Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB)’s ethos are based on the ideas of effective instructions, hands on approach and industry based programmes, which equips students with pertinent knowledge and expertise to help them excel in life after graduation This guiding principle has helped the university produce graduates that are highly marketable and valued by local employers and international organisations. At the same time, the graduates are also equipped with entrepreneurial skills which allows them to lead their own business.
According to the surveys conducted by the UTB Career Guidance Unit on the employability ra te of UTB gra d uates, i t sh ows that the employability rate for the year 2020 is 72% which marks an improvement of 12.5% from 59.5% r ecorded in 2019
According to Hajah Halimah binti Datuk Haji Mohd Kassim, UTB Career Guidance officer the graduates have also been actively engaged with career development activities by attending career talks from industry partners, career clinics or workshops and dialogue sessions organised by the university She also said that a t UTB, special focus is given in developing the students to become 360 0 plus individuals
A Solutions Analyst and a techie at heart, Muhammad Amin bin Haji Fauzul, who graduated from UTB with First Class Honors in Bachelor of Science in Computing said that UTB emphasises independent learning, creative thinking and problem solving skills fostered through interactive learning beyond classroom T his has helped him in competing with graduates from other universities when securing a job for IT as the job market demands those with practical experiences and knowledge in various areas.
Despite the saturated job market Muhammad Amin was offered a job by a large telco company before his graduation He was able to hone his skills and knowledge whilst at UTB and his lecturers has shaped him into the person th at he is today.
“My lecturers have been role models for me with their excellent work ethics and always going beyond their call of duty to provide me with guidance and support”, said the Vice-Chancellor’s Award recipient.
Muhammad Amin also shared his thoughts on how to be successful whilst studying, “Staying positive, setting achievable goals, and investing time and resources to achieve that goals are very important. When faced with difficulties, one must look for things that may be of interest and look at it from a different perspective, thus making the learning process easier and fun!”
Blood is definitely thicker than water for these twins, Abdul Harith bin Abdul Wahab and Abdul Hafiz bin Abdul Wahab as both are inseparable from obtaining their degree
from the same university to landing their dream job together at Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP). The duo had joined numerous co-curricular activities and competitions together during their studies including Shell Eco Marathon Asia, Student Body Council for Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Dodgeball team and more.
“By being active in co-curricular activities which normally involves teamwork has helped us both in developing our social skills as well as a better sense of responsibility when it comes to handling projects or making team decisions”, said the twins.
Having completed his undergraduate degree in Mechatronic Engineering in 2019, Abdul Hafiz immediately landed a job with a private company in the Energy sector for a year before deciding to work for BSP,
“The basics in control and automation that I had picked up during my time at UTB helps me in my day-to-day task in making sure the field instruments are working properly in order to maintain process safety” he said.
Other than his academic studies, he is grateful that UTB has taught and trained him to be a flexible individual prior to entering challenges in the real world.
Fueled by his passion for learning, Abdul Harith pursued further studies to obtain his Master of Science in Electrical & Electronic Engineering last year at UTB. He felt lucky enough to participate the Shell Eco Marathon Asia representing UTB and Brunei for two years in a row when he took Bachelor and Master’s Degree at UTB.
“Having this additional commitment to represent the university and Brunei on my crucial years of study makes me resilient, improved in time management and decision making” he added.
Working together under the same roof has brought a healthy competition between the twins where it brings out the best in each other just like their university days.
“We are excited to see how far we both can go on this journey, as we are the fuel source for each other to strive success as well as to provide support when things are not going well.”
Following her grandfather’s footsteps, Izzati Shamina binti Sufri was on a mission to rebuild her grandfather’s signature soto, Soto Hj Tuah. During her second year undertaking Bachelor of Business in Applied Economics & Finance at UTB, Izzati was already ready to take the leap in opening her first branch while studying. “Studying marketing, economics, business law, finance and communication at UTB has been a transformational experience for me where I able to apply knowledge and skills when managing my business. I wouldn’t go far without what I have learnt from UTB,” she said enthusiastically.
During her ExperiencePLUS, UTB’s industrial placement programme, the entrepreneur requested to be attached at her own restaurant in order for her to start to focus on how to grow her business. With a positive slope and knowledge gained from UTB, she managed to open her second branch right after her graduation in 2018. “Fun fact about my restaurant, I used my monthly allowances to buy the tables,” she added.
Currently, heading three branches now with her husband, she hopes that she would be able to grow her grandfather’s legacy and diversify to other businesses as well. “UTB has shaped me to be a successful entrepreneur, I have gained experience and patience through hard work and where hardship comes ease at the end.”
