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REHDA Institute Advances Workforce Readiness Agenda with First Mentorship Session Under RIYI 2026

The REHDA Institute Youth Initiative (RIYI) 2026 held its first corporate mentorship session recently, bringing together up to 50 selected students from more than 15 universities nationwide for direct engagement with senior industry leaders as part of efforts to strengthen graduate workforce readiness in Malaysia’s built-environment sector. The mentorship session formed part of a structured three-session programme running throughout 2026.

RIYI was first introduced during the REHDA Institute CEO Series in January 2026 and officially launched by Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, reflecting the Institute’s commitment to strengthening connections between universities and industry as part of broader efforts to support graduate transitions into employment and contribute to Malaysia’s human capital development agenda.

The first of three sessions under the year-long mentorship programme introduced participants to early career expectations, professional pathways and practical insights to help bridge the transition from university to working life. Students also engaged directly with corporate mentors and gained a clearer understanding of how different roles within the built-environment ecosystem contribute to industry growth.

The programme also aims to address challenges related to graduate underemployment and the mismatch between graduate expectations and employer requirements, as employers continue to highlight gaps in workplace readiness among some fresh graduates entering the labour market.

REHDA Institute chairman Datuk Jeffrey Ng Tiong Lip, who is also Independent Non-Executive Director of AYER Holdings Berhad, said, “RIYI is more than a mentorship programme. It represents a strategic response to Malaysia’s evolving skills challenges by strengthening collaboration between universities and industry and giving students earlier exposure to real workplace expectations through engagement with experienced corporate leaders.

“By combining structured mentorship with practical industry exposure, RIYI aims to help close critical skills gaps, strengthen graduate employability, support earlier career progression and contribute towards safeguarding Malaysia’s competitiveness and project delivery capacity over the coming decade,” he said.
The initiative comes at a time when improving graduate employment outcomes remains a national priority. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), Graduates Statistics 2024 report, although Malaysia’s graduate unemployment rate has declined to about 3.2%, more than 1.6 million graduates remain in skills-related underemployment. This highlights the need for stronger alignment between education pathways and employer needs.

The construction and built-environment ecosystem already employs more than 300,000 graduates nationwide and supports over 140 upstream and downstream industries, underscoring the importance of sustained engagement between universities and industry in preparing students for professional roles across the wider built environment ecosystem.

Chan Leng Wai, chairman of Likei Logistics Services Bhd and Independent Non-Executive Director of TalentCorp Malaysia, said, “From a talent strategy standpoint, employability is about building leadership pipelines, not just filling roles. Initiatives like the REHDA Institute Youth Initiative give employers early visibility of talent and shape graduates through real-world expectations, accelerating their transition into adaptable contributors with long-term leadership potential.”

The second and third mentorship sessions, scheduled for June and September, will build on these foundations by exploring productivity mindset development, career progression pathways and longer-term leadership readiness, while continuing structured engagement between students and industry mentors across participating organisations.

Students participating in the programme represent universities across Malaysia, including Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT), Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM), UCSI University, INTI University, HELP University, Taylor’s University, Sunway University, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Monash University Malaysia and University of Wollongong Malaysia.

Datuk Seri Dr Michael KC Yam, Chancellor of University of Wollongong Malaysia and trustee of REHDA Institute, said, “Universities play a pivotal role in shaping graduates who are not only academically capable but also industry-ready and future-focused. Initiatives such as RIYI highlight the importance of sustained collaboration between universities and industry partners to ensure students gain earlier exposure to workplace expectations and evolving professional pathways.

“From a university standpoint, strengthening these partnerships helps align academic preparation more closely with real-world practice while supporting Malaysia’s longer-term pipeline of adaptable, future-ready talent,” he said.

The programme was delivered in collaboration with REHDA Youth leaders and supported by corporate partners from across Malaysia’s wider built environment ecosystem, beyond property development alone, including Sime Darby Property, Paramount Property, Avaland, Feruni Ceramiche, FAR Capital and Progressture Solar, reflecting industry wide commitment to strengthening graduate readiness and talent development.

The mentorship initiative forms part of REHDA Institute’s broader effort to strengthen early industry exposure for university students and support smoother transitions from campus to employment within Malaysia’s built-environment sector. Moving forward, REHDA Institute aims to position RIYI as an annual national level programme and gradually scale participation to benefit more universities and students nationwide.