2 . BACKGROUND
Youth unemployment in Malaysia is higher for tertiary graduates than non-graduates . 60 % of the 51,000 graduates a year remain unemployed 1 year after graduation .
Formal education lacks opportunity and curriculum exposure to employability skills required in the workplace such as critical thinking , problem solving , effective communication , decision making , organisation and time management . Whilst some academic units may address these skills , there is a need for a systematic program on employability skills delivered through experiential learning .
In addition , there is an increasing focus on incorporating responsible management practices to create socially conscious future leaders . The Times Higher Education ’ s ( THE ) Impact Rankings show the universities ’ impact on society based on its success in delivering the United Nations ’ Sustainable Development Goals ( UN SDGs ).
Although a wide range of stakeholders are key agents in advancing the UN SDGs , it is the business sector that will be instrumental in the success of the individual targets , through the way companies operate , their innovation , and collaboration with other agents and through the development of new business models . For example , the United Nations Global Compact ( UNGC ) is a major strategic policy initiative to encourage businesses to align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights , labor , environment and anti-corruption . With more than 10,000 corporate participants and other stakeholders from more than 130 countries , it is the largest voluntary corporate responsibility initiative in the world .
Sustainability and the SDGs are therefore taking hold in mainstream global business practice , and studies note that business-focused higher education has a crucial role in training future business leaders with the skills needed to manage through the turmoil of ever-changing requirements related to sustainability .
Against this backdrop , developing business education curriculum to enhance employability skills for students and prepare them to be ready for the workforce as soon as they complete their degree coupled with impactful understanding and awareness of the SDGs is imperative for business schools to enhance their purpose and relevance in this decade of action .
Social Impact Project Report 2021 4