1) Ensure graduate connectivity with alma mater. This would provide existing students with information about industries and support for past graduates. 2) Present awards for non-academic activities to encourage leadership, social empathy, and creativity and demonstrate well-rounded skills to employers. 3) Cultivate the right attitude in students through talks, coaching, and activities to help them succeed in the working world.

1. Legend for Mind map :
Symbols Colours
Knowledge/information
acquisition activities
Skill acquisition activities
Attitude cultivation
Life/Soft skills development
Increase opportunity channels
Activities while in
Vocation Training School
Problem Statement
Ana, a dedicated and passionate teacher, who has taught for a few years in a vocational training school, needs a way to see how to
better help new graduates prepared for the working world because graduates need many more attributes beyond academic
achievement in the working world.
Graduation transition, from
School to Work
Post graduation Support

2. Platform for existing
and past graduates
to interact.
Questions about the
industry etc
Develop social skills and
teamwork through
project work
Cultivate the right
attitude through
talks and coaching
Develop creativity
through activities or
project work
Social Skill talks
Grooming talks
How to better
prepare new
graduates for the
working world?
(Teacher’s View)
In-course projects that
let students collaborate
with industry
Students to participate
in global competition
for exposure and
experience
Career coaching
(write resume,
interview techniques
Post interview reflection
support
Tools to help student
identify their strength
or interest
Career Matching
analysis
Organize company field trips
(understand the work
involved, work environment)
Good basic
knowledge of
chosen field
Students to make video of
field trips for future sharing
Industrial attachment students
or past graduates in company to
involve in organising field trips
Education system must
not solely focus on
academic excellence
Present awards for non-
academic activities, showing
leadership qualities shown,
social empathy, creativity etc
Financial knowledge talks
Entry level job listing
(direct industry-school sync
up)
Part-time job listing
(exploratory options for
graduates who are still
unsure of career direction)
Even if field trip is not possible,
Industrial attachment students can
make a video of the work they do and
about the company they are attached
to. (info for other students)
Reflection of skills to improve
after Industrial attachment (data
collection)
Entrepreneur linkup with industry
Don’t work,
continue to stay in
school until they
are “ready”
Provide options of
further studies
Link up oversea students with
overseas industry (students who
are moving back to home country
after graduation)
Cross-college modules. Opportunity to
study in other local colleges or oversea
colleges.
Overseas industry
visit, field trips,
study trips
Increase overseas
schools linkup
Increase overseas
teachers’ network
Link up students with special
interest with other schools or
industry.
Oversea companies to give talks
and recruitment
Provide post-
graduate courses to
enhance industry
knowledge
Survey graduates 1 yr
after graduation on
how they are doing
on various aspects
Provide enrichment
material for
continuous learning
(industry based)
Industrial attachment
during course
Short term project whereby companies
can outsource to existing students and
students get coaching in return
With this link-up, also provide
local graduates with oversea
industry opportunities
Invite past graduates to
provide a view of the
industry they work in
Past graduates
volunteer as
mentor
Career talks from
companies/industries

3. Ensure graduate connectivity with alma mater.
This would provide source of info for existing
students as well as support for past graduates.
Link-up with a group of industry
employers to get feedback of
quality of graduate batches wrt
measures implemented
Counseling or emotional
support for new
graduates
Past graduates can be voluntary ambassador of
companies they worked in. Provide information to
existing students

4. These awards can be a given out either yearly, or shorter period.
As the awards are related to non-academic activities, it involves skills other than academic excellences pertaining to the course of study. The
students would be involved in perhaps self-triggered social projects, projects of creativity, sport events organization, participating in national
level events.
It is to encourage students to par-take activities beyond their course of study, and hence in the process, develop life skills like leadership
qualities, organizing skills, decision making, working in teams, social interaction skills and also cultivate good attitudes like tolerance, win-win
handling etc.
The nominations come from peers or teachers or coaches and will be vetted by a committee.
Such awards will also demonstrate skills and qualities of the graduate beyond academic domain to potential employers.
The awards can comes in the form of sponsorships from companies in terms of products or small monetary award, or event sponsorship to
some events like field trips or exhibition shows.
The most practical idea (one that could be easily implemented)
Present awards for non-academic activities, showing leadership qualities shown, social empathy, creativity etc

5. This is regarding setting an infra-structure, of connectivity, of post graduates support, of graduates supporting existing students.
With past graduates remaining connected to their alma mater, there is a lot of resources we can tap from this group. Past graduates can
provide information or advice regarding the industry they are in to existing students, clarify existing students questions or doubts with regards
to the industry. Provide mentorship to existing students or fresh graduates. In this aspect, it is a platform for past graduates supporting
existing students.
However, it is also a platform past graduates, in terms of getting most updated information of the industry they are in. (as between the tie-up
between the school and the industry), support of continuous learning from the school, and for networking between past graduates.
There has to be benefits for all parties involved, the companies, the past graduates, the existing students to buy into this platform and actively
using it.
The most disruptive idea (one that would make a huge impact, regardless of how feasible or affordable it is)
Ensure graduate connectivity with alma mater. This would provide source of info for existing students as well as support for past graduates.

6. Which is the same as what I have chosen for Criteria 1.
I believe that for graduates to survive in the real working world. They need to acquire the required knowledge, skills and have the right
attitude.
All the support to smoothen the transition could be present but if the graduates/students do not have an attitude to take charge of their life,
and trigger for changes needed, learn along the way, pick up new knowledge and skills, then all the infra-structure put in place would still be
useless.
The challenge is how to encourage students to be involved in more activities, given they tight schedule. Nobody ever have too much time. So it
is important to cultivate the culture of taking up additional activities that students have passion for, so as to pick up new skills and learn more
about their strength and weakness, along the way. Daring to move forward, even if in fear, is the most powerful weapon we can equip our
graduates in the real world.
My favorite idea (one idea that you are excited about for whatever reason... you don’t have to justify why)
Present awards for non-academic activities, showing leadership qualities shown, social empathy, creativity etc