April 25, 2022, by Noor Syuhada

Forage Virtual Work Experience Programs: Let’s Hear What They Say!

UNM Careers Advisory Service has partnered with Forage (previously called as Inside Sherpa) to offer all UNM students with practical work experience through Virtual Work Experience Programs.

Through this challenging time of pandemic, CAS initiated this program to improve the students’ marketability, and continue build their skills and confidence for their smooth transition from university to the world of work in future.

Forage is an online resource which offers virtual experience programs designed by leading companies. It is to develop your skills and gain a real understanding of different roles and industries by working through these self-paced modules, with tasks similar to those you would undertake during a traditional internship. You can build your employability and experience what it’s like to work at a range of world-leading companies, from the comfort of home!

Testimonial from Jeremy Grunfeld, Director of Education Partnership, Forage

Forage has been delighted to partner with the Careers Advisory Service of the University of Nottingham Malaysia to give all students access to free virtual job simulations with Fortune 500 companies including BCG, JPMorgan, Citi and KPMG.

Careers Advisory Service (CAS) is the first Malaysian education institution to partner with Forage, highlighting the university’s forward-thinking and innovative approach to enhancing students’ career readiness. CAS and Forage have a number of shared values including our shared passion for bringing exceptional opportunities to every student so that we can truly democratize access to opportunity and empower students to pursue careers they’re truly passionate about.

Students have thoroughly enjoyed having access to Forage with over 1,400 enrollments in virtual job simulations from University of Nottingham Malaysia students and over 90% of students rating the experience as 5 stars. The impact has been significant.

Students are surveyed before and after participation, showing a 62% increase in students’ understanding of the work done at the company they’re exploring in the virtual job simulation along with a 19% increase in likelihood to apply for a role. 89% of students indicated that they developed practical skills through their participation on Forage. The most popular experiences amongst University of Nottingham Malaysia students have been BCG’s Strategy Consulting Program and KPMG’s Data Analytics Program.

Testimonial from UNM Students & Alumnus

Muhammad Amiruddin, FAM alumnus (Class of 2021)

All Forage programmes were marketed to help students especially undergraduates to familiarise with the corporate duties of their industries. I have benefitted immensely from these programmes I enrolled in, by becoming more prepared for the expected works I will encounter within the first few months of my hiring, as well as the software tools I may need to complete specific tasks, such as Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and even PowerBI for data-driven dashboards.

The Forage platform equipped me with the possibilities that my university academics may not entirely be helpful in preparing me for the working environment. Thus, programmes that I have enrolled in Forage have mostly educated me on the importance of time management, software applications, and highlight only the key points when preparing for PowerPoint presentations.

I can state that I have made an effort in completing the modules before my application with Citi – thus, I was able to include the programmes in my resume during my Citi recruitment application. I have secured my first job in Citi Malaysia and the modules equipped me with a broader knowledge of Citi’s operations and corporate duties.

Lau Zheng Hao, Mechanical Engineering, Year 2 student

Through the collaboration between UNM Careers and Forage, I have got an opportunity to explore some non-engineering professions through an internship experience since my goal is to enhance my student learning experience, acquire different types of skills and gain a newer exposure towards such companies. I learn a lot of statistical analysis, so it provokes me to study more about it and apply in a more contextual setting in my engineering projects—which I believe exposure, and trial and error are part of the experience.

Nkatha Amondi, Education, student

I loved the fact that what we learnt was connected. All the tasks and activities were linked and each was a means to an end for the next. It helped me constantly remember and put into practice what I had already learnt.

Ishika Somarchand, Applied Psychology, student

I really appreciate the opportunity offered by GE to not only effectuate an online internship that is difficult to acquire but also for all the essential tools and skills I acquired. I enjoyed this journey from the very beginning to the very end.

Testimonial from Lecturer

Dr. Myint Coe Chit, NUBS

Data analytics internships offered on Forage platform are designed to help students gain a practical insight into the analytic work. NUBS students should not miss this opportunity to gain practical experience and build their career skills.

What are you waiting for? Join now and shine out your way to stand out among the talents!

Posted in ForageTestimonialsVirtual Work Experience Programs