and Bursaries. Benefits include access to workshops and exclusive events, and on-campus facilities.

The Risers aims to provide a platform for secondary school students to connect with each other and with university students, and access information on university life in order to discover their passions, future careers and university pathways, as well as ease their anxieties in entering higher education. The portal will also provide content for educators with regards to teaching tips and other related information. 

“We are more than happy to lend our support to this great initiative spearheaded by Taylor’s in reaching out to secondary students through the launch of The Risers Club, which should provide a pleasant and seamless transition for students as they move on to a new yet exciting phase in life. 

Today’s launch demonstrates a perfect example of how universities can complement the work done by MOE in helping to develop future-proof graduates,” added Datin Sri Hajah Nor Zamani binti Abdol Hamid, Director of Private Education Division, Ministry of Education. 

This initiative will serve to encourage progression into tertiary education, which falls in line with our economic transformation efforts towards building a highly-skilled nation – one that is solid, successful and competitive in the eyes of the world,” she added. 

“Our students have and will always be our main priority. In that vein, the launch of the Taylor’s The Risers is our effort to bridge the gap between secondary school and college, to help secondary school students discover their potential and the world of possibilities open to them especially in this era of the 4th Industrial Revolution where students need to take on and thrive in jobs that don’t yet exist and capitalize on ecosystems that we have never been seen before,” said Professor Dr Pradeep Nair, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer, Taylor’s University. 

“Taylor’s College, after 50 years of experience in the education scene, has a strong record of excellence in pre-university programmes. I also believe that sharing the campus and facilities with Taylor’s University has created a synergy with regards to academic pursuits and industry collaborations,” he said.

Elaborating on the theme of preparing for the future, Professor Dr Pradeep mentioned that the Taylor’s Curriculum Framework (TCF) emphasises a broad-based approach to education, built on the core pillars of academic excellence, life skills and emotional well-being. 

“We are the first university to introduce courses in life skills, emotional intelligence, social innovation and design thinking. All subjects in our degree programmes are carefully embedded with key Future Ready Skills such as problem solving, communication, lifelong learning, entrepreneurialism and global perspectives,” added Professor Dr Pradeep. 

To launch The Risers with a bang, over 700 secondary students were present at the event, and attended a total of 22 workshops hosted by the different faculties on campus covering topics such as stock markets, acting, filmmaking, programming and culinary arts. The workshops were designed to enable students to discover their passions and gain a sneak peek into their future degree programmes.

Furthermore, TFM featured Malaysia’s premier sneaker lifestyle convention, SneakerLAH, one of the favourite conventions among sneakerheads, streetwear and fashion connoisseurs. A total of 46 sneaker booths, comprising 40 local and six international brands, showcased a wide variety of branded sneakers in addition to a sneaker lacing competition. 

Leading up as a preview to the sixth edition of SneakerLAH in 2020, the exclusive partnership with Taylor’s University saw its first ever in-campus convention in the SneakerLAH history. The two-day sneaker convention also showcased the design skills of ten Taylor’s students, who had the chance to work on their design exclusively with Edmond Looi, a well-known sneaker customiser. 

Other highlights were stage performances, trading pit, lucky draw and a panel forum featuring the who’s who of the sneaker world such as Bryan Chin, Tunway, Shawn Tan and Euan Lam. - 7KLIK  

[CREDIT: Taylor College]